Collector’s Corner for January 9, 2025

[Editor’s note: Welcome back to the return of “Collector’s Corner” to Uni Watch. Although no longer run by Brinke Guthrie, it has been ably resurrected by Chris Weir. Chris approached me about restarting CC, vowing to uphold the old look and style, but with one new twist: he will make each edition timely with what is going on currently in the sports world (i.e. rivalry games, big events, anniversary of events). Enjoy and please give Chris some feedback about the new (old) feature. — PH]

This week we’ll dive into memorabilia from the four schools in this season’s College Football Playoff semi-finals.

I’m struggling a bit to find a topic for next week and was thinking about doing an occasional “Show Off Your Stuff” edition in which people share their favorite memorabilia. Hit me up at collectorscorneruniwatch@aol.com or on X @uwcollect with your favorites.

• I know the price is steep but I’m not sure you can call yourself a Longhorns fan if you don’t buy this track suit. I think track suits are way overdue for a comeback.

• Here is a Texas/Budweiser crossover mug claiming that Texas is “#1” in 1970 despite the fact they lost to Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl that year.

• Anyone have an appetite for “Steer on a Stick”?

• Celebrate the Longhorns’ last National Championship with this belt buckle.

• It seems like the Big Ten has actually had ten members for about half its existence. I did think it was clever how they snuck in that “11” to their logo, shown here on this hat, when Penn State joined in 1990.

• Whatever happened to foam fingers? The writing would always fall off of mine just like it did on the index finger of this Penn State foam finger.

• Saquon Barkley has been performing acrobatic acts on the football field since his days in Happy Valley as he’s shown hurdling an Illini defender on the cover of something called, “Town and Gown’s Penn State 2016 Football Annual.”

• Old college yearbooks featuring famous athletes is a niche sports memorabilia market. I often think these yearbooks provide great insight into what college life was like in the years they’re published. I’m not even sure if universities put out yearbooks anymore. Here’s a 1920 Notre Dame Yearbook featuring George Gipp a few months before his death.

• In 1955 Topps put out this card featuring Notre Dame’s Four Horsemen backfield from 1924 wearing green jerseys. In my research I found that Knute Rockne debuted Notre Dame’s green jerseys in either 1921 vs. Iowa or in 1927 vs. Navy as a way to differentiate his team’s uniforms from their opponent’s similar uniforms. Either way, I don’t think the Four Horsemen ever wore green jerseys.

• I’d like to know which team has been featured in more films, Notre Dame Football or the Yankees. I’ve never heard of “The Spirit of Notre Dame” (only 5.3 stars on IMDB) but this movie poster sure is sharp.

• These five football prints produced by the National Brewing Company in 1963 are absolutely gorgeous. One of the prints features Notre Dame’s Four Horsemen. I’ll give you guys a week to buy them before I do.

• My wife is an Ohio State grad so my house has its SHARE of SCARLET and GRAY MEMORABILIA. I find it funny we both have our framed college diplomas in storage but we have plenty of sports memorabilia from our alma maters hanging on our walls.

• The other day was National Bobblehead Day so here are a few Ohio State bobbleheads. I think this moment in Ohio State history deserves its own bobblehead.

• I always thought bike or skiing helmets made to look like football helmets would be a big hit. This Ohio State bike helmet is fantastic but I think it could go without the giant OSU logo on the side. Probably would be an easy DIY project for your kids.