When it comes ranking the best football helmets in the SEC, it’s important to remember a few things about this list:

– There is no “worst” helmet. I actually think every team has a distinctive and interesting design. And if a helmet or uniform design has to be altered, or an alternative option is created, to help appeal to an 18-year old recruit, so be it.

– This is about as subjective a list as you will find. So please, no complaints of bias, or charges of favoring one school over another. If you disagree with the list order, no problem. Feel free to create your own. Chances are your list will be just as accurate, no matter the order.

So, as I looked through the helmets of the SEC, this is how I rank the teams, from 14 to 1.

14. Mississippi State Bulldogs

Given that my high school colors were maroon and white, the Bulldogs get major points right away for color choice. And there are many options available for the helmet color: maroon, white or grey.

If there is any issue with me on the helmet, it may be putting the word ‘State’ over the ‘M’ in the design. I get wanting to make sure everyone knows this is Mississippi STATE, but the design leaves the M blocked out somewhat.

But between the color and the logo design, I certainly know which school I’m watching when I tune in to a Mississippi State game. So, I suppose it has achieved its goal, in that regard.

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13. Texas A&M Aggies

For a guy that loves the maroon and white color scheme, I’m sure not giving it a ton of love on this ranking order.

But while I love it when they unveil the white helmet look, the “complaint” I have with the Texas A&M helmets is the same that many others have had issues with. Having the T between A and M, no matter how much bigger that T is, it still can appear that it says ‘ATM’ on the helmet.

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12. Kentucky Wildcats

Kentucky gets high marks for trying to appeal to the younger audience with its shiny chrome helmet design from a couple of years ago.

But there is just something missing from the helmets in its traditional look. Now, if the chrome design becomes an every-game look, then get back to me, and I’ll be more than happy to move them up on the list.

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11. South Carolina Gamecocks

The Gamecocks do a great job of mixing up the color scheme with the helmets. All three work: garnet, black and white. Putting the mascot in the middle of the C is an excellent touch as well.

And while I understand the ‘Block C’ has been a part of the helmet for nearly 20 years now, in the future, is there any way to get the ‘S’ back on the helmet?

10. Auburn Tigers

Crimson Tide fans will obviously disagree, but to an impartial observer, you can’t go wrong with burnt orange and navy blue as your primary colors. And the ‘AU’ logo is as distinctive as it gets in the SEC.

Personally, I would get a kick out of seeing the Tigers go back to the burnt orange facemasks they used in the early 80s.

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9. Arkansas Razorbacks

I really like the Cardinal helmet colors, and enjoy seeing the mascot on the side. But I really love it when the Razorbacks break away from tradition and go with the white helmets.

While I’m not advocating a complete changeover from the cardinal to the white helmets, I would enjoy seeing them in those white helmets a little more than the three or four games we get out them.

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8. Georgia Bulldogs

It can be argued that outside of a school in Tuscaloosa, there is no more distinctive logo on a helmet in the SEC than Georgia’s oval ‘G’. The helmet design will likely not change anytime soon, given how some fans are still upset over the Bulldogs’ decision to wear a black helmet in 2009 against Florida.

Now, while I don’t necessarily advocate making a change to the helmet design itself, would a change of color on the facemask every now and then be the worst idea of all time? Instead of the traditional white, how about red or black?

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7. Missouri Tigers

While not a huge fan of the colors – black and gold – Missouri gets high marks for the different patterns and changes over the years to its helmets. Changing from the traditional block ‘M’ to the Tiger mascot on the helmet was also a nice touch.

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6. Florida Gators

When it comes to the Gators’ helmets, it’s very simple: Love the colors. Love the script ‘Gators’.

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5. LSU Tigers

The color scheme – purple and gold – is what makes these helmets among the best in the nation. The gold helmet with the signature ‘LSU’ in purple on the side is about as cool as it gets.

Which is why, except for a few occasions when they went to a white helmet, this has been the helmet design of choice for the last 40 years.

4. Tennessee Volunteers

Much like LSU, the distinctive colors of the school – orange and white – makes Tennessee look good in any helmet design. The white helmet with the orange Power ‘T’ has basically been the Volunteers’ look for over 50 years.

They also have one of the coolest alternative helmets when they go to the charcoal grey “Smokey” helmets, as they did for the 2016 Music City Bowl win over Nebraska.

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3. Ole Miss Rebels

Normally, Ole Miss wouldn’t be this high up on the list of best SEC helmets. Its colors are nice – navy blue and red – and the script ‘Ole Miss’ on the side is cool.

But for me, when they go to the powder blue helmet look, just as they did in their 2015 win over Alabama and the 2016 Sugar Bowl, the Rebels have possibly the best looking helmet in the SEC.

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2. Vanderbilt Commodores

No team in the SEC has used more helmet options over the last few years than Vanderbilt. And some might say with good reason, because its traditional gold helmet with the black star logo looks boring.

But Vanderbilt has adopted the philosophy as well as anyone in the SEC that different looks in uniforms and helmets can help in catching the eye of a recruit these days.

Which is why the Commodores are way up on this list. They have the best alternative helmets in the SEC when they go with the “Deep Water” helmets, with an anchor on the side.

1. Alabama Crimson Tide

Everyone outside of Tuscaloosa can complain all they want. And, yes, maybe the Alabama helmets are boring to look at, since it hasn’t changed its design for almost 60 years.

But this is the gold standard for helmets in the SEC. In fact, there may be no more distinctive helmet in college football. Alabama, with the numbers on the side, is the New York Yankees of college football helmets.

It may be fun once in a while to see a return to using white helmets and red numbers, as it did during the 50s and occasionally after that (last time was 1984). But then again, if it isn’t broke, why fix it?

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