With the college football season starting in earnest Saturday, it’s time for a look at who’s up, who’s down, what’s hot and who’s not.

No, this isn’t about the Top 25 or the early Heisman Trophy hype, and don’t even start with the BCS nonsense yet. Fashion Week is about to get under way in New York, so why not a gridiron critique?

While the Fab Five gave us long, baggy shorts, college football players aren’t typically fashion trendsetters. Too many teams are stuck on that white jersey-white pants combination, and spandex and shoulder pads haven’t been in since the ’80s. Grass stains and mud aren’t on anyone’s list of accessories, and only Jesper Parnevik could love the combinations Oregon has been trying.

That doesn’t mean style isn’t important, though. Between the thousands of fans at the game and the millions more watching on TV, a whole lot of people are going to be giving these guys the once-over.

So let’s examine the good, the bad and the really ugly in college football fashion.

GOOD
1. Michigan — Maize and blue and winged helmets. Enough said.

2. Florida State — While other schools experiment with shading and accent panels, the Seminoles leave well enough alone. As they should. Garnet and gold looks great on its own, in any combination. Plus, they have the best helmet in the game.

3. Harvard — The black-and-white stripe down the center of the helmet is nice, but nothing beats the school motto on the shoulders — in Latin. The Crimson can run over and educate you at the same time.

4. Texas — This is the only way to wear orange.

5. Louisiana-Lafayette — Simple in either red or white, with “LOUISIANA” in plain block letters on the front, but they work. There’s no need to be flashy when your helmet says “Ragin’ Cajuns.”

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6. Notre Dame (blue or white jerseys) — Love the Irish or hate them, you can’t deny their uniforms are classics. And nothing says college football like those gold helmets.

7. LSU — One of the few times yellow and purple look good together. The Lakers get the other pass.

8. UCLA — Powder blue and gold is a tough combo to pull off, but the Bruins do it with style.

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9. Ohio State — Impressive enough on their own, the scarlet-and-grey uniforms look even better with Buckeye stickers on the helmets.

10. Penn State — Sure they’re boring. They’re also old-school cool.

Honorable mentions: Auburn, Colorado, Fresno State, Mississippi, North Texas, Southern California, Virginia.