By: Sam Westmoreland (BleacherReport.com) -

The shiny silver helmets of the Ohio State Buckeyes have long been one of the most iconic in all of college football, along with the maize and blue at Michigan (sorry Buckeye fans, it’s true), Notre Dame’s golden domes, and Penn State’s minimalist design.

That just makes this helmet all the more shocking. Gone is the metallic finish, replaced by a darker, matte gray, overlaid with digital camouflage. The iconic red stripe is still there, but now, it seems oddly out of place, doesn’t it?

I really had you going, didn’t I? Admit it; you thought these were the Buckeyes’ permanent helmet design. Well, fear not, because Jim Tressel’s squad is only wearing these custom-made domes once: for the annual spring practice game.

Don’t worry, all you football purists (like myself) out there; you’ll only see these once, and that’s if you pay attention to the spring game in Columbus.

The helmets are meant to pay homage to American soldiers, and while half of them will eventually have their trademark silver sheen painted back on, the other half will be autographed by Jim Tressel and sold, with all the proceeds going to benefit the Ohio National Guard Family Readiness and Warrior Support Program, Learning in Fitness and Education, and the Jesse Owens Foundation……

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