Sports

Sports > Race for Third Place

Give the underdogs a break; being number 3 ain’t bad.

words by > DeMarco Williams

WITH GPAs, SATs and AP football polls, there’s just so much pressure on our kids to be No. 1. We’re sick and tired of the big men on campus always getting the headlines. This month’s column is all about saluting the lovable little guys, the almost-made-its of the collegiate ranks that rarely get front-page attention.

Tradition

No. 1: Yell Practice, Texas A&M No. 2: Howard’s Rock, Clemson What about me? So, they fell from number one to number four on the Princeton Review list of the country’s top party schools. The drop off doesn’t mean the University of Wisconsin-Madison can’t still throw a wild shindig. Come to any Badgers home game and at the end of the third quarter, ’90s rap group House of Pain’s hit “Jump Around” blares from the sound system. The entire student section, as well as fans and the band, follow suit, leaving Camp Randall Stadium pumped and ready to party.

Mascot

No. 1: UGA the bulldog, Georgia No. 2: Ralphie the buffalo, Colorado What about me? No disrespect to USC’s white stallion or Tennessee’s beagle, but we’re sticking with the University of Arkansas’ beloved Russian boar called Tusk—prickly spikes and all. And don’t think you have to be from Middle America to appreciate the power of a swine that the Razorbacks have had on the field since the ’60s. Boars work in Hollywood, too. Remember: the Razorbacks were the mascot of Sunnydale High School on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Stadium

No. 1: Florida’s Ben Hill Griffin Stadium No. 2: Tennessee’s Neyland Stadium What about me? The largest sporting venue in Oregon, the 54,000-seat Autzen Stadium serves as the nesting area for the Oregon Ducks. When these Ducks take flight in their uniquely shaped bowl situated among the Eugene foliage, opponents—9-24 over the last five full seasons—rarely leave with fond memories. Autzen was one of only two venues west of the Mississippi River given a perfect 10 for “atmosphere” on CBS Sportsline’s list of top stadiums.

Announcer

No. 1: Keith Jackson No. 2: Ron Franklin What about me? Brent Musburger, one of sports broadcasting’s most versatile men, covered the NFL in the ’70s, the NBA Finals in the ’80s, baseball in the ’90s and the World Cup this past summer—always the man with the right words at just the right time. Sports Illustrated’s choice as the second best college football announcer is still showing it on ABC.

Rivalry

No. 1 (tie): Michigan vs. Ohio State; Alabama vs. Auburn No. 2: Texas vs. Oklahoma What about us? In terms of football, California’s mostly focused on USC/ UCLA action. But on the first Saturday in December, the Cal Bears and Stanford Cardinals will participate in the 109th edition of what the two contentious schools aptly tag “The Big Game.” There have been cleverer names for pigskin rivalries, but do any of them have as memorable a highlight as Cal/Stanford’s 1982 classic when Stanford’s band unintentionally disrupted the final play of the game by storming onto the field?