James Franklin Is the Perfect Big Ten Rival for Urban Meyer

COLUMBUS, Ohio — It started with a Wednesday tour of Urban Meyer’s office on ESPN.com. Sitting next to a few of the Ohio State head coach’s favorite books was a paper printout, the contents of which would surely set the corner of the Internet that claims the Buckeyes abuzz.

Black jerseys.

Long rumored and often debated, the potential of black-based uniforms has been a polarizing prospect for Ohio State fans dating back to the mid-1990s. And on Wednesday, Meyer confirmed that they may be closer to becoming a reality than some Buckeye traditionalists would prefer.

“Somewhere down the road, maybe,” Meyer said, before confirming that he’d be OK with an all-black Ohio State look.

Less than 24 hours later, a different coach at another tradition-rich Big Ten program made a similar statement.

“One of the things I am looking at possibly doing is a throwback uniform,” Penn State head coach James Franklin said, via StateCollege.com’s Ben Jones. “Although our uniform has pretty much stayed the same, there has been variations over the years. Maybe one game a year you do a throwback of the elements we’ve had over the years.”

The degree of their public advocacy may vary, but the reasoning behind Meyer and Franklin’s acceptance—or perhaps preference—of alternate jerseys doesn’t differ.

“It’s a great way to pay respect to the past, but give the players and recruits a way to see we’re doing something a little bit different,” Franklin said.

“I love tradition,”…

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