The 25 Best College Football Helmets of 2012

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1.

With over 120 teams in Division-1A, standing out above the crowd is no easy task. As college football continues to grow and evolve, teams are turning to uniform design to help them (a) either grow their identity or (b) help maintain it. A helmet is the most important aspect of a football uniform, a way to differentiate between teams (of course 

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2.

No. 25 - San Jose State Spartans

The Spartans probably wont make many headlines this year in the almost-obsolete Western Athletic Conference. However the team's helmet definitely deserves some top 25 recognition.

3.

No. 24 - Air Force Falcons

While the lightening bold on the Air Force helmet is a fairly simple design, it embodies the military division perfectly, thus earning the No. 24 spot on our list.

4.

No. 23 - Northwestern Wildcats

While the block-N on the Wildcats' helmet usually isn't anything worth mentioning, the team's patriotic twist on the design earns our respect, especially on this 11th anniversary of 9/11.

5.

No. 22 - Louisiana Tech Bulldogs

As one the oldest designs in college football, the Louisiana Tech logo pays homage to its home state. The red T on the blue Louisiana background has been around since 1968.

6.

No. 21 - East Carolina Pirates (ECU)

Two seasons ago ECU upgraded its helmet logo from the plain "ECU" initials to the a more fierce look featuring a pirate and cross-bones. Now all the Pirates have to do is step their game up on the field.

7.

No. 20 - USC Trojans

The Trojans of USC have a rich tradition of football, this incudes their logo. First introduced to the helmets in the 1970s, the gold Trojan head has become one of the most popular logos in sports.

8.

No. 19 - Boise State Broncos

Thanks to consistent success over the last five years, the Boise State football program has grown in both prestige and popularity. Last season the Broncos unveiled their new helmet featuring an enlarged bronco head with red eyes for an added intimidation factor. This season the team returns with the same look, hoping it brings continued success.

9.

No. 18 - Alabama Crimson Tide

Alabama was one of the first teams to use numbers as a helmet logo. The modern-day design for the team's helmet dates back to the '60, and continues to be a classic staple of college football.

10.

No. 17 - Southern Methodist Mustangs (SMU)

The galloping horse logo of SMU bares resemblance to the Ford Mustang emblem. The classic logo looks even better on a helmet.

11.

No. 16 - Fresno State Bulldogs

With a trademark "V" representing the greater San Joaquin Valley on the back, and a Bulldog illustration on the side, the Fresno State helmet has gone head-to-head against some of the top programs in college football over the years.

12.

No. 15 - Michigan State Spartans

In the 1960's the Michigan State logo looked closer to that of USC. Today's updated version resembles something out of the Battle of Troy.

13.

No. 14 - California Golden Bears

While we prefer the bear paw logo of the 1980's, the modern take definitely garners some respect. The script lettering and a solid color scheme give the Bears a fierce look.

14.

No. 13 - LSU Tigers

LSU is one of few teams who incorporates the school's name and logo on its football helmet. The yellow lid has become a nightmare for opponents year in and year out.

15.

No. 12 - San Diego State Aztecs

We're sure most of you weren't expecting to see San Diego State on this list. But at the end of the day, you have to give credit where credit is due. The blood red helmet with black accents is certainly appealing.

16.

No. 11 - Cincinnati Bearcats

Cincinnati's helmet logo is perhaps the most creative look of any team. By adding claws to the 'C' logo, the all-black helmet features a clean and effective design.

17.

No. 10 - Ole Miss Rebels

It doesn't get much more traditional than Ole Miss. While the Rebels' helmets are pretty simplistic, mistaken identity is something the team never has to worry about.

18.

No. 9 - Texas A&M Aggies

The maroon helmet with a white facemask is as traditional as the school it represents. The large "T" on the side represents the great state of Texas.

19.

No. 8 - Clemson Tigers

While numerous programs around the country have adopted the tiger as their nickname, Clemson is the only one clever enough to use a tiger paw as its helmet logo.

20.

No. 7 - Rutgers Scarlet Knights

If we did this list last season, Rutgers wouldn't even be in the discussion. However its updated look for 2012 more closely resembles the intimidation factor of a knight.

21.

No. 6 - Michigan Wolverines

There isn't a football fan on the planet who won't recognize Michigan's three-stripes design. This year, the Wolverines tweaked the classic design by adding players' numbers on the side.

22.

No. 5 - TCU Horned Frogs

As if having a horned frog as its mascot wasn't enough, TCU up'd the ante with a gradient design on the shell to add some contrast.

23.

No. 4 - Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

While the 'GT' logo has been around for a long time, the Yellow Jackets added a honeycomb design to their entire uniform, including the sweet helmet.

24.

No. 3 - Arizona State Sun Devils

The Sun Devils definitely get the "most intimidating" title on this list. This year, Arizona State has rolled out the trident design on three different helmet colorways: black, yellow, and burgundy. We love all three.

25.

No. 2 - Missouri Tigers

Like Clemson, the Missouri Tigers have taken a seemingly-obvious, but overlooked, approach to their helmet design. Aside from the ferocious tiger on side, the best feature of the helmet is its glossy overlay atop a matte black finish.

26.

No. 1 - Oregon Ducks

Surprise, surprise. Well, we certainly didn't want to just hand the No. 1 spot to Oregon, but who can blame us. The Ducks look better than ever in their latest Liquid Chrome helmets featuring wings on the sides. This may very well be the best helmet design in the history of the sport.