Re-ranking all 18 Big Ten football helmets from worst to first (16. Minnesota Golden Gophers)

[BleedGopher]

per Ben:

16. Minnesota Golden Gophers​

While Minnesota's maroon and gold color scheme works well, its helmet contains far too much flash. The best helmets are both subtle and elaborate, not just an oversized 'M' in a shiny font.

Re-ranking all 18 Big Ten football helmets from worst to first

A fresh look at the Big Ten’s football helmet rankings entering the 2025 season

badgerswire.usatoday.com

Go Gophers!!

 

[STPGopher]

per Ben:

16. Minnesota Golden Gophers​

While Minnesota's maroon and gold color scheme works well, its helmet contains far too much flash. The best helmets are both subtle and elaborate, not just an oversized 'M' in a shiny font.

Re-ranking all 18 Big Ten football helmets from worst to first

A fresh look at the Big Ten’s football helmet rankings entering the 2025 season

badgerswire.usatoday.com

Go Gophers!!

Dink meter reading anyone? "Opinions are like a$$holes. Everybody has one..." - Somebody.

 

[Hates Monikers]

I'm not saying our helmet is anything special, but aren't most helmets little more than an oversized letter in the team colors (which they said works well for us)? And did they really use the helmet in that picture for their rating? I'm sure it's been used a few times, but probably less than almost all of the other options they could've picked -- most of which don't use a "shiny font" (where they meant "color").

 

[MNVCGUY]

Can we please get a note in the thread title when the source is Badgerwire so that we know not to bother with the thread?

In the sea of dumb lists this time of year, Badgerwire consistently produces some of the dumbest by far.

 

[MNVCGUY]

I'm not saying our helmet is anything special, but aren't most helmets little more than an oversized letter in the team colors (which they said works well for us)? And did they really use the helmet in that picture for their rating? I'm sure it's been used a few times, but probably less than almost all of the other options they could've picked -- most of which don't use a "shiny font" (where they meant "color").

Badgerwire.....there is no way we are ranking high on any list that comes from that site. But yeah the criteria is stupid....basically if you have a logo he likes the helmet if you don't he doesn't. Wisconsin with a big W is boarderline top 5, Minnesota with a big M is 2nd to last.....yep.....definitely no bias there.

 

[Schnauzer]

Badgerwire.....there is no way we are ranking high on any list that comes from that site. But yeah the criteria is stupid....basically if you have a logo he likes the helmet if you don't he doesn't. Wisconsin with a big W is boarderline top 5, Minnesota with a big M is 2nd to last.....yep.....definitely no bias there.

Yeah, an upside down 'M' should never rank above a normal 'M' in any situation.

 

[DarrenTheGreek]

The "motion" W looks like it was created by a UW undergrad in the early 90's using Clip Art from Microsoft Windows v3.1.

 

[STPGopher]

Can we please get a note in the thread title when the source is Badgerwire so that we know not to bother with the thread?

In the sea of dumb lists this time of year, Badgerwire consistently produces some of the dumbest by far.

24-7 still stings obviously!

 

[GophersInIowa]

"its helmet contains far too much flash"

And then has Rutgers last saying: "Rutgers' helmets lack much flavor or creative design."

 

[MilosRevenge]

The "motion" W looks like it was created by a UW undergrade in the early 90's using Clip Art from Microsoft Windows v3.1.

Sadly (or hilariously) thats exactly what they did. The Gophers went through a couple of years trying the same thing. Luckily they abandoned it.

 

[Stuff]

Ohio State always gets ranked near the top of these uniform type rankings. Their uniforms in my opinion look like the generic team uniforms in a NCAA video game. I believe they get a bump from their winning history rather than the uniforms themselves.

 

[MNVCGUY]

Ohio State always gets ranked near the top of these uniform type rankings. Their uniforms in my opinion look like the generic team uniforms in a NCAA video game. I believe they get a bump from their winning history rather than the uniforms themselves.

PSU gets similar treatment based mostly on history and tradition. But there is something to be said for the schools that have stuck with a fairly similar look in a time when teams are all over the place with uniforms and helmets.

 

[GopherGold01]

PSU gets similar treatment based mostly on history and tradition. But there is something to be said for the schools that have stuck with a fairly similar look in a time when teams are all over the place with uniforms and helmets.

Yea the simple, classic look works when its tied to a history of success. Otherwise it just looks old.

 

[WindyCityGopher]

Ohio State always gets ranked near the top of these uniform type rankings. Their uniforms in my opinion look like the generic team uniforms in a NCAA video game. I believe they get a bump from their winning history rather than the uniforms themselves.

Disagree with you on this. Their home gray/scarlett/gray combo (with the classic buckeye nut helmet stickers) is gorgeous, especially when you see it in person. Their roads whites don’t pop at all, I’ll agree there, but OSU’s home unis are among the best in football, IMO.

 

[cubuffsdoug]

Yea the simple, classic look works when its tied to a history of success. Otherwise it just looks old.

Your post explains everything. It has very little to do with looks and everything to do with the history of each program.

 

[caliGopher]

I'm just curious, when was the last time we used that specific helmet (I know someone keeps track of these things)? Not sure how you can rate our helmet. We don't have a helmet. We have helmets.

If you want to rate our "look," don't you need to look at the body of work, rather than focusing on one that isn't used often? (side note: like the Wisconsin helmet used from the Rose Bowl in 2011. That's recent, right? Haven't needed a Rose Bowl helmet in quite some time in Madison.....I know neither have we, but we're not using it in an article to talk about our helmets 14 years after the fact.....)

At least he acknowledged that reality with Oregon - and speaking of too flashy, Oregon much. At least the vast majority of the helmets we use are in the three primary colors for the school: Maroon, Gold (although we use several versions of gold), and White (the standard road color for many schools whose secondary color may create confusion on the field).

And if flashy is bad, the Terps and their collection of abominations should be at 18. I mean, it's Nike Light. I understand that Nike likes to pass off ridiculous versions of uniforms to see just how gullible people are in shelling out hundreds of dollars for a uniform that isn't even in school colors, because they are "Cool" as defined by Nike. But the Terps? I mean, Under Armour was a thing for a hot minute a decade ago, right?

 

[pharmacygopher]

I'm just curious, when was the last time we used that specific helmet (I know someone keeps track of these things)? Not sure how you can rate our helmet. We don't have a helmet. We have helmets.

If you want to rate our "look," don't you need to look at the body of work, rather than focusing on one that isn't used often? (side note: like the Wisconsin helmet used from the Rose Bowl in 2011. That's recent, right? Haven't needed a Rose Bowl helmet in quite some time in Madison.....I know neither have we, but we're not using it in an article to talk about our helmets 14 years after the fact.....)

At least he acknowledged that reality with Oregon - and speaking of too flashy, Oregon much. At least the vast majority of the helmets we use are in the three primary colors for the school: Maroon, Gold (although we use several versions of gold), and White (the standard road color for many schools whose secondary color may create confusion on the field).

And if flashy is bad, the Terps and their collection of abominations should be at 18. I mean, it's Nike Light. I understand that Nike likes to pass off ridiculous versions of uniforms to see just how gullible people are in shelling out hundreds of dollars for a uniform that isn't even in school colors, because they are "Cool" as defined by Nike. But the Terps? I mean, Under Armour was a thing for a hot minute a decade ago, right?

I don't track it but they wore those last in the 2023 bowl game vs Bowling Green.

Guessing shiny/chrome gold is scrapped for a bit at least with bringing back the bright gold back into the rotation and incorporation into the jerseys and pants.

 

[99Gopher]

The "motion" W looks like it was created by a UW undergrad in the early 90's using Clip Art from Microsoft Windows v3.1.

Any ranking that would rate that Wisky motion W as high as 8th completely invalidates the entire ranking list itself.