Buckeyes go 'Mad Men.' After word began to leak out earlier this week that Ohio State had some kind of alternate uniform in store for "The Game" at Michigan on Nov. 21, the school confirmed Wednesday that it will be rolling out throwback jerseys to honor the 1954 national champions in Ann Arbor. And not just any throwback jerseys, but "a new uniform product featuring cutting-edge fabrics and technology," of course, courtesy of Nike. The unis won't be available for public viewing until the Sunday before the game, Nov. 15, but a mock-up reportedly leaked on Twitter doesn't exactly resemble the duds Heisman winner Howard "Hopalong" Cassady wore back in the day:

Obviously, there's a murmur of dissent in the crowd. If Hopalong could have donned the Swoosh, though, I'm sure he would have rocked it with pride and humility. We'll see in a week and a half of so how closely the leaked version resembled what they actually roll out.

• Baby blue to match Buffalo blues. There are no official uniform changes in the works at Colorado, but a handful of fans are hoping to turn back the clock in the stands Saturday against Texas A&M to protest the program's collapse under Dan Hawkins:

During the early 1980s the University of Colorado Football Teams were some of the worst in the history of this Top 20 All-Time Winningest Program. During those dreadful years, our team wore POWDER BLUE. That's right: POWDER BLUE.

This year will be our 4th losing season in a row, which hasn't happened since 1979-1984 (6 seasons) when we wore that disgusting powder blue for a few seasons.

Wearing POWDER BLUE to the game this Saturday (Nov. 7) against Texas A&M Aggies will show our University Officials where we think our current regime stands. With the worst of the worst.

The Buffs were a dreadful 14-51 from 1979-84 (before Bill McCartney turned the program into a championship-winning powerhouse by the end of the decade), significantly worse even than Hawkins' 15-29 record in Boulder since 2006, although who knows where CU might be in two years if Hawk manages to hang on past the ongoing catastrophe of the current season. Nearly 1,200 "confirmed guests" have signed up for the "Wear POWDER BLUE to the CU game!!!" Facebook page, all of whom are specifically encouraged to show up for the game: It's a protest, not a boycott.

• We don't get much attention here. Yarr. In other uniform news, keep an eye on East Carolina fans tonight when the Pirates host reeling Virginia Tech for a nationally-televised affair on ESPN, for which a group at ECU has been planning a "Pirate Out" for months. (Also be sure to check in during the game for the Doc's regular Thursday night live blog.)

• Bowden makes the call, says Bowden. A day after his longtime defensive coordinator, Mickey Andrews, announced his retirement at the end of the season, Florida State coach Bobby Bowden assured reporters Wednesday that Andrews' replacement would be Bowden's decision -- with offensive coordinator/coach-in-waiting Jimbo Fisher's input, of course.

Assuming Bowden himself will be back in 2010, the choice could cause some friction with Fisher, who insiders say is adamantly opposed to promoting another longtime Bowden crony, assistant head coach Chuck Amato; if Bowden insisted on Amato, Fisher would be forced to start from scratch when he assumes the head coach's chair in 2011. At this point, though, the notion of Bowden retaining final authority over any decision as critical as hiring a defensive coordinator next year may be a laughable one -- with half the fan base and at least some segment of both the local press and the university power brokers already aligned against Bowden's return, his 35th season may only come with an agreement (possibly an official, public agreement) to turn over most of the real authority to Fisher and enjoy the season as a figurehead. And with a defensive coordinator who is neither Mickey Andrews nor Chuck Amato.

Quickly ... Quarterback Rusty Smith, the most visible player in Florida Atlantic's short history, elected for season-ending shoulder surgery that will also end his FAU career. ... Florida State's smallest home crowd in 15 years against N.C. State meant a big economic hit on the community. ... LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson wants another shot at Julio Jones after Jones won last year's battle between the hyped recruits as true freshmen. ... Steve McNair Jr. is on his way to Southern Miss. ... With Michigan State fighting for its bowl life, Mark Dantonio was kind of cryptic about the Spartans' depth chart at his weekly press conference. ... LaGarrette Blount's potential reinstatement, expected to be resolved earlier this week, is still up in the air. ... Athletic director Damon Evans extends the dreaded vote of confidence to Mark Richt. ... The Oklahoman plays up a "showdown" very few will notice Saturday between elite defensive tackles Ndamukong Suh and Gerald McCoy. ... The Associated Press talks to college coaches about giving up the punt. ... And AnnArbor.com looks at the possibly muddled origins of "The Victors." It also gets several assessments of Michigan's surprising lack of talent on defense, but somehow failed to ask this guy about it.