ANOTHER NATIONAL TITLE FOR FLORIDA!!

from Sports Illustrated:

By Cory McCartney

	1 Albert (Florida) The Gators basketball and football teams have dominated to the tune of an unprecedented three consecutive national titles, so there's no denying the mascot who presided over said championships, is there? Just ask Billy Donovan, who ultimately shunned the Orlando Magic to return to the side of the only green swamp inhabitant that can rival Shrek's popularity. Sorry, Kermit.
	2 UGA (Georgia) Yale, you may have done it first (the first Handsome Dan appeared in 1889) but Georgia does the bulldog at its decadent best. UGA VI has an official student identification card and travels in an air-conditioned dog house (seriously). The afterlife is also high living for this dog: the previous five UGAs are interred in a mausoleum outside Sanford Stadium. If not for the Gators' on-field dominance, the top spot would be rival UGA's.
	3 Bevo (Texas) No mascot quite embodies its state like Bevo. From the team's nickname to the Hook 'em 'Horns hand gesture, this steer is absolute Texas. He may also be the only mascot to be eaten by his team: the first Bevo (they're on the 14th now) was served at a Texas football banquet in 1920. He's on the top-selling merchandise in the college game but he may not be the most popular sideline character in Austin these days behind Matthew McConaughey and this guy.
	4 Ralphie (Colorado) We're talking 1,300 pounds, horns and a full speed of 25 mph. Ralphie is the only female on this list but she's not dainty. This is college's most intimidating mascot and the only one with 11 handlers (who look like they drove right in from the rodeo) who basically hold on for dear life and try to keep her contained. There's not a lot to cheer about at Folsom Field these days, but Ralphie's twice-a-game run trumps that.
	5 Brutus Buckeye (Ohio State) He may not have the history of some of the other costumed characters on this list (Brutus was introduced in 1965) but who doesn't love a walking poisonous nut that can do one-handed pushups and is known for picking fights with opposing mascots? Brutus also appeared in the football and basketball national title games, even if it was in losses.
	6 Leprechaun (Notre Dame) The green hat. The knickers. Where else can you really expect to run into one of these green-clad elves aside from a St. Patrick's Day party, Lucky Charms' commercial or the upteenth Leprechaun movie? The embodiment of the Fighting Irish, from his pushups to border-line annoying antics, is a God send compared to the school's original mascot: Irish terriers. His surly reputation was only beefed up after hitting a cheerleader with his ND flag last football season.
	7 War Eagle (Auburn) The legend of the first bird may sound like Saturday Night Live's The Falconer (an Alabama soldier found the bird, nursed him back to health and was spotted around the Auburn campus with his feathery friend when he returned as a faculty member) but watching this Golden Eagle flying through Jordan-Hare Stadium is pretty sweet. Now technically, Aubie the Tiger may be the "official" mascot but the embodiment of the school's "War Eagle" battle cry is hard to top.
	8 Chief Osceola (Florida St.) Say what you want about Native American images in sport but this one is backed by the Seminoles of Florida and watching Chief Osceola ride in on Renegade and plant the spear is one of college sports' great traditions, even if they've only been doing it since 1978. If you're looking for a real blow to Native Americans, try Pierce Brosnan in Grey Owl.
	9 Sparty (Michigan St.) Sparty may have been left behind when the butt- kicking Spartans from 300 went to do battle with the Persians but this jacked-up mascot could surely hold his own. If they ever do decide to use Sparty in a movie, how about casting Jay Leno to fill his boots ... and chin.
	10 Tree (Stanford) So incredibly bizarre that it's entered into the realm of cool. There's really no other way to describe a tree that stole its eyes and mouth from a Mr. Potato Head. The Tree gained some notoriety in '06 when the student inside the costume was fired for public intoxication after blowing a .157 during a hoops game against Cal. If you're wondering how one gets to don the leafy couture, here's how to do it.