Pac-12 Football 2011: Power Ranking the Best School Traditions

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Tradition has become a huge component of college football, and whether it takes the form of mascots, cheers, pre-game or in-game rituals, or all of the above, the many traditions in the sport have become sideshows.

With the Pac-10's expansion to the Pac-12, the conference inherits a couple of programs in Colorado and Utah rich in their own cultural traditions and celebrations.

Some of the rituals are boring and lifeless, but others carry more weight while the rest are material.

Here is a power ranking of the Pac-12 football school traditions.

12. Washington State: Flag That Follows College GameDay

http://inthebleachers.net

Washington State's football tradition is primarily a losing one, unfortunately.

But if there is one visible, Cougar tradition for the college football world to see, it has to be the Washington State flag that follows ESPN's College GameDay.

In a September 2010 report, a WSU flag had appeared in 95 consecutive broadcasts of the Saturday morning college football program.

Though it's quite out of place given the many destinations of the show, its presence has become regular.

They have to get the word out somehow. There really is a program in Pullman, Wash.

11. Oregon: Uniform Changes

goducks.com

Oregon's football traditions aren't well known, but there is one thing that screams Duck football.

Uniform changes.

Co-founder of Nike and a graduate of the University of Oregon, Phil Knight, has poured hundreds of millions of dollars back into the institution, but most notably to its football program.

Jersey modifications may be short-lived, but it's consistent enough to expect it every time.

10. Utah: Crazy Lady

wn.com

At Utah's home games, the start of the fourth quarter means the Utes' marching band plays the Blues Brothers' song "I Can't Turn You Loose."

But the tradition has endured.

Dancing to this theme first started with a fan nicknamed Bubbles, who has since retired. That job now belongs to another fan named Crazy Lady.

It's not the most impressive of traditions, but a quirky one at least.

9. Stanford: Dancing Tree

http://family.auburn.edu

Surely, Stanford is rich with tradition, given its reputation as one of the nation's top West Coast universities. But for many of us outside of that whole experience, one thing we link with Stanford is its tree.

Yes, the dancing tree that looks like it belongs in a scene in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a staple of Stanford symbols.

It is all that is good and green on this earth, but it hardly lives up to the intensity and liveliness of a more animate mascot.

8. Washington: Sailgating

http://blog.newsok.com/

Most fans will tailgate before a game. Devour some food, drink a few beers, drink many beers, all in preparation for the game.

But in Seattle, Huskies' fans take it to the lake.

Sailgating is the proper term in the Northwest. No parking lots, no traffic. Just the calm waters and a good time.

So what if Jake Locker is gone? Feasting on a boat is always a great idea.

7. Oregon State: The First Down

First downs are one of the building blocks of winning football games, but sometimes they are simply overlooked and undervalued by the fans.

But at Oregon State, the first down is a time for celebration.

Few fan bases have the coordination between the band and the fans to conjure up some impressive chants and cheers.

6. UCLA: Light Stunts

http://alumni.ucla.edu

Similar to Cal's creation of card stunts, UCLA's fans brightened the idea originally with light bulbs to shine during night games back in 1935.

The tradition moved to light filters and flashlights instead, to cope with expensive installations.

Nevertheless, fan involvement has become a big part of college football, and age-old customs like these stunts bring the enjoyment to new levels.

5. Cal: Card Stunts

espn.com/David Gonzales/Icon SMI

One of the biggest fan-generated activities during Cal's home football games is the card stunt, first done by Cal fans during the Big Game in 1910.

Now the provoking card stunts are commonplace and not just limited to football games.

Sometimes it's not always about the mascots.

4. Arizona: Bear Down

flicker.com/Ken Lund

The words "Bear Down" are more than just a two-word chant for Arizona's faithful.

John "Button" Salmon was Arizona's quarterback and the university's student body president in 1926. But after a tragic automobile accident, Salmon's last words to his teammates was "to bear down."

Not many traditions in college football have such a deep and meaningful origin.

3. Colorado: Ralphie's Run

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Not many schools open football games with a buffalo running amok on the field, or any animal for that matter.

Texas trots Bevo to his chill zone at the back of the end zone, but he doesn't exactly move at a cheetah's pace.

Colorado's Ralphie V gets to showcase all of his inner buffalo while he sprints across the field.

2. Arizona State: Co-Eds

http://www.allbuffs.com

Above-average football may not often be rewarded with quirky traditions.

But at Arizona State, the one true custom that has begun standing the test of time recently is the co-eds.

ASU has produced mediocre to above-average football, but the fan base's female constituents will be far from that.

1. Southern Cal: Traveler

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Some schools have animal mascots, others have trains and the rest have something that seems completely random (think Tulane or North Texas).

Southern Cal sports Traveler VII, a trusty Andalusian horse ridden by what is supposed to be a run-of-the-mill Trojan warrior.

The warrior's ride onto the field followed by his emphatic sword thrust into the ground is a cool spectacle in and of itself.