Apple Cups, Civil Wars, and Oaken Buckets – Oh My! I’ve certainly gotten my share of college football this weekend. Who wants to win the Milk Can, Golden Boot, Leather Helmet, Victory Bell, Little Brown Jug, Bronze Boot, Golden Hat, or Old Wagon Wheel? How about a Cup in honor of Paul Bunyan or Floyd of Rosedale? Maybe it’s more prestigious to hoist the Southwestern Classic, Territorial, Heartland, Cy-Hawk, or Centennial trophy?  These gimmick awards seem to be designed for teams that don’t typically earn conference or national championship hardware to fill their glass cases. They are indeed better than nothing!

The Little Brown Jug, considered one of the oldest rivalry challenges, dates back to 1892 and goes to the winner of the Minnesota vs. Michigan game every year. If it were filled with spirits like Jack Daniels it might be worth something. Same with the empty Old Oaken Bucket or a Leather Helmet. Apple juice or Milk just doesn’t cut it, and a Bell holds nothing but air. Old Boots & Hats dipped in gold or bronze are really worth playing for?

The marquee games this week like Michigan vs. Ohio State apparently doesn’t need an incentive trophy. After all, they’re playing for Conference supremacy, the Heisman, BCS Playoffs, and National Championship. However, who wouldn’t want to claim the Jeweled Shillelagh between Notre Dame and USC. That game also has National Championship implications for the Irish. Alabama does have room for any more since their shelves are already filled with prestigious FOY-ODK awards from the Iron Bowl. Most likely they are in a closet somewhere to make room for National Championship awards.

Bottom Line: Most teams just want to win – they don’t need no stinkin’ trophies!

From picksixpreviews.com here are a list of rivalry trophies:

Anniversary Award Kent St – BGSU
Apple Cup Washington – Wash State
Bayou Bucket Rice – Houston
Battle of I-75 Trophy Toledo – BGSU
Bedlam Bell Oklahoma – Okla State
Beehive Boot Utah – BYU – Utah St
Bronze Boot Wyoming – Colorado St
Bronze Stalk Ball State – N. Illinois
Centennial Cup CU – Colorado St
Chancellor Spurs Texas – TexasTech
Commander-In-Chief ArmyNavyAirF
Commonwealth Cup UVA – VTech
Cy-Hawk Trophy Iowa – Iowa State
Don Shula Award FAU – FIU
Florida Cup Florida- Florida St- Miami
Floyd of Rosedale Minnesota – Iowa
FOY-ODK Sportsmanship Bama-Auburn
Fremont Cannon Nevada – UNLV
Golden Boot Arkansas – LSU
Golden Cannon CMU – WMU
Golden Egg Ole Miss – Miss. State
Golden Hat Oklahoma – Texas
Governor’s Cup Georgia – G Tech
Governor’s Cup Kansas- Kansas St
Governor’s Cup Kentucky- Louisville
Hardee’s Trophy Clemson – SCar.
Heartland Trophy Iowa – Wisconsin
Heroes Trophy Nebraska – Iowa
Illibuck Ohio State – Illinois
Ireland Trophy Boston College – ND
Iron Skillet TCU – SMU
Jefferson-Eppes Florida State – UVA
Jeweled Shillelagh USC-NotreDame
Keg of Nails Louisville – Cincinnati
Land of Lincoln Illinois- Northwestern
Legends Trophy Notre Dame – Stanford
Little Brown Jug Michigan – Minnesota
Magnolia Bowl LSU – Ole Miss
Mayor’s Cup SMU – Rice
Megaphone Notre Dame – Mich State
Michigan MAC EMU – CMU – WMU
Milk Can Boise State – Fresno State
Oil Can Fresno State – San Diego St
Old Brass Spittoon Mich St – Indiana
Old Oaken Bucket Indiana – Purdue
Old Wagon Wheel BYU – Utah State
O’Rourke-McFadden BC – Clemson
Paddlewheel Pitt – Cincinnati
Paniolo Trophy Hawaii – Wyoming
Paul Bunyan Axe, Slab of Bacon UW- Minn
Paul Bunyan Michigan – Michigan St
Platypus Oregon – Oregon State
Purdue Cannon Purdue – Illinois
Ram-Falcon Air Force – Colorado St
Secretary’s Trophy Army – Navy
Seminole War Canoe UF – Miami
Shillelagh Notre Dame – Purdue
Silver Spade UTEP – NM State
Stanford Axe California – Stanford
Territorial Cup Arizona – Arizona St
Textile Bowl Clemson – NC State
The Bell Ohio – Marshall
The Bones Memphis – UAB
The Saddle TCU – Texas Tech
Victory Bell USC – UCLA
Victory Bell North Carolina – Duke
Victory Bell Miami (OH) – Cincinnati
Wagon Wheel Akron – Kent State