The Spirit of College Football Bowl Rankings

The spirit of College football bowl rankings

by Orlan H. Ree, Jr.

For the second year in a row, I am providing perspective on the whole college football mess known as the BCS sweepstakes, where football programs with the most loyal fan bases generally get to play in the better bowl games because their fans will spend the most money in those bowl cities, thus helping the economic...ok, I'm kidding.

I'm only here to tell you about the cheerleaders, dance teams, and the auxiliaries who you may see at the bowl games.

This time, I'm going to rank the Top 25 bowl games (I did 20 last year) using the same formula as last year. Each game is ranked based on a high-level opinion of each school's expected spirit squad presence, and that could be any combination of cheerleaders, dancers, and/or marching band auxiliaries.

My opinion considers two factors—the quality of skills for each squad and stage presence, which is a nice way of saying the "babe factor" of the female athletes.

The rankings take into account the spirit squads from both schools in each bowl game, not just from one school. For example, a bowl game with strong spirit programs from both schools will be ranked higher than a game where one school is strong but the other is average.

While I do my best to predict which squads will attend a bowl game, there is no way to know if each school's athletic budget includes taking any or all of the spirit squads that typically support the football team. Marching bands usually have their own budget for travel.

Last year, I didn't specifically mention that marching band auxiliaries (twirlers, majorettes, dance line, color guard) are included in the rankings, but I'll mention them now because they are just as important as the cheerleaders and dance teams.

On with the show, here are the Top 25 Spirit Bowl Rankings:

1. Capital One (Jan 1) - Penn State vs LSU: Ok, let's do this in reverse order. PSU has many great traditions with their athletics program. The cheerleaders aren't recognized as much as they should be, but they are overshadowed by the football team, a soon-to-be three-time national champ women's volleyball team, and so on. They won't wow you with sideline skills but they deserve better. Lots of hidden beauty. However, on the other side, the contrary is true. Where Oregon is King (and Queens) of the hill for cheer squads (in terms of looks), LSU has the Golden Girls, who continue to be THE standard for dance line beauty from top to bottom. I don't know, go to a national beauty pageant, pick 14 girls, put them in dazzling dance attire, and voila...you have the Golden Girls. Meanwhile, don't overlook the LSU cheerleaders. They are a Top 10 competition squad with a new coach this year. Their stage presence is also top shelf. Put the two schools together and watch out, you BCS games, the SS Beauty of the Seas is coming through.

2. Rose (Jan 1) - Oregon vs Ohio State: Even though the Ducks graduated an immense amount of beauty over the past two years, they are still the top rung on the collegiate cheer ladder, led by (and this isn't often I single out an individual) media darling Amanda Pflugrad. The Ducks are still tops. Ohio State has an enormous cheer squad (51 headcount), so who knows which girls get to go to Pasadena. Ohio girls have lots of hidden beauty, but cheerleaders are all you will see. OSU has no dance team, so it's cheer or bust. The Granddaddy of Them All finally has spirit stage presence worthy of the game itself.

3. BCS (Jan 7) - Alabama vs Texas: Yay for Alabama, who have emerged as one of the premiere coed cheer squads in all of Division 1. They are neck and neck with Kentucky and UCF to win the UCA Nationals trophy next month. Yay also for Alabama's dance team and marching band. Texas is Texas and that means hot looking women all around. For once, you can call the title game a true winner.

4. Cotton (Jan 2) - Oklahoma State vs Mississippi: Wow, where do we begin. Classic Big 12 and SEC spirit presence. Both schools bring spectacular looks (nope, I'm not saying who has better), both have A+ dance teams, and let's hope both teams score lots of points so you can see these cheerleaders and dancers celebrate. That alone would be worth the admission. A hit wonder on both sides, especially since the game will be in Jerry World...errrr, make that Cowboys Stadium.

5. Independence (Dec 28) - Texas A&M vs Georgia: Texas beauty vs Georgia southern belles. How can you go wrong. Try this for starters. A&M does not have a cheerleading squad, they have male yell leaders. That's okay because they have a fantastic, NFL-quality dance team. Georgia comes at you with a strong coed squad but their secret weapon is the marching band auxiliaries. The Georgettes, majorettes, flag line and twirlers are outstanding, akin to the quality of auxiliaries you find at LSU or Auburn. The dance teams steal the show here, major A-pluses all around.

6. Fiesta (Jan 4) - TCU vs Boise State: On the biggest stage for both teams in their program's history, this is an intriguing match up. Finally, the country is going to see what mid-major spirit talent is all about. TCU has that Texas thing going for them. In other words, lots of beauties up and down the cheer squad and their Showgirls dance team. Boise State is known as a west coast contender in USA Nationals in both cheer and dance. My hats off to the BCS warlords when they put these two schools together. The glitz and fireworks associated with this bowl game will be spectacular, and so will the spirit squads from both schools. Take no bets on this one, it's a winner.

7. Liberty (Jan 2) - East Carolina vs Arkansas: For the second year in a row, East Carolina is going to Memphis to visit Elvis and the Liberty Bowl. ECU cheer is on the upswing, rebuilding towards a competition squad. On the plus side, lots of pretty girls. ECU dance team also has great looks, but you may see them perform only at halftime. What can you say about Arkansas. Above average sidelines skills, better stage presence, and a nice dance team. Two years ago, Mississippi State fans rocked the stadium with their cow bells. But wait til the Arkansas faithful, the cheerleaders, and the dancers belt out their famous "Wooooo Pig Sooie" Hog Call, one of the best traditions in college sports. Even the King will enjoy that one. Despite this being a cold weather game, major thumbs up.

8. Music City (Dec 27) - Kentucky vs Clemson: The UK coed blue squad is the standard for cheerleading excellence. It doesn't matter if we're talking all-star, college, professional, or international, UK is the best. Even though they will have their hands full at UCA Nationals with UCF and Alabama breathing down their necks, there is no denying their 17 national championships. The Wildcats dance team is also tops, a perennial Top 15 program. Clemson cheerleaders keep active on the sidelines and they have NCA skills. They are complemented by marching band auxiliaries led by a strong dance line and majorettes. While bloggers and some sports media, including yours truly, say that Oregon has the best looking female cheerleaders, Kentucky has the best cheer squad, period. This will be a cold weather game. That's okay. Talent prevails.

9. Maaco (Dec 22) - Oregon State vs BYU: For once, the little guy gets the goods. Oregon State and BYU offer the best of both worlds--stage presence and skills. This year, Cougarettes coach Jodi Maxfield took over as spirit coordinator at BYU. In a perfect (dance) world, it would be nice to see the Cougarettes compete against the traditional UDA frontrunner programs like Tennessee, Minnesota, Memphis, Cincinnati, or Wisconsin, because BYU would probably win. They positively ooze of elite skills. BYU cheer gives you strong skills and top notch girls. Oregon State, not to be outdone, follows the lead of their neighbor, the Oregon Ducks, by fielding a single squad comprised of stunters and dancers. Though they don't have the same stage presence as the Ducks, they are still noticeable. This game is a winner.

10. Sugar (Jan 1) - Cincinnati vs Florida: This is almost one-sided. Cincy has the best college dance team on the planet right now as they were gold medal winners at the inaugural ICU Worlds last spring in three dance categories. Their coed squad is also a Top 20 competition program. For the Gators, at least they have that Florida girl thing working for them. The Dazzlers dance team are spectacular on looks, but the cheer squad doesn't have competition talent. Still, they are a fun group to watch on the sidelines. Cincy carries the load on this one.

11. Gator (Jan 1) - West Virginia vs Florida State: FSU has a rebuilt program. The cheer and dance teams are national competitors thanks to a solid coaching staff, and both squads have wonderful looking ladies. WVU always has great stage presence and typical sideline skills. This game will have lots of scrutiny because of the Bobby Bowden story, but the spirit squads from both schools will be up to the task. A solid A-.

12. Orange (Jan 5) - Georgia Tech vs Iowa: GT has a small but wonderful marching band dance line. They also have an active and attractive coed cheer squad. Iowa will surprise you with strong stunting and pyramids as they get ready for UCA Nationals and they also have a quiet, under appreciated dance team with lots of hidden beauty. Thumbs up.

13. Champs Sports (Dec 29) - Miami (FL) vs Wisconsin: Here's where that Florida girl thing comes into play. The Hurricanes have a fantastic all-girls cheer squad, and I'm not talking about sidelines skills. The coed squad won't blow the doors off the car with their skills but they keep the crowd entertained. The Sunsations dance team are exceptional dancers. The Badgers have one of the best competition dance teams in the country and for the past four years, they have taken a small step forward, passing a competitor along the way. UW's coed cheer is rebuilding after losing a tremendous senior class from last year, but they are always well coached and still deliver elite skills on the sidelines. Here's where all spirit athletes from both schools can look into the camera and say "I'm going to Disney World!" and really mean it. Thank you, Mickey!

14. Alamo (Jan 2) - Texas Tech vs Michigan State: Tech is a classic Big 12 spirit school that benefits from the Texas girl thing. Loaded on looks, average skills on the sidelines. The Spartans bring a perennial Top 20 dance squad also loaded with looks. The MSU coed cheer squad has typically strong sideline skills, but not elite. Decent all the way around.

15. Chick-fil-A (Dec 31) - Virginia Tech vs Tennessee: The Tennessee faithful will fill up the Georgia Dome, and they'll have a top-rated Vols dance team to lead them. The dance team is favored to win the UDA dance finals at Nationals, but let's not jump to conclusions. UT cheer has dropped off in talent over the past few years, and that's too bad because this has been a traditional Top 5 coed competition program. Still, never look past them at Nationals. The Hokies will always deserve leeway no matter what kind of program they put on the field. Strong stage presence for the cheer and dance squads. Virginia Tech are usual suspects at NCA/NDA Nationals in April. Just a few whiskers above middle-of-the-road.

16. Insight (Dec 31) - Minnesota v Iowa State: Any program associated with coach Sam Owens will be a polished product on the sidelines. Minnesota placed second in their region prelim for UCA Nationals. The cheer girls are a close-knit bunch on and off the field. Strong stage presence and stronger skills. The Gophers dance team is top notch and head into Nationals with the top ranking, a nice feather in the cap but not a true barometer for the quality of competition they will face next month. UM gets high marks for sideline energy. Iowa State is hot and cold. Their cheer group could be more active on the sidelines, will engage in moderate skills, but they're happy to be enjoying a bowl game, a rarity for the Cyclones. The ISU dance team has accomplished skills. Two cold season schools playing in the Arizona desert. Ladies, leave your bikini parkas at home and enjoy this one.

17. St. Petersburg (Dec 28) - Rutgers vs UCF: RU places Top 10 cheer and dance squads on the field, both displaying strong skills over stage presence. Their all-girls squad are top notch, winning the stunt team title at UCA last year. However, this game belongs to UCF, who have the second best coed cheer squad in the country. With two national titles to their credit, UCF heads into nationals with the best prelim score, just ahead of Kentucky and Alabama. The benefit here is that UCF can perform in this game, only 100 miles from home, then go back home to relax and enjoy the holidays. This bowl game, only two years old, saw USF and Memphis battle last year. This bowl game is two-for-two on overall quality.

18. Eagle Bank (Dec 29) - UCLA vs Temple: This will no doubt be a cold weather game, which begs the question: does UCLA even have snow suits? That's not very Rodeo Drive-like. Nonetheless, the Bruins have cheerleaders, a dance team, and yell leaders. The cheerleaders have typical stunt skills and they can tumble. The dance team is small but could be mistaken for the Laker Girls. The yell leaders are like... yell leaders. Overall, a great stage presence but maybe that's all you need from them. On the other side, Temple will surprise you. The cheer and dance squad compete (if the funds are handy), so their skills reflect same. I see lots of snow on the ground at RFK for this one. Instead of the cheer squads engaging in a friendly cupie contest during the game, maybe they should have a snowball fight instead. ESPN would love that.

19. Emerald (Dec 26) - Boston College vs USC: Here is a weird game where we discuss USC but it's not the Rose Bowl game. First, BC has a typical ACC coed cheer squad, who competes when funds are available. They have talent, lots of sideline stunts, and they keep active. Marching band auxiliaries provide support. Ok, USC. It's likely they'll only take the Song Girls to this game, no Spirit Leaders. While the Song Girls continue to battle their own in-house (USC community) controversies, this squad is not the de facto number one cheerleading squad in the country. The general media, sports media and bloggers have no idea what they're talking about. These are not cheerleaders, they are a non-competition dance team who sport white sweaters and pleated skirts and someone somewhere along the way anointed them goddesses. That's hardly the case. The Song Girls have average stage presence at best, but in fairness to them, they are in constant motion on the sidelines, for which they deserve credit. This is a true middle-of-the-road offering.

20. Texas (Dec 30) - Missouri vs Navy: If there is a single squad that can save a bowl game from obscurity, it might be this one. A year ago, the Louisiana Tech Regal Blues dance team saved the Independence Bowl. This year, the Mizzou Golden Girls do the same here. In my writings over the past few years, one of my crusades is this: I give recognition to the Golden Girls because no one else does. Let me put it to you another way. The state of Missouri has two NFL teams--the Chiefs and the Rams. The GGs are a better squad than the Rams cheerleaders. Numbering 32 strong, the GG dance line is premium stuff, it's just too bad they are under-appreciated by national media. The Mizzou cheerleaders are a great group of kids, strong talent, and usually a strong NCA contender. Navy has a coed cheer squad, but cheer is considered an activity at the Academy. Do you see where this is going? It's too bad Mizzou isn't playing a school with a stronger spirit program because they deserve a better ranking. The mission statement here is simple: give three rah-rah's to the Golden Girls. Honestly, they single-handedly could save any game.

21. Holiday (Dec 30) - Nebraska vs Arizona: To their credit, Nebraska is a premium sports institution with a nationwide alumni base who are diehard Cornhusker supporters. They don't need a top notch spirit program, and as it turns out, they don't have one. The Scarlets dance team and all-girls cheerleaders are more like modern yell or spirit leaders. Neither squad competes and both deliver average sideline skills, but as I mentioned, to their credit, they keep the faithful involved in the game and that is what matters most. On the other side, Arizona cheer has great stage presence but non-competition type skills. UA also places the marching band Pom Line on the field, and they have talent. The game should be exciting, but the overall spirit presence falls a bit short.

22. Sun (Dec 31) - Stanford vs Oklahoma: This game will seem weird for the Sooner spirit kids. They have spent the past few years in the limelight because of their football and men's basketball teams, but this holiday they get New Year's Eve in El Paso. OU cheer and dance girls can always spin heads. The coed squad has competition-quality skills as does the dance team. Stanford has cheerleaders. They also have the Dollies. Quickly, though, this turns into a Northwestern (see Outback below) story, or some horrid Ivy League bit. In other words, there isn't much to say here. This game is one-sided in favor of the Sooners.

23. Outback (Jan 1) - Northwestern vs Auburn: This game barely makes the Top 25, and I mean barely. Northwestern is a great institution, lots of wonderful minds, but they should stick to education and not worry about cheerleading and dance. In fairness to them, they try, but they aren't close to quality cheerleaders. NU should switch to yell leaders or spirit leaders instead. The dance team is small, decent talent, but not great. Auburn saves this game, and in a big way. No kidding, Auburn has the best corps of marching band majorettes I've seen in a long time. Tons of beauty and talent. Plus, they have a great dance line and color guard. Add to the mix the Auburn cheerleaders, also very strong on looks, and this game makes the Top 25. Thank you, Auburn.

24. Poinsetta (Dec 23) - Utah vs California: The Utes deliver strong stage presence for the cheer and Crimson dance line. Opposite them is the Cal Dance Team. Cal has no cheerleading squad. These are competitive squads and they will keep their respective fan bases involved in the game. This offering tiptoes into the Top 25.

25. Meineke (Dec 26) - North Carolina vs Pittsburgh: ACC vs Big East usually means average cheer sideline skills from non-competition squads, and that's exactly what you find here. However, the dance teams from both schools do compete so you can look forward to several short, snappy choreographed routines from them. This one also sneaks into the Top 25.

Legend: