Ohio State to debut black uniforms against Penn State

In past matchups between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Ohio State Buckeyes, it was pretty easy to recognize the teams based on what they were wearing.

PSU was always the team in the no-frills blue and white uniforms that look like well-worn practice gear and Ohio State came dressed in scarlet and gray.

That changes on Saturday.

While the Nittany Lions will still be on the traditional side, the Buckeyes will be wearing all-black uniforms for the first time. They’re calling it “Dark Night in the Shoe.”

According to athletic director Gene Smith, this is a “keeping up with the Joneses” move to aid recruiting efforts.

“Recruits are impressionable today and have a great deal of materialistic interest,” Smith said, according to Cleveland.com. “So reality is we’re going to respond to that. Our job, our core mission is our student-athletes that we serve, first and foremost. And that includes the recruits we’re trying to attract.”