Purple or black? Patterson’s Alamo Bowl shirt color will be late decision

Purple or black?

TCU coach Gary Patterson might make a game-time decision on his choice of shirt for the Alamo Bowl.

Why is this important?

His clothing just about won an MVP award the last time the Horned Frogs played in San Antonio. Patterson switched from a black shirt to purple at halftime of the 2016 game and — voila! — TCU matched the largest comeback in bowl history by rallying from a 31-0 deficit to defeat Oregon 47-41 in three overtimes.

True story.

“As usual, there’s a part of the game, as a head coach, where you’re not very smart,” Patterson said Thursday at a press conference in San Antonio. “That’s why I changed shirts, I thought, to become a little bit smarter with the color.”

Patterson had reporters, event organizers and Stanford coach David Shaw laughing about the memory. The question came from the audience: Purple or black?

Patterson said he’s leaning purple, but black has an appeal for — ahem — some coaches.

“By the end of the season, us stocky guys, we don’t look as good on high-definition TV,” he said, drawing more laughs. “It’s kind of a thin thing. It helps you out a little bit.”

With a smile, he added, “So I’m going to see what I look like by the time I get to the 25th, 26th, and then make a decision.”

Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. Dec. 28 at the Alamodome. So there’s time to get hi-def ready.

This story was originally published December 7, 2017 at 12:06 PM with the headline "Purple or black? Patterson’s Alamo Bowl shirt color will be late decision."