Jan 22, 2010 
College football is a game of passion, toughness and in some cases, complete confusion. Here’s a list of the strangest FBS mascots we’ve ever heard of.
Lil' Red
Lil’ Red,
Nebraska
Lil’ Red is a giant, inflatable child. He usually wows (or at least disorients) crowds by collapsing his own head. If that doesn’t get the fans pumped, Red’s trump card is bouncing around stadium floors on his head. I’m confident I don’t need to explain why this one is weird. Naturally, after Lil’ Red comes…
Big Red
Big Red,
Western Kentucky
Officially, Big Red is a… Well, WKU doesn’t actually say what this thing is. Conversations with fans have led me to believe it’s some sort of JuJuBee, gumdrop creature. Also missing is any explanation of how his ‘cappa’ was ‘detated’ or how his mouth is actually… Possible. Big Red owes most of his fame to the All-America Mascot Team competitions from recent years that he has yet to win.
Otto the Orange
Otto the Orange,
Syracuse
When the Orangemen of Syracuse need a little cheering up or inspiration to keep fighting on, they turn to the fiercest of beings – An orange. A baseball-cap-wearing fruit that strikes terror into the hearts of opponents large and small… or at least those lacking Vitamin-C.
Brutus Buckeye
Brutus Buckeye,
Ohio State
Far more popular than any other mascot resembling a seed, Brutus Buckeye is a nut with a human body attached… A buckeye nut from the the Ohio Buckeye plant, also known as a Fetid Buckeye. Merriam-Webster tells us that fetid means “having a heavy offensive smell”. Apparently the buckeye plant puts out an unpleasant odor… the leaves, the twigs, the bark – It all smells.
Stanford Tree
Stanford Tree,
Stanford
It strikes me as strange that a school with a great academic reputation that fields a team collectively referred to as the Stanford Cardinal (not Cardinals) is represented by a pine tree. Perhaps a CARDINAL would be a better fit? Featuring the poorest craftsmanship of the mascots making this list, the Stanford tree is a raggedy, smiley-faced spruce. Nothing says “Go Cardinal” like a goofy, grinning pine tree.
Sooner Schooner
Sooner Schooner,
Oklahoma
Most mascots are animals. Some are food or plants, but at least they’re all living things right? Enter the official mascot of the Sooners, the Sooner Schooner. Like any other schooner, this one belonging to the Oklahoma faithful is a covered wagon. Yep, the mascot is the wagon itself – like those used to settle much of the country in the olden days. You lost 3 wagon wheels, 2 oxen and Brutus Buckeye has died of Dysentery.
Did we miss any obscure mascots? Tell us which ones in the comments section below.
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Honorable mention goes to Sammy the Banana Slug from UC San Diego.