Ranking the Ducks Past Decade of Uniform Combinations: The Bottom of the Barrel

If you're a fan of the Ducks, then chances are that you're a fan of new and innovative uniform combinations. It's 'Rankings Week' here at Duck Maven, and we kick things off with a look at the best and worst jersey combinations over the past decade.

It's rankings week here at Ducks Maven, and as the team goes on the mend during their bye week, we want to take the chance to look outside of the box and dive deeper into what got the Oregon program to the level it's at today. We start by ranking what put the Ducks on the map — their flashy uniform combinations. Check back in on Wednesday to see the next installment.

If you're a fan of Oregon football, chances are that you're a fan of uniform combinations. Sometimes they're flashy, sometimes they're safe, but always they are touted as the newest and sleekest designs, gifted to the school by Uncle Phil and the Nike Corporation. While the Ducks have had their fair share of jawdropping jersey combinations that put the nation on notice, they have also fallen victim to some risky choices that didn't quite pan out. To see more of those, we look to the bottom of the barrel. 

No. 10 | The Willie Taggart Era (2017)

When you look at the past decade of Oregon football as a whole, it's safe to say that the 2017 season with Willie Taggart at the helm was probably a low-point for the program. The Ducks finished with a 7-6 record, capped off by a 38-28 loss to Boise State in the Las Vegas Bowl. After the season, Taggart, who was hired just 12 months before, announced that he was leaving to take his "dream job" as the head coach at Florida State University.

Aside from the production on the field, the uniform combinations from this season were just awful. A double-stripe was implemented on the shoulder sleeve, and mixes of bright green and yellow were implemented to make everything pop, but it ended up just highlighting the poor design. There were a couple of games, namely against UCLA and Nebraska, where the jerseys were serviceable, but all in all, it was a year to forget. Here are our awards for the 2017 wardrobe. 

The Good

There were two really solid uniform combinations in 2017 — at home against Nebraska, and on the road against UCLA. Both of the jerseys were a clean white, while the kits featured either a soft yellow highlight around the numbers (Nebraska) and a vibrant green pant to make the white stand out (UCLA). Both times, Oregon went with a shiny chrome helmet, which is always a classic look. 

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The Bad

What's goin on with these shoulder pads, huh? Oregon tried to implement a "liquid wing" look during 2017, which was a massive failure. It could be a cool concept, but when it was realized in action, it turned into a muddled yellow that just looked bad. As for the bowl game uniforms against Boise State, they would be passable in a regular season game, but on a national stage, everyone was looking for a bit more. The aforementioned shoulder stripes or horrendous, and the apple green causes them to stand out more than they should. 

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The Downright Ugly

What the hell is going on here? We already talked about how awful this "liquid wing" concept was on the shoulders, but when you but a base layer of lightning yellow underneath, it only gets worse. If I could go the rest of my life without ever seeing this eye-poppingly horrible uniform combination again, I would sign up tomorrow. 

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No. 9 | The Vernon Adams Experiment (2015)

Marred by mediocre talent and mundane execution, the 2015 season for the Ducks was memorable, but for all of the wrong reasons. One year removed from a trip to the inaugural College Football Playoff, Oregon saw a whole hoist of players leave for the NFL, while they were left with graduate transfer Vernon Adams at the helm, looking to lead a capable program back to the top of the rankings. 

While the season ended in a triple-overtime loss to TCU in the Alamo Bowl, the Ducks still held a respectable 9-4 record. Less respectable was their choice of uniform combinations. They took a few risks that paid off (Lewis & Clark kits) and a few that didn't pan out (whatever this was...) Here are our awards for the 2015 wardrobe. 

The Good

Oregon had a couple of nice jerseys in 2015, made better by the evolution of helmets they brandished. Be it a new logo (The Combat Duck) or an array of new colors (marble white, matte green) the Ducks did take the field a couple of times looking like a dominant team. Unfortunately, that dominance was usually restrained to the uniform choices. 

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The Bad

To call these bad is a bit harsh, but they definitely aren't great. Mediocre at best. With the Lewis & Clark Pioneer uniforms, the idea was great, and had a better team been wearing the kit, they probably would be ranked higher. However, this season was filled with bold uniform choices that apologetically tried to keep the Ducks in the limelight while the team faded from glory. There was nothing wrong with these jerseys, but there wasn't much great about them either.  

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The Downright Ugly

Again: Great idea, awful execution. While some may like the camouflage top and the brand new helmet design, it just further proved that Oregon had strayed from what made them likable in the first place. The 'flying duck' coming down the crown of the helmet is just weird,  and it was made worse by the Ducks just barely escaping the Civil War with a victory. 

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No. 8 | Enter Justin Herbert (2016)

The 2016 season gave us the first glimpse of QB Justin Herbert, but the uniform combinations deployed throughout this year were less than stellar. An implemented off-color shoulder sleeve was sophomoric, and the Ducks tried to get too cute twice when they went for 'The Duck' look, as well as throwing it back to the Webfoot days when we apparently looked exactly like Cal. 

Although this year brought us the birth of a future NFL quarterback, it was largely forgettable when it comes to attire. 

The Good

There were a couple of pretty good jersey combos this season, mainly when they went all-white or all-black. While the grey shoulder sleeve is a detractor for me, the helmet more than makes up for it. 

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The Bad

The Duck look — a great idea in theory, but less than stellar when put into action. With their orange bill and orange socks, Oregon looked like a bunch of mascots running around the field while they tried to get too cute. They also brought back the "liquid" wing a couple of times this season, which should have never been a thing. 

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The Ugly

This may be a controversial opinion, but I hated the "Webfoot Throwback" uniforms that made us look like the California Golden Bears both in uniform, and in skill level. It was another example of Oregon trying to get too cute, and it looked awful. Again, with our lowest ranking, we have to pick on the "liquid sleeve" look, this time highlighted by a yellow pant combination, making the Ducks look like a yellow highlighter that went outside the lines and got a dirty black tip. Although the black helmets and yellow face masks were a cool look, they weren't enough to boost this uni combo. 

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