SEC Football 2011: Power Ranking the Best School Traditions

Howard's Rock at Clemson, the Ohio State band and their dot of the "i", the Cal/Stanford rivalry over the Axe—there are some things that are rooted so deeply in college tradition that they have been passed on for over a hundred years.

The SEC likes to pride itself as the best football conference in the nation, but the SEC probably has some of the best traditions as well.

The love for football is a way of life in the South. The traditions that they have are a prime example of how much these fans truly love their football.

12. Kentucky Wildcats

The Wildcats have the worst football traditions by far in the SEC.

They have had legendary coaches and some very good players, but as for their tradition, it is paper thin.  

They do the regular walk out onto the field and play a song when they win. Other than that, there is nothing else that is special about Kentucky football.

I would stick to basketball.

11. Vanderbilt Commodores

It is hard to compete in tradition when it comes to the SEC. The conference is so deep in tradition and so set in their ways that Vanderbilt has no choice but to take a back-seat to most teams in the SEC. 

The Commodores do the standard playing of a song as the team runs out. They also make their star on the field with their marching band and finish the game with some sort of chant. 

The “Freshmen Walk” is very original, though—the freshmen have to rush the field before each season’s home opener.

Where Vanderbilt’s football traditions falter, they make up for it in a rich basketball tradition.

10. Mississippi State Bulldogs

The Bulldogs are also near the bottom of the list in famous traditions within the SEC. What they're known for is their storied Egg Bowl and shaking cow bells as loud as possible. 

The Egg Bowl is a tradition in which they annually play their in-state rival, Ole Miss, and exchange a “Golden Egg.” To many Bulldog faithful it is known as the “The Battle of the Golden Egg.”

The ringing of the cow bell can also be heard at Mississippi State—it is one of the loudest and most annoying traditions in football. People have tried to stop this tradition many times, but it is bigger than ever today.

They also pretend to have a rivalry with Alabama, yet the Crimson Tide lead the series 73-17-3. To me, that isn’t much more than a good, old-fashioned butt-whooping.

9. Arkansas Razorbacks

The Razorbacks are famous for only one chant, but boy is that chant famous. The loud screeching of “Woo Pig Sooie” can be heard at the beginning of every Razorbacks home game. The chant is simple:

"Wooooooooo Pig Sooie!"

"Wooooooooo Pig Sooie!"

"Wooooooooo Pig Sooie!"

If you ever meet a Razorback alumni, start screeching at him and I'm sure you will get one in return.

8. South Carolina Gamecocks

Ever heard of the Cockaboose Railroad? It is at the University of South Carolina where the old faithful of the Gamecocks tailgate before each game. 

There are 22 cabooses that are lined up that each has decked-out interiors equipped with TVs and radios for the pregame shows. 

The Gamecocks also have, in my opinion, the best entrance in all of college football. They wait at the entrance of their tunnel as the theme song from 2001-A Space Odyssey comes on over the loudspeaker. 

As the song builds up, the fans become rowdier and the players get pumped. It is quite the scene at Williams Brice Stadium.

7. Georgia Bulldogs

Everyone is familiar with Georgia’s mascot, Uga. It is more than a mascot in between the hedges; it is the way the Bulldogs play on the field. 

Uga is extremely important to Georgia. Since 1956, there has been a live bulldog down on the field at every game. All eight of the last Bulldogs are related and have been named Uga. 

When the Bulldogs walk through the hedges, it is a fantastic sight.

After being crowned "Best Party-School in the Nation" last year, Athens is a must-visit for any true SEC football fan. 

6. Florida Gators

Many teams around the nation have stolen one of the best hand motions in all of college football—the Gator Chomp. It was started in 1981 by a couple of band members in response to Mississippi State’s band playing the Jaws theme song. 

This continued to escalate until all 90,000 people in the Swamp were doing the Gator Chomp at the same time. It has become a nationwide meaning for lock-down defense. After the third quarter ends, the Gator fans chant the song, “We are the boys from old Florida.”

It is amazing how that many fans can sing in unison. If you can’t make the trek down to Gainesville, make sure to tune into CBS this football season to see this wonderful synchronized chant.

5. Ole Miss Rebels

The Rebels are very deep in their tradition. Before every home game, the Ole Miss faithful tailgate at “The Grove.” This party seems to get bigger and bigger every year with more and more press covering the event. 

Once the Rebels are in the stadium the chant, "Hotty Toddy," can be heard everywhere. The people of Ole Miss don’t even know how the chant was started, they just know how to sing it as loud as possible. 

Another tradition: Once the fans leave the stadium, the campus speed limit is 18 mph, in honor of Archie Manning. 

I find it beautiful that so many traditions can be clumped into one event during every Saturday home game.

4. LSU Tigers

When you think of LSU football, it's hard not to think of the sticky, musky night games that are played at Death Valley. It was given that name because when teams come to LSU, they never survive.

The Tigers are phenomenal in night games and with one of the biggest and loudest fan bases in the nation, Death Valley is a nerve-wracking sight for opposing teams.  

Mike “The Tiger” is sometimes in attendance (always in a cage). He is the mascot that became famous when the LSU leaders decided to buy a live tiger in 1934. 

3. Alabama Crimson Tide

The Crimson Tide are guaranteed to be put in the top 5 out of respect alone, but their tradition is also well rooted in Alabama soil. 

The famous chant, “Rammer-Jammer, Yellow Hammer” can be heard at the end of games in the final minutes. It is a very loud and boisterous song that is beloved by the Alabama faithful. 

The Iron Bowl between Auburn and Alabama is sometimes considered to be the best rivalry in college sports. It is to the point where everyone in the state of Alabama has to choose one side or the other and love their team more than life itself. 

That game is sacred to the fans of Alabama and nobody will ever take that away from them—unless you’re Auburn and you go 14-0, win the national championship after being down 24-0 in the Iron Bowl and come back to win in the final quarter.

2. Tennessee Volunteers

Tennessee probably has the most traditions in the SEC, just not all of them are that famous. Their "Rocky Top" chant that is chanted throughout the game is very recognizable though. 

I have been to Neyland Stadium and let me tell you, that stadium can get very, very loud. It is 107,000 strong and considered one of the Top 10 biggest stadiums in the world.

They also have the legendary checkerboard end-zones with the orange and white squares. 

If that isn’t enough tradition, the Volunteers have a massive pregame tailgate on the Tennessee River coined the Volunteer Navy.

All of these traditions are very popular amongst the Tennessee faithful.   

1. Auburn Tigers

One of the best traditions in all of college sports was ruined this past year by a horrible Alabama fan. 

There was a mammoth tree that all of the students would toilet paper after a win; the tradition was called Rolling Toomers. I have witnessed this tradition first hand and, let me tell you, it was shocking. It is a damn shame that last season was the last year of Rolling Toomers because it was an unbelievable tradition. 

If Rolling Toomers is not the best, War Eagle might be. First, an eagle is released from a cage inside the stadium. Then, immediately, the entire stadium chants while it flies around the stadium until it lands in the middle of the field as all the fans yell “War Eagle.”

It is an amazing scene to watch, even on TV. Auburn is extremely deep in tradition and let’s just hope, for the sake of college football, that eagles don’t go extinct any time soon.