The Pac-12 has fallen, and the Big Ten is on the rise after adding some historic programs like USC, UCLA, and Oregon.
With that, Big Ten fans will get to see new(ish) uniforms and helmet combinations they usually only get to watch during bowl games or if they are true college football die hards.
Below, we ranked all 18 Big Ten helmets from worst to first.
Related: Michigan State helmets through the years.
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18
Rutgers
Why the Ranking?
This is about as basic as it gets. Although I do like the little New Jersey outline on the back, this is about as basic as it gets for a helmet.
17
Indiana
Why the Ranking?
Not much going on with this one…
16
Illinois
Another basic one, although Illinois, I think, has an aesthetically pleasing color scheme, this is a pretty uninspired helmet.
15
Nebraska
Why the Ranking?
I like the old school look, which I think puts it ahead of Indiana.
14
Minnesota
Why the Ranking?
Minnesota has the ugliest colors in the Big Ten. Not much they can do about that at this point.
13
USC
Why the Ranking?
I can appreciate this helmet because of the logo, which is always a nice touch compared to just putting the school letters on the helmet, but I do think they are in need of some kind of update.
12
Northwestern
Why the Ranking?
I like the all-purple look, but there are much better helmets on this list.
11
Purdue
Why the Ranking?
I like Purdue’s football uniforms and helmet. But they are very basic for what they are.
10
Washington
Why the Ranking?
I do like this helmet, but there is another very similar helmet on this list below that does this style much, much better.
9
Wisconsin
Why the Ranking?
This is a good helmet. I have no problems with it. Heck, if I worked at Wisconsin, I’d probably be in favor of keeping this one forever. But it’s not very special. The addition of the shading of the W is a nice touch, but it’s a pretty boring helmet all things considered.
8
Maryland
Why the ranking?
This could be my most divisive ranking. Some people HATE these helmets. Personally? I like them, they stand out, there is nothing else like them out there. For the originality, I put them here.
7
Penn State
Why the ranking?
This was a tough helmet for me to rank. Yes, this is an iconic helmet of college football. Then again, it is just a white helmet with one stripe. I respect the heritage, but can’t put it higher on this list.
6
Iowa
Why the Ranking?
This is where we enter the zone of objectively awesome helmets. Iowa’s is perfect for them. I can’t think of how they could make it better. That goes for every other helmet on this list, and they largely fall to personal opinion at this point. The black is very striking and the yellow is the perfect complement. No notes.
5
UCLA
Why the ranking?
I love the simple elegance of this helmet. The gold looks so good and the navy just pops. It’s a beautiful helmet design, and maybe a personal favorite on this list for me, but I couldn’t put it ahead of our top helmets below.
4
Ohio State
Why the Ranking?
When you think of Ohio State, the first thing that probably comes to mind is their helmet adorned with Buckeye stickers. It’s iconic, timeless, and sticks in your mind. A perfect helmet.
3
Michigan
Why the Ranking?
Michigan has an iconic, historic helmet. It’s really the standard bearer in terms of an old-school helmet that has stood the test of time. They easily could have won this list if I didn’t use alternate helmets in my personal equation.
2
Michigan State
Why the Ranking?
Sure, you can call this a homer pick. And I’m sure many will. But Michigan State’s helmet, which has gone through about a century of revisions and iterations, has become just about a perfect college football helmet. The dark green looks great, and the Sparty logo is probably the most iconic college logo out there. What really puts the MSU helmet over the edge is that they easily have the coolest variations of the old Big Ten schools, with multiple awesome versions, including the beloved ‘Gruff’ Sparty.
1
Oregon
Why the Ranking?
Oregon is the only school in college football that can compete with Michigan State in terms of having an awesome base helmet and awe-inspiring variations. I mean, Oregon’s helmets and uniforms are just awesome. Now, if they could just get their basketball court to catch up…
