Alternate uniforms have become commonplace in college football, but Ohio State unveiled a new alternate uniform that may draw the attention of officials.

The new uniforms will be worn by the Buckeyes when they square off against Penn State on Oct. 28. The uniforms are an all-gray look with the only color on the jersey being a scarlet “O” on the collar.

It is a weird look for Ohio State, and the uniforms are borderline illegal. According to the FAQs section of the NCAA rule book regarding uniforms, numbers must be clearly contrasted from the uniform color regardless of whether or not the numbers are outlined.

It is also important that the numbers still be visible from a distance during a variety of weather and lighting conditions. Florida A&M has already been penalized this season during the game against Arkansas due to illegal uniforms.

Here is a look at an explanation of the rule and punishment if a uniform is ruled illegal from the NCAA rule book:

The NCAA also explains why numbering and visibility is important:

The rules for contrasting numbers and visibility are intended to provide clearly visible
numbers for the stakeholders: coaches, fans, media, television audience, etc. This means that the numbers should be clearly visible at a distance under a variety of weather and lighting conditions.

You can check out the full preview of the uniforms from @11W:

It is worth noting that the Buckeyes numbers do feature a different shade of gray from the body of the uniform, but the look is still sure to confuse many. Seeing the uniform on a white back drop is one thing, but identifying the numbers from a distance during game play is an entirely different story. The uniforms are not as bad as Florida A&M’s illegal look, but they are still questionable.

Even if they are legal, the Buckeyes all-gray look leaves a bit to be desired. A touch of scarlet would have been a nice addition to the numbers, similar to the look that Tennessee used for its Smokey Grey Uniforms with a bit of orange.