College football is back this week, with 129 teams in the the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision fighting for four playoff spots.OK, the acronym FBS is way better than saying the full name of the division out loud. Thankfully, many of the nicknames for those dozens of teams are less mechanical and more of a rich tapestry showing off the tradition, creativity and history that makes the college game so much fun to watch.But some of those names, while endearing, are a little out there on closer inspection. Here's the story behind some of the more odd nicknames.Crimson Tide (Alabama) 맥스카지노� The legend behind this nickname comes from a muddy 1907 game against archrival Auburn in which the soil turned a red hue, leading a reporter to write Alabama looked like a 맥스카지노�crimson tide맥스카지노� in a 맥스카지노�sea of mud.맥스카지노� The strangest thing on the Alabama sidelines, however, is Big Al, the school맥스카지노�s elephant mascot. Search all you want, but you맥스카지노�ll never find a pachyderm in the Deep South. The origins of the elephant stretch back to 1930, when a fan marveling over the Tide맥스카지노�s skilled linemen shouted from the stands 맥스카지노�Hold your horses, the elephants are coming.맥스카지노� So was born the team's unofficial nickname of 맥스카지노�Red Elephants,맥스카지노� but Big Al didn맥스카지노�t make his first appearance until 1979.Nittany Lions (Penn State) 맥스카지노� Sure, we all know what a lion is. But what's the deal with Nittany? It맥스카지노�s quite simple, actually: Close to State College is Mount Nittany, where ordinary mountain lions once roamed. Inspired during a 1904 baseball game against Princeton 맥스카지노� where a Tiger statue intimidates visitors 맥스카지노� a Penn State student created the Nittany Lion as the 맥스카지노�fiercest beat of them all.맥스카지노� Buckeyes (Ohio State) 맥스카지노� Ohio State is one of the most successful programs in all of college football, even if their nickname isn맥스카지노�t exactly intimidating. But the tree has a special history in Ohio, known as 맥스카지노�The Buckeye State.맥스카지노� Native to the state, especially in the Ohio River Valley, the tree is known for hardy wood that was once used for artificial limbs and seeds that are considered good luck. In 1833, one Ohioan gave a speech saying 맥스카지노�in all our woods, there is not a tree so hard to kill as the buckeye.맥스카지노� Ohio State맥스카지노�s athletic teams began to use the nickname in the early 20th century, but it wasn맥스카지노�t until 1950 that it was formally adopted.Terrapins (Maryland) 맥스카지노� They맥스카지노�re not quick, and they hide in their shells. Are turtles well-suited to represent a football team? In Maryland, you bet. The Diamondback terrapin is the state reptile and was recommended as the school nickname by former football coach Dr. H. Curley Byrd. In 1932, the mascot Testudo made his debut. His name is believed to be a nod to turtles맥스카지노� scientific classification, Testudines, though some theories say it goes back to an African turtle species or the Latin word used for a form of head protection for Roman soldiers. No matter where it comes from, watch it, terrapins bite.Rainbow Warriors (Hawaii) 맥스카지노� Warriors, sure, we get that, but Rainbow? The colorful atmospheric phenomenon has special meaning in Hawaii. Once known as the Deans, reporters started calling the team the Rainbows in 1923 when it upset Oregon State with a rainbow above the field. A legend started that Hawaii would not lose when a rainbow appeared over the field. It fit, too, since ancient Hawaiian chiefs believed rainbows were sacred. Warriors also had a special place in the islands맥스카지노� history, and the team officially became the Rainbow Warriors in 1974. The 맥스카지노�Rainbow맥스카지노� was dropped in 2000, but it returned in 2013. Bonus fact: Women맥스카지노�s teams at Hawaii are the Rainbow Wahine, which means 맥스카지노�woman맥스카지노� in Hawaiian.Cardinal (Stanford) 맥스카지노� Like Alabama, Stanford맥스카지노�s nickname is born from its primary color. For more than 40 years, however, the school맥스카지노�s teams were known as the Indians. In 1972, under pressure from native American students, the school dropped the name and became the Cardinals, eventually dropping the 맥스카지노�s.맥스카지노� The mascot, on the other hand, is an oddity: the Stanford Tree. It맥스카지노�s not an official school mascot, but rather part of the Stanford Band. It represents El Palo Alto, a famous Redwood tree in the town. And anyone who맥스카지노�s played backyard football know, trees can be great pass defenders. Jayhawks (Kansas) 맥스카지노� We맥스카지노�ve heard of blue jays, and hawks are all over the place. Jayhawks, those are a little different.The legend goes back to the mid-19th century, when the battle was raging between settlers who were pro-slavery and those who wanted a free state. Both sides went by Jayhawkers, and the name in stuck in KU맥스카지노�s home of Lawrence, a 맥스카지노�Free State stronghold,맥스카지노� according to the university. The school맥스카지노�s first football team in 1890 went by the nickname Jayhawkers, and the logo맥스카지노�s famous shoes appeared in the student newspaper in 1912. They맥스카지노�re meant for 맥스카지노�kicking opponents.맥스카지노�