I Ranked All 130 Division I College Football Helmets — How Does Your School Stack Up?

    From trash to class, this football list is purely a beauty contest.

    Jeremy Hayes
    by Jeremy Hayes

    BuzzFeed Contributor

    Before we jump into the list, note that I am not a fan of any specific team. I graded all of these helmets based on a team's logo, helmet color, face mask, stripe, and originality.

    footballs and helmets cartoon
    Jakeolimb / Getty Images

    Here are all 130 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision helmets ranked:

    130. Northern Illinois Huskies

    Giphy

    Sorry, but I just hate darker text on black helmets. It looks so dull.

    129. Florida Atlantic Owls

    White helmet with the state of Florida in red with the words "Atlantic" inside
    ESPN

    Way too similar to an older FSU helmet. I like the idea of having "Atlantic" on there, but it feels very rehashed.

    128. Kent State Golden Flashes

    Yellow helmet with a big blue "K" and flash mascot
    ESPN

    They have so many alternate helmets. A lot of these lower-ranked colleges should stick to one and create an identity. How about just the giant blue "K"?

    127. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

    Silver helmet with a red "WKU" banner
    ESPN

    WKU has a cool helmet color and face mask, but I wished they were more creative with a logo design.

    126. UMass Minutemen

    Eleven Sports

    I think I'd prefer a red three-corner hat logo.

    125. Nevada Wolf Pack

    Silver helmet with blue letters spelling "Pack" in cursive
    FS1

    I really prefer their wolf logo over the word "Pack"; otherwise, this would be higher on the list.

    124. Tulane Green Wave

    White helmet with an angry green wave cartoon that looks ready to throw hands
    ESPN

    It's an angry green wave ready to throw hands. Hey, it's original.

    123. San Diego State Aztecs

    A reflective red helmet with a thick black stripe down the middle (San Diego State logo on the back)
    CBS

    Cool color scheme, but I wish they had a better idea for a logo design.

    122. New Mexico State Aggies

    A red helmet with a mustached cowboy mascot with the words "NM STATE" below him
    ESPN

    Points for the mustache.

    121. Miami (Ohio) RedHawks

    White helmet with a thick red stripe down the middle and a red "M"
    CBS

    A classic look, and I like the numbers on the back of the helmet underneath the stripe.

    120. Georgia Southern Eagles

    Blue helmet and the letters "GATA"
    ESPN

    Nothing about the helmet really stands out, but it has potential.

    119. Southern Miss Golden Eagles

    Giphy

    Black and yellow works most of the time, but I wish their logo were a little more imaginative.

    118. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers

    Black helmet with an angry-looking blue-and-gold rooster
    ESPN

    A fun, goofy logo that is lost on an all-black helmet. I don't get the thinking behind this one.

    117. Arkansas State Red Wolves

    Red helmet with the word "state" on it, but the "a" in "state" is capitalized
    Fox

    The Red Wolves have a cool logo, so why not use it on the helmet?

    116. Appalachian State Mountaineers

    Black helmet with a big "A" on it
    ESPN

    When I was younger, I always thought this was Army playing.

    115. Oregon State Beavers

    Black helmet with an angry orange beaver
    ESPN

    How can you hate on a beaver?

    114. Illinois Fighting Illini

    BTN

    I always like the block "I," but the color of the helmet looked better in the Rashard Mendenhall days.

    113. New Mexico Lobos

    Silver helmet with an angry white canine
    FS1

    Love the logo, and a silver helmet always looks good.

    112. South Alabama Jaguars

    White helmet with the word "Jags" in red letters
    ESPN

    Not an overly inspired helmet, but I like the text.

    111. East Carolina Pirates

    Purple helmet (reflective) with a skull and crossbones wearing an "ECU" pirate hat
    ESPN

    I really wish the pirate hat was not also purple, but I like the logo and purple. How about a yellow pirate hat with purple "ECU" letters? Just so it pops more.

    110. Georgia State Panthers

    Blue helmet with a white panther
    ESPN

    I like the blue on blue with the face mask and the helmet.

    109. FIU Golden Panthers

    White helmet with purple letters spelling "FIU" and below is a gold panther
    ESPN

    I actually like Florida International's helmets a lot. Kind of reminiscent of LSU's helmet.

    108. Oregon Ducks

    Green helmet with darker-green wings
    Fox

    Dare I say, Oregon has too many alternate helmets and uniforms. If they had one they consistently wore that was good, they would probably be top 50.

    107. UNLV Rebels

    Black helmet with letters "UNLV" arched
    FS1

    The arch of the logo is solid.

    106. Ohio Bobcats

    Ohio University Football

    These really stand out in comparison with other helmets, but they should incorporate a bobcat somehow.

    105. Kansas Jayhawks

    Blue helmet with the white letters "KU"
    FS1

    The font of the "KU" is nice, but I'd consider removing the stripe.

    104. Iowa State Cyclones

    Red helmet with a big yellow "I" and the word "state" overlaying it
    ESPN

    The yellow pops on the red helmet, but a yellow face mask would work better.

    103. Mississippi State Bulldogs

    Mississippi State Athletics

    One of the many block "M" helmet logos in college football. The "State" banner going across it is a nice touch.

    102. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs

    White helmet with the state of Louisiana on it (blue) and a red "T" overlaying it
    ESPN

    I actually like the state of Louisiana being incorporated on this one with the "T."

    101. Kentucky Wildcats

    Blue helmet with white letters "UK" interlocked
    ESPN

    Nothing overly special, but still a classic look. Blue helmets with white text usually look great.

    100. Ball State Cardinals

    White helmet with a red cardinal in motion
    CBS

    The Cardinals might be the most overdone mascot in sports, and being Ball State, they could have red text "Ballin'" on their helmets.

    99. Oklahoma State Cowboys

    Black helmet with orange letters spelling "OSU"
    ESPN

    Many variations of this helmet, but usually the same logo, which is good. It's better than the cowboy logo.

    98. Duke Blue Devils

    Giphy

    Duke's not known for football, but the helmet and entire uniform are fantastic.

    97. Memphis Tigers

    Blue helmet with whitish-gray tiger stripes
    ESPN

    Not too many blue tigers out there, but that's what makes these helmets fun.

    96. Syracuse Orange

    CBS

    The 'Cuse reflective helmets are definitely the best of their options.

    95. Eastern Michigan Eagles

    Kelly green helmet with a silver letter "E"
    ESPN

    Very reminiscent of the '70s Philadelphia Eagles' Kelly green helmets.

    94. Arizona Wildcats

    Pac12 Network

    The design of the "A" is great and really stands out on a stripeless, all-white helmet.

    93. Washington State Cougars

    Pac12 Network

    Love anything that incorporates the mascot and school letters.

    92. Temple Owls

    Cherry helmet with a white "T"
    CBS

    The diamond stripe is solid, and the logo has a great traditional look.

    91. Utah Utes

    Pac12 Network

    One of the better red helmets in sports.

    90. Navy Midshipmen

    Navy Athletics

    Classic, but does not stand out in comparison with other military branch colleges.

    89. Houston Cougars

    Giphy

    The red and white always looks good on the field.

    88. Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns

    Giphy

    Simple and stripeless. The black face mask goes well with the black outlining of the team name.

    87. Colorado State Rams

    Green helmet with golden ram horns
    FS1

    Seen it before, but the colors work well together.

    86. Indiana Hoosiers

    Indiana Athletics

    Classic but not thrilling, but I wouldn't change a thing...same goes for other classic helmets.

    85. Florida State Seminoles

    Light gold helmet with a garnet-and-white spear
    Fox

    Not a fan of the lighter-colored helmet. They should go back to the '90s color.

    84. UCF Knights

    Gold helmet with the letters "UCF" interlocked and descending.
    ABC

    The color of the helmet is great, but they could do something more with the logo.

    83. Missouri Tigers

    Giphy

    Love the stripe, but everything else is just fine.

    82. Louisville Cardinals

    Red helmet with a white outline of a cardinal
    ACC Network

    I honestly prefer these to the "Diet Arizona Cardinals" uniforms.

    81. NC State Wolfpack

    Red helmet with an oversize wolf head wearing an NC State cap
    ESPN

    The big cartoon wolf isn't as good as their "NC State" white helmets.

    80. Hawaii Rainbow Warriors

    Black helmet with a dark green "H"
    ESPN

    Wish they used the silver helmets more, but I like these, too.

    79. Fresno State Bulldogs

    Red helmet with the white word "Bulldogs" in cursive
    Fox

    I prefer the big bulldog.

    78. California Golden Bears

    Pac12 Network

    I like the font for "Cal." Plus, I always picture a band on the field.

    77. Wake Forest Demon Deacons

    Reflective gold helmet with black letters "WF"
    ESPN

    It figures. One of the teams I prefer wearing black helmets uses their alternates more. They're still very cool, though.

    76. ULM Warhawks

    White helmet with the letters "ULM" in red
    ESPN

    I wouldn't change a thing about this helmet.

    75. Bowling Green Falcons

    Orange helmet with the white letters "BG" interlocked and a falcon head peeking out behind them
    ESPN

    They have had many variant helmets, but these are their best.

    74. Akron Zips

    Gold helmet with blue, cursive "Akron"
    ESPN

    Meh. They are unlike any others, at least color-wise.

    73. Boston College Eagles

    BC Athletics

    A classic look that I wouldn't change, but we're at the point in the list where all the helmets are pretty good.

    72. TCU Horned Frogs

    Purple helmet with the white letters "TCU" above a horned frog
    ESPN

    Yay, frogs!

    71. South Carolina Gamecocks

    White helmet with a black "C" and a red gamecock inside
    ESPN

    I like the black face mask with the white helmet.

    70. Georgia Bulldogs

    Giphy

    Red Green Bay Packers. I still like them a lot.

    69. Auburn Tigers

    Giphy

    One of the best stripe-logo combos in all of college football.

    68. UAB Blazers

    Gold helmet with a dragon cartoon spitting fire
    CBS

    These helmets look like they belong in the Arena Football League, and that's a compliment. Very fun and original.

    67. Liberty Flames

    White helmet with letters "L" and "U" interlocked
    ESPN

    The font is really good, and I like the positioning of it on the helmet.

    66. Army Black Knights

    Giphy

    Too classic to have too low, but also nothing too great other than the thick black stripe.

    65. Tulsa Golden Hurricane

    Giphy

    Very odd color combination, but "odd" usually is a good thing.

    64. Troy Trojans

    Maroon helmet with a white "T" that looks like a sword
    ESPN

    A simple logo is sometimes better than a cartoon mascot.

    63. Texas Tech Red Raiders

    Black helmet with two red "T's" overlapping each other
    FS1

    One of the better black helmet–dark logo combos.

    62. UConn Huskies

    Blue helmet with a white "C"
    ESPN

    Always liked the font of the "C" and the white face mask.

    61. Texas A&M Aggies

    Maroon helmet and white letters "A" and "M" with a bigger "T" in the middle
    CBS

    Another one of those teams where I turn on the channel and know right away what team I'm looking at. Identity is important for a good helmet.

    60. Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders

    Silver helmet with the blue letters "M" and "T" interlocked
    ESPN

    Silver and blue...Middle Tennessee is the first team I think of...don't ask me why.

    59. North Texas Mean Green

    White helmet with a green logo that looks like a bird
    CBS

    Can't say these don't look original.

    58. Utah State Aggies

    Giphy

    No stripe looks great on these.

    57. UCLA Bruins

    Gold helmet with blue, cursive letters "UCLA"
    FS1

    A weird color combination, but it works for them.

    56. South Florida Bulls

    Golden helmet with a green "U" that looks like a bull
    ESPN

    The reflective helmet always looks good under the sun.

    55. BYU Cougars

    White helmet with a white "Y" surrounded by a blue oval
    ESPN

    The face mask is the best part, but the helmet is still pretty good.

    54. Virginia Tech Hokies

    Chicago maroon helmet with the white letters "VT" connected
    ACC Network

    The colors are really distinct.

    53. Rice Owls

    White helmet with a regal "R" in blue.
    CBS

    The regal "R" looks good on the white helmet.

    52. Northwestern Wildcats

    Purple helmet with a white "N"
    Fox

    The white face mask pops with the "N."

    51. Maryland Terrapins

    Black helmet with the Maryland flag overlaying it
    ESPN

    Not a huge fan of using flags as the helmet scheme, but Maryland fans love it.

    50. Minnesota Golden Gophers

    Golden helmet with a maroon "M"
    ESPN

    Golden Gophers with a golden helmet? Makes sense.

    49. Kansas State Wildcats

    Silver helmet with a purple cartoon wildcat head
    FS1

    The purple and silver looks great, as does the triple stripe.

    48. Wyoming Cowboys

    White helmet with a brown cowboy outlined in yellow
    CBS

    The yellow outline of the cowboy being bucked is nice, but the brown is a choice.

    47. Central Michigan Chippewas

    Dark maroon helmet with a yellow "C" underlined
    ESPN

    I like the dark tone of the helmet with the bright letter "C."

    46. Arizona State Sun Devils

    Giphy

    What kid wouldn't want to be on a team with a trident on their helmet?

    45. West Virginia Mountaineers

    Giphy

    A unique look, and I like the lettering.

    44. Wisconsin Badgers

    Wisconsin Football

    The double stripe looks great with the classic Badger "W."

    43. Washington Huskies

    PAC 12 Network

    The colors are very original, and I know it's Washington just by a quick glance.

    42. UTSA Roadrunners

    White helmet with cartoon roadrunner logo.
    ESPN

    The logo is very cartoonish and fantastic.

    41. UTEP Miners

    Orange helmet with blue letters "UTEP" and the "T" is a pickax.
    UTEP Football

    My only comment is that the face mask should match the font color of the logo or the "UTEP" letters should be white. Other than that, solid helmets.

    40. Cincinnati Bearcats

    Black helmet with a white "C" that looks like a paw and is underlined by a red line
    ESPN

    Maybe one of my favorite straight-up logos.

    39. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

    Giphy

    The white "R" really pops on the red helmet.

    38. Penn State Nittany Lions

    Giphy

    Again, some of the best uniforms in college football, but just going off the helmet, Penn State ranks lower.

    37. Marshall Thundering Herd

    ESPN

    I like the incorporation of all three colors, and the black face mask works with the white helmet.

    36. Alabama Crimson Tide

    Giphy

    Classic helmets and the crimson always looks good on the field, especially under the lights.

    35. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

    Gold helmet with white lettering of "GT"
    ACC Network

    The "Rambling Wreck" has always had some sweet helmets.

    34. Charlotte 49ers

    White helmet with a green "C" that is formed by a pickax
    ACC Network

    The pickax to create the "C" is an example of how every team can spice up their simple letter logos.

    33. Buffalo Bulls

    Blue helmet with a blue bull logo
    ESPN

    Love the big bull logo, and the all-blue works in this case.

    32. San José State Spartans

    White helmet with yellow spartan logo
    Fox

    I really prefer the blue helmets, but I still love the logo and swordlike stripe.

    31. Purdue Boilermakers

    Tenor

    Black and old gold. Maybe my favorite color combo that multiple teams have.

    30. Baylor Bears

    Baylor University

    Love the color combo, and they honestly have some of the best alternates, too.

    29. Ole Miss Rebels

    Blue helmet with the words "Ole Miss" written in cursive and red
    ESPN

    I actually like the cursive with the colors. The white outline is great.

    28. Boise State Broncos

    Blue helmet with large bronco head logo
    FS1

    That's a big ol' bronco head.

    27. Colorado Buffaloes

    Gold helmet with a black buffalo logo with the gold letters "CU" inside of it
    FS1

    I honestly prefer this logo over the Buffalo Bills'.

    26. Stanford Cardinal

    Stanford Football

    I love incorporating the tree into the "S" logo. Too many teams put a letter or letters and call it a day. Be creative.

    25. SMU Mustangs

    Giphy

    That mustang looks like it can gallop fast. Simple, but a classic-looking logo for Southern Methodist.

    24. Western Michigan Broncos

    Gold helmet with a large black bronco head logo
    ESPN

    Very similar to Boise State, but I love the color scheme more.

    23. Vanderbilt Commodores

    Black helmet with a starred "V" logo, and a stripe that mimics a golden chain and anchor
    ESPN

    From the anchor and chain to the matte black helmets, *chef's kiss*.

    22. Toledo Rockets

    Blue helmet with a yellow rocket
    ESPN

    Little rocket? Yes, please. Fun design.

    21. Texas State Bobcats

    Gold helmet and a maroon bobcat logo
    ESPN

    Love the bobcat logo, but the color scheme is also very original.

    20. Nebraska Cornhuskers

    ESPN

    It doesn't get more basic than the font on the Nebraska helmet.

    19. Virginia Cavaliers

    Tenor

    I love the "V" font and the crossed swords.

    18. Michigan State Spartans

    Giphy

    Love that spartan logo and thick stripe.

    17. Arkansas Razorbacks

    SEC Network

    Love the logo. Who can hate a running-razorback logo?

    16. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

    Gold, reflective helmet
    NBC

    Gold = Fighting Irish. Classics.

    15. Air Force Falcons

    Giphy

    One of my favorites as a kid. The bolt looks great, and the face mask pops with it.

    14. Tennessee Volunteers

    Giphy

    I always loved the thick, orange stripe on the helmet.

    13. Oklahoma Sooners

    Red helmet with white lettering of "O" and "U" interlocked
    ESPN

    A very simple design, and the white face mask goes great with the Sooner red.

    12. Miami Hurricanes

    U Football

    The classic "U" is simple but looks great on a white helmet.

    11. Old Dominion Monarchs

    Giphy

    I love the lion head logo and the lack of a stripe on the helmet.

    10. Ohio State Buckeyes

    Silver helmet with buckeye stickers all over it
    ESPN

    Maybe the only team where I like the pride stickers.

    9. Iowa Hawkeyes

    Black helmet with a yellow hawkeye head logo
    FS1

    I can't think of a single team with a black-and-yellow color scheme that looks bad. Plus, the logo is crisp.

    8. USC Trojans

    University of Southern California

    I grew up watching Reggie Bush and the Trojans run all over the nation, and these helmets should never be altered.

    7. Florida Gators

    ESPN

    Loved the cursive growing up, and the white face mask really pops.

    6. Texas Longhorns

    University of Texas

    Maybe the best logo in college football, but an underrated element is the white face mask with the white helmet.

    5. North Carolina Tar Heels

    UNC

    Love the logo and the baby blue.

    4. LSU Tigers

    Giphy

    One of the truly unique helmet designs. I love having Louisiana State's letters and the logo on the helmet.

    3. Clemson Tigers

    Giphy

    Love the paw print, and the orange helmet is great.

    2. Pittsburgh Panthers

    Pitt Panthers

    I turn on Pitt games just to see those beautiful helmets and uniforms. Glad they went back to these throwbacks.

    1. Michigan Wolverines

    BTN

    The Wolverines' winged helmet takes the top spot, and it is probably the most iconic in football.