Welcome back to The Rival Rundown! If you’ve always wanted to give props to your school on CC, now’s your chance! Shoot us an email explaining what’s awesome and unique about your school (or what stinks about Rival U) at rivalrundown@collegecandy.com!

Put on yer best Midwest accent, serve up some hot dish, and grab yer mittens, because this week we’re taking a look at two of the nation’s premier state schools who rival each other in just about everything–but especially hockey. The University of Minnesota–Twin Cities and the University of Wisconsin–Madison are both members of the Big Ten conference and the northern region, where hockey is the recreational sport of choice. Can one of these schools score a hat trick?

1. Mascot Match-up

Minnesota- Goldy Gopher, the leader of the Minnesota Golden Gophers, has led fans in cheering for twenty-four NCAA  titles, five of which were won for hockey!
Wisconsin-The Wisconsin Badgers have won twenty-six NCAA titles, six of which were for men’s hockey. However, the men’s boxing team has won the most of any Wisconsin sport, with eight national titles.

Three credits to:  Wisconsin. Cuz they’d beat the crap out of me if I didn’t say that.

2. Border Battle Cup Stats (Held annually since the 2004-2005 school year, the Cup is awarded to the school with the highest number of wins from head-to-head match-ups and conference standings between the two institutions.)

Minnesota- Two wins (08-09 and 05-06)
Wisconsin- Three wins (04-05, 06-07, 07-08)

Three Credits to:  Wisconsin

3. Terrific Traditions

Minnesota- A true Minnesota fan will recognize the battle cry of “Ski-U-Mah!”, taken from an old Sioux warrior chant and adapted into U of M fight songs for over 115 years!
Wisconsin- Badger fans sure know how to celebrate. After every football game–win or lose–fans, players, coaches, and alumni stick around for the Fifth Quarter, a stadium party filled with school songs, games, and activities for all.

Three credits to:  Wisconsin (for, as the old song goes, accentuating the positive!)

4. Ass-kicking Alumni

Minnesota- Bob Dylan (attended), Herb Brooks (Coach of Miracle on Ice men’s hockey team), Carol Bly
Wisconsin- Frank Lloyd Wright (attended), Joyce Carol Oates , Bud Selig (MLB commissioner)

Three credits to: A tough call with so many veritable icons, but the edge goes to Minnesota for music and hockey immortality.

5. Acceptance Rate Agony (for the class of 2012)

Minnesota- 52.5%
Wisconsin- 52.7%

Three credits to:  Minnesota

And the diploma goes to: Wisconsin! Take another Fifth Quarter, Badgers, this one’s all yours!

I hope you all got your paycheck because the list this week is enticing. Ignore the recession and that “budget” you set (where all funds go to Coors and clothes); go ahead and splurge this week for a new CD or DVD, espesh my pick of the week:

The Happening (!!!)

I have loved M. Night Shyamalan films since The Sixth Sense, so obvi his latest DVD is a must-have.

Not a fan of M. Night’s crazy flicks? Don’t worry; here are a few other DVD releases to pick up this week:

You Don’t Mess With the Zohan (Adam Sandler as an Israeli fighting hair stylist? How could that not be awesome?

30 Rock: Season 2 (The perfect fix until the new season starts!)

Now for some serious tune-age. While I wish I could put every new release from every genre, there isn’t enough time or space. Here are some of the highlights:

No Molestar- Marco Antonio Solis

Tell Tale Signs: The Bootleg Series Vol 8 – Bob Dylan

Break Up the Concrete- The Pretenders

Dig Out Your Soul- Oasis

Closer- The Best of Sarah McLachlan

Live at Shea Stadium- The Clash

Greatest Hits- Tim McGraw

Forever More- Tesla

Well there you have it; if I missed a few, sorry. Which releases will you be takin’ home?

This girl directed a film on the Chupacabra. Fashion-wise, she is all about extremes. An article on Radar Online quotes her as comparing herself to a lizard and saying, “Clothing is meant to be fun, right?” As much as she is known for her constant headband-donning, she does not confine herself to one fashion genre. In fact, she seems to be all about extremes, liking “things long and loose, or short.”

It seems many New Yorkers, in our daily quest to make the A/L/N/6 train without attracting any unwanted attention, have resigned ourselves to the same hoodie, leggings and “I’m NOT a Plastic Bag” as every other chick on the platform.

Conversely, Wohl’s socialite peers are partial to Tory Burch (boooooring) logo flats and “ethnic” paisley print muʻumuʻus. Now you may say, “Hold on a second, Nora- Arden Wohl wears those mu’umu’us, too!” Let me tell you something about Arden Wohl: though she was born into privilege, Arden Wohl sure seems to know a little more about the world and its problems than most of her peers. Arden is dedicated to saving Darfur and is currently promoting Libby Spears’s documentary, The Playground Project, about the commercial sexual exploitation of children, with Steven Soderbergh and George Clooney. Arden is also passionate about the Nest Foundation, which raises awareness for the same cause.

The girl can rock a headband and doesn’t take herself too seriously when it comes to style, saving all of her true conviction for causes helping others. And on top of that, she’s worked with George Clooney and managed to concentrate on the task at hand. Arden Wohl is one fashionable, focused philanthropist.

Person: Alison Goldfrapp

You know that crazy catchy song from the Verizon LG Chocolate commercial a few months

back? If you weren’t already sure, it was Bath, England duo Goldfrapp’s “Strict Machine” off their second studio album, Black Cherry. Singer Alison Goldfrapp’s style is constantly changing both in the realms of fashion and music, not evolving but rather bouncing around like a tennis ball tossed forcefully into a small box, and her performance energy is just as frantic.

Like a club couture superhero, she seems introverted by day and mostly shuns interviews, but when the lights go down and she hits the stage, she is a breathy, writhing sex goddess in stilettos. She is famous for her short short/horse tail combinations and admits to having an aesthetic fondness for hybrids, which is reflected back into her music. It seems one cannot exist for her without influencing the other.

For all of her talent and sex appeal, however, Alison’s traumatic youth left her feeling undesirable and her first interviews gave her nightmares. I applaud Alison’s brave wardrobe choices through her worries, and Madonna herself has been photographed on at least 2 occasions wearing blantantly Goldfrapp-plagiarized inspired ensembles. The English press has even begun calling Madge “Oldfrapp”.

Goldfrapp’s latest album, Seventh Tree, released February 28th, has a more (widely-publicized) folky sound to it, but the band insists that it is not folk! And, you know, I believe them — because Alison has taken to wearing harlequin getups (Sorry, I know I mentioned this in my last blog, but it was before I even realized what was influencing me!), marabou-accented pirate hats, and, apparently, entire owls. This isn’t your Mama’s Joan Baez in a maxi skirt.

Sometimes we all need a little pick-me-up. Sometimes we want to know that rockstars are also experiencing excessive amounts of stress. Sometimes we feel like our head might expload, but we find comfort in the thought of Dolly Parton working “9-5!”

So here are some tunes, work related, lamenting about said work, fueling your fire and giving you that extra boost to make it through the day. You can do it! God speed!

1. 9 to 5- Dolly Parton

2. Workin’ Day and Night- Michael Jackson

3. Work It- Missy Elliott

4. If Work Permits- The Format

5. A Hard Day’s Night- The Beatles

6. She Works Hard for the Money- Donna Summer

7. Work is a 4 letter Word- The Smiths

8. Workingman’s Blues #2- Bob Dylan

9. I Can’t Get No Satisfaction- The Rolling Stones

10. The Distance- Cake

11. Manic Monday- The Bangles

12. Everybody wants to rule the world- Tears For Fears

13. Light&Day- The Polyphonic Spree

14. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go- Wham!

That’s right, I included George Michael…what about it?!

[Got any work inspired tunes?? Let us know!]

Many of my friends are musicians, artists and/or actors. And as much as I love them as people, I do not always love their art. So over the years I have developed an incredible strategy that allows me to tell some sort of the truth without pissing anybody off.

For example, a friend’s band has just finished playing:

What I think: “I can’t believe Sony would sign such a bunch of talentless jackasses.”

What I say: “Wow, the mix was incredible and I have never seen such masterful lighting.”

So with that being said, in addition to the masterful lighting, the music selection from the Sopranos’ series finale was absolutely phenomenal. Stereogum.com has compiled a track list from the Sopranos’ severely frustrating final installment. Here is the list with links so you can add them to your collection:

Vanilla Fudge – “You Keep Me Hangin’ On”

Tony wakes up; Dante drives Tony to his family; Phil fills up.

Randy & The Rainbows – “Denise”

Tony and Paulie wait for Agent Harris at the airport.

Antonio Vivaldi – “Four Seasons”

Bobby’s wake at Vesuvio’s.

Bob Dylan – “It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)”

AJ & Rhiannon listen to the song in the car

Sonic Youth – “I Dreamed, I Dream”

Tony and Uncle Pat talk in backroom of The Bing.

Curtis Lee – “Pretty Little Angel Eyes”

Paulie is spooked by a cat at Satriale’s.

Credence Clearwater Revival – “I Heard It Through The Grapevine”

Tony offers Paulie a promotion.

Larry Graham – “The Jam”

Neil bears bad news in The Bing backroom.

The Noisettes – “Scratch Your Name”

AJ leaves work and picks up Rhiannon from school.

Kid Creole & The Coconuts – “The Lifeboat Party”

AJ and Rhiannon watch TV.

Little Feat – “All That You Dream”

Tony arrives at a diner and waits for his family.

Journey – “Don’t Stop Believin’”

Tony plays Journey on a jukebox.