Ranking top 10 college football teams by their mascots ft. Brutus Buckeye, Mike the Tiger and more

There's no aspect of college football that doesn't deserve a ranking, including college football mascots. Sure, some argue about the importance of matchups or brilliant coaches. But the spirit-charging, sideline-stalking human (or animal or other) representations of school pride are important.

Here's a different sort of top 10 for college football — based on mascots.

Top 10 college football mascots

10. Big Red, WKU

Big Red enjoying some toast after WKU's win in the Famous Toastery Bowl in December.

Once described as the red-colored cousin of McDonald's mascot Grimace, Big Red has a certain odd charm. What exactly is a big red? An amorphous blob, but one with a certain funky feel.

While Big Red hasn't been spotting eating footballs like he sometimes does basketballs during hoops season, he's a fun part of non-power five football.

9. The Stanford Tree - Stanford Cardinal

What could be more perfect? In most of the college football world, West Coast football is suspect. It's soft, pass-heavy, non-contact stuff played for tree-hugging college kids. Give Stanford credit for dialing into this stereotype. The Cardinal is, in fact, a tree. It's a reminder that as serious as college football is, it can certainly be funny.

8. Smokey the Volunteer - Tennessee

Tennessee's mascot situation is confusing. The Volunteer looks much like the West Virginia Mountaineer. But Tennesee relies mostly on Smokey, the dog. As cartoonish fun, he's more kid-friendly than Uga or Mike the Tiger. But he's a real part of college football.

7. Ralphie the Buffalo - Colorado

Colorado mascot Ralphie the Buffalo might be more popular than Coach Prime.

On the other hand, there's nothing particularly funny about a massive charging buffalo. But that's Ralphie, who lives up Colorado games, and who is certainly imposing. Is it too much to ask if Coach Prime can ride into the games on Ralphie? OK, it probably is.

6. Chief Osceola - Florida State

It's a fine line that FSU is treading between honoring their native American forebears and turning them into cartoons. But Chief Osceola seems like the part most likely to survive. Frankly, he looks like what he's supposed to be — one tough hombre, ready for anything he encounters. He certainly fires up FSU fans.

5. The Oregon Duck

The Oregon Duck is a popular staple of Pac-12 football.

Like the school he represents, the duck is a pure jolt of fun. The Pac-12 helps college football by being the fun uncle who might not be entirely reliable but is just entertaining. The Oregon Duck isn't going to snap anybody's head off or intimidate anybody. He's there to be pleasant and amusing, and he is.

4. The West Virginia Mountaineer - West Virginia

A man with a rifle and a weird hat? Mark us down for it. West Virginia didn't need horrifying beasts to intimidate — just give them a wild man if there's ever a mascot battle. The Mountaineer will stick around for a long time.

3. Uga - Georgia

Frankly, there may not be any mascot more beloved than the series of actual bulldogs that the Georgia Bulldogs use to serve as their mascot. Uga XI is now on the case, and the deaths of past Ugas are regarded with the kind of reverence usually reserved for heads of state. Bonus points for the time Uga almost bit an opposing player during a game.

2. Brutus Buckeye - Ohio State

Brutus is the epitome of the family-friendly but still cool mascot. He's kind of human-looking, cartoonish, but fun and approachable. Brutus has a long history of whipping OSU crowds into a frenzy.

1. Mike the Tiger - LSU

What else needs to be said? He's a live Tiger. Opposing players speak with open fear decades later about being perched too close to Mike the Tiger's cage. If Death Valley wasn't imposing enough, add a live Tiger. How does LSU ever lose at home?

How would you rank college football mascots? Which legends did we leave out? Weigh in below in the comments section.