Power Ranking the Top 50 College Football Logos

In college football, fans and players sometimes take as much pride in the logo they wear on and off the field as they do in their team's performance on the field.

Logos help drive merchandise sales and also help give us a way to gauge how large a fan base may be. With college football, there are a lot of different logos, but some are a hit and some are a miss.

With the numerous logos in college football, here is a power ranking of the top 50 logos around the nation when thinking about performance, style, prestige and history of the logo.

50. Army

The Black Knights kick off the list with a solid logo. While you would hope that more could be done for the men who serve our country, the Black Knight logo is a solid look but can only go as high as No. 50.

49. Hawaii

Hawaii may deserve to be higher just for ditching anything to do with the rainbow. The simple, tribal-looking H is enough to secure a spot at No. 49.

48. Arizona

Simple? Yes. Arizona has managed to pull off a good logo that is simple a block A. While it looks good, the color scheme of the Wildcats helps bring things together for this Pac-12 program.

47. Boston College

Despite their poor performance on the field, the Boston College Eagles have a great looking logo. Along with the BC lettering, the school has also incorporated an eagle to bring it all together.

46. Colorado

Luckily the folks at Colorado got this one right because it would seem hard to screw up on putting a logo together for a team named the Buffaloes. With a good-looking logo and fierce mascot, Colorado is a fun school to watch when it is performing well.

45. Pitt

The city of Pittsburgh has a lot of great logos, and while Pitt's doesn't live up to a team like the Steelers, it is still a strong logo. Along with the colors of the program, the Panthers logo is recognizable and certainly not one you would change. 

44. Illinois

Much like the rest of the Big 10, the Illinois Fighting Illini went with a block I but also put the school's name right across the middle of the logo. While it doesn't have the history that the others have, it is still a great-looking logo. 

43. Minnesota

Continuing with the block lettering theme with a small twist is Minnesota. Minnesota made a small update to its block M by including the team colors and elongating it so that it looks distinctly different from Michigan's logo. 

42. Utah

Utah's logo is both different and interesting. The school does  a nice job of incorporating the colors and heritage of the program. 

41. Ole Miss

While the Ole Miss Rebels may be a train wreck on the field, that doesn't mean that their logo has anything to do with it. Despite their lack of performance, the logo is still a great look for a once-proud program. 

40. Georgia Tech

The Yellow Jackets have a great logo. The small stinging insect may not make a huge impact to most of us, but the logo that Georgia Tech put together does pack a punch. 

39. Louisville

Louisville is up next with its recognizable Cardinal. Louisville is a team that is expected to take advantage of a weak Big East this year, so fans could be seeing their logo a lot in 2012. 

38. Boise State

Over the past five years, Boise State has continued to gain more and more exposure, and now the school is known around the nation for its success as a small-school program. Its solid logo certainly works well with the school's program. 

37. Washington State

Washington State may win the award for most clever logo in the nation. The Cougars have found a way to craft a logo that resembles a cougar head while using the schools initials. 

36. Cal

Cal kept things simple, and it worked. The Golden Bears used the school colors and also went with a cursive style of writing. While the football team is declining on the field, the logo is holding strong off the field. 

35. Clemson

While it may seem simple, the Tiger track is a great logo for Clemson. With how well they did last year and the expectations for this year, get used to seeing this orange paw print on your television. 

34. Northwestern

The Northwestern Wildcats did a nice job of stepping outside the box and finding a way to separate themselves with their logo. Despite their play on the field, the logo is great, especially with the Wildcat coming out of the N. 

33. Washington

Washington kept things simple out on the West Coast by either going with a block letter W or a photo a Husky. Either way, the program used its school colors well and has one of the top 50 logos. 

32. Texas A&M

While Texas A&M also chose to go with block lettering, the school made it unique with the way it incorporated the A and M. Definitely is a logo worth keeping the way that it is. 

31. Missouri

Missouri is making a move to the SEC, which means the conference has another great logo. The Tigers logo has been put together very well, and Missouri will certainly do the conference well when it comes to the quality of its logo.

30. West Virginia

New to the Big 12 this year is West Virginia, but the Mountaineers are not new to lists like this. West Virginia has put together a great logo to go with its school logos and ensure that they remain in the top 50. 

29. TCU

Next up on the list are the Horned Frogs. Not only are the Horned Frogs making strides on the field, but the logo is great as well. Not many knew about TCU until the team burst on the BCS scene, and the nation got to know them quite well.

28. Texas Tech

Texas Tech is another team from the state of Texas that has made the list. The Red Raiders did a great job of putting together a logo that stands out from the rest by taking one T sunken inside of another.

27. Oklahoma State

While the block letters are leveraged in this logo, Oklahoma State does a good job of making it look a little bit different by extending each end of the S to cover the O and U.

26. Arkansas

The SEC is full of great logos, and the Razorbacks are one of the teams to make the list. Along with the school name, the logo features an angry razorback and gives the football team a distinct look.

25. South Carolina

South Carolina is another team out of the SEC with an impressive logo. The program did a great job of incorporating the school colors and mascot to put together a great look for the team.

24. North Carolina

Regardless of what sport made this popular, the North Carolina logo is one that is recognized all over the map. While the basketball program may have a hand in that, the football program has picked up its performance amid hopes that Larry Fedora can take them a step further.

23. Virginia Tech

While the Virginia Tech logo is simple, the nice crisp edges on it really make the logo stand out. In a sea of block-lettering logos, the VT really has found a way to stand apart from the crowd. 

22. Stanford

Stanford did a nice job of doing enough to separate itself. The Cardinal took the simple red S but also added a tree to the middle of the logo. The entire look came together nicely, and Stanford fans saw this logo in the national eye a lot when Andrew Luck was in town. 

21. Michigan State

Regardless of whether you are looking at the Spartan logo or the block S, Michigan State does not disappoint when it comes to its logo. Along with a great nickname, both logos live up to the billing. 

20. Iowa

Taking a break from the block letters is Iowa. The Hawkeyes have an extremely unique logo, and when combined with the black and yellow color combination, they have a winner that should not be changed. 

19. Auburn

Auburn is a proud school out of the SEC, and its logo lives up that billing. Checking in at No. 19, the Auburn logo, while simple, has seen a lot of great players wear it, and now it is a unifying symbol for the school as it deals with a shooting tragedy. 

18. Wisconsin

Much like a lot of the other logos in the Big 10, Wisconsin does not complicate things, as it has the simple W for its logo. Unlike other teams in their conference, the logo isn't a block lettering, which helps differentiate it. 

17. Oregon

The Oregon O has become a logo that has picked up more national attention, and part of that is due to the array of colors you may see it displayed in. With the more success that Oregon has, the higher its national recognition will grow too. 

16. Penn State

While the program is trying to exit a dark time in the school's history, the logo still remains as one of the nation's best. The Nittany Lions may be hurting from last year's stories off the field, but the logo remains consistent. 

15. LSU

LSU has a great logo that includes the school's lettering as well as a Tiger. While the logo may not be in the top five in the nation, LSU will be this year as the Tigers hope to avenge last year's title loss. 

14. Nebraska

While it isn't one of the most famous block logos in the nation, the block N for Nebraska is certainly recognized nationwide. With Nebraska now entering its second year in the Big 10, this logo will continue to grow in popularity in the Midwest. 

13. Tennessee

Tennessee sits a little bit outside of the top 10 as it checks in at No. 13. While simple, the Vols' logo is one that is rarely confused and can be seen from coast to coast, along with fans singing "Rocky Top."

12. UCLA

While it is simple, the UCLA logo is a classic from its coloring to its style. The Bruins are hopeful that new coach Jim Mora can make this logo prominent among the nation's elite. 

11. Georgia

Instead of going with a block G, the Bulldogs have changed it up a bit with an elongated G that features the program's colors. While it isn't a huge difference, the change helps the program stand out. 

10. Miami

Miami opens our top 10, and despite the nosedive they are taking on the field, the Hurricanes' logo remains strong. Along with being a popular logo, the Hurricanes were able to transform it into a hand gesture used in celebrations.

9. Oklahoma

Regardless of being simple, the Sooners' logo is certainly a top-10 logo. With the offset O and U, the Sooners have a very simple and classic look that reflects the program well. 

8. USC

Regardless of being out on the West Coast, the USC logo is recognized all over the nation. The Trojans are a college football powerhouse that is no longer suffering from a bowl ban and will be as popular as ever.

7. Texas

Texas is one of the most successful programs in the nation, and its logo does its part of fitting the bill as well. The Longhorns' logo is worn around the nation and certainly deserves to be in the top 10.

6. Florida State

The chief's head is just another part of the Florida State program that helps it stand out from the others. The Seminoles are steeped in tradition, and this logo is one that is recognized all over the nation.

5. Florida

While things may have slipped on the field for the Gators, their logo has not. The Gator head is a classic logo and has Florida landing at No. 5 on the list.

4. Alabama

Not only is Alabama dominating on the field, but the cursive A that it uses is dominating on this list as well. Alabama finished at No. 1 in the nation last year and are finishing No. 4 on this list.

3. Ohio State

With only a couple of spots left, the Ohio State Buckeyes check in at No. 3. The Buckeyes are a historically strong program that has a logo to match. The O that the Buckeyes wear is a logo that is hard to mistake and sacred to Buckeye fans.

2. Michigan

When looking around the nation, not many logos can top the block M for Michigan. The block M is an icon for the school and is recognized worldwide. 

1. Notre Dame

Topping our list is Notre Dame. Regardless of how good or bad they may be on the field, the Notre Dame logo is worn around the world, and the football team's popularity will truly be seen when the Irish play in Dublin to open this season.