From classy to unconventional, some NCAA uniforms just stand out.

When the West Virginia Mountaineers took the field for their regular season finale against Pittsburgh, there was much more than bragging rights in the Backyard Brawl on the line. Ranked No. 2 in the BCS, a victory over their rivals would put West Virginia in the BCS National Championship and give the team a shot at its first ever national title.

But when the Mountaineers emerged from their locker room, something was terribly wrong. Instead of sporting their traditional blue uniforms with gold lettering, West Virginia came out sporting their hideous yellow alternate treads. The game started, star quarterback Pat White dislocated his thumb, Steve Slaton was stuffed on a crucial fourth-and-2 and soon it was the Panthers who were celebrating in Morgantown following a 13-9 win.

Let’s just call it karma.

Blame them for the loss or not, there is no denying that West Virginia’s yellow pants and jerseys were an absolute eyesore. Keeping the numerous new looks we’re seeing around the NCAA in mind, here are a few the best and worst fashion statements in college sports.

The Good

When it comes to football, there is no arguing with the classic looks sported by Southern California, Florida, Michigan, Ohio State or Texas, but you have to really love the vintage uniforms worn by Penn State and Notre Dame. Forget names on the back or fancy designs – these uniforms bring us back to a time when egos were set aside and all that mattered was team uniformity. The Nittany Lions’ plain blue jerseys with solid white lettering and a clean white helmet are a clear reminder of how much continuity means to a program that has had the same head coach for the past 42 years.

While Penn State’s uniforms have not changed at all over time, Notre Dame has taken a classic look and given it the slightest of moderations. The solid gold helmet and gold trim on the numbers is certainly a classy look, which is good because Charlie Weiss’ program doesn’t exactly have a whole lot else going for it right now.

On the hoops side, one need only look to the ACC’s elite programs to see the best basketball treads in the country. North Carolina’s uniforms are so distinct that their shade of blue has become synonymous with the program, Duke’s alternate black and blue jerseys are a nice look that further entrenches the evil identity embraced by the team and Maryland’s classic red uniforms tastefully work the state flag’s black and gold checker pattern into the trim.

The Bad

The Terrapins may look great on the court most of the time, but when they broke out the gold alternates against Holy Cross and N.C. State this year, there was no denying how terrible the bright yellow juniforms with red lettering across the front looked. While that look lost points for being too extravagant, Ohio State’s home jerseys are simply too boring. Plain white with the only color being the red names and numbers, the jerseys look more like practice uniforms than something a team would actually wear in a game.