46 Reasons to love SEC Football....Part 1

[UTVols2]

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By Chris Milam

Ask any two SEC football fans to agree on practically anything, and they'll go out of their way not to. UT fans won't often search for "common ground" with Florida Gators. Alabama and Auburn fans typically don't end their conversations with a dignified nod, a heartfelt concession, and a newfound perspective on life and football fan-ship. Vanderbilt fans...well, we're still trying to dig some up.

Maybe the only thing we all can agree on is our mutual love for SEC football, its distinct culture, its fans' unparalleled passion, its history and traditions. Don't we all love the SEC as a whole more than we hate any one team?

In the spirit of region-wide compromise, here, now, is a list of 46 Things to Love about SEC Football. This list will come in three installments (Part 1 Tuesday, Part 2 Thursday, and Part 3 next Monday). The items are in no particular order, and I invite everyone to jump in with their favorite things about SEC football, its history, its landmarks, tailgating traditions, and more!



After all, we gotta do something during baseball season...

46) Family Ties
SEC programs like to keep it in the family, often stockpiling talent from a single household. Some families stick with one school (the Castille's, the Britt's, the Colquitt's, the Brinkley's, etc.). Some form a house divided (the Manning's, the Leak's, etc.). Sometimes it's a good thing (see: Bailey's, Champ and Boss). Sometimes it's less of a good thing (see: Clausen's, Casey and Rick). Either way, it's fun to track the SEC stars through the generations, and wonder who's next down the line.

45) Jason Witten Outrunning the Michigan Secondary
Anyone who watched the 2002 Citrus Bowl devastation of Michigan remembers Witten's 64-yard touchdown catch. The bulky tight end caught a mid-range pass, and, to fans' amazement, actually separated from the Michigan safeties trailing him. Add one more highlight to the reel, and another log for the "SEC Is Faster" fire. (Can anyone find this on YouTube? If not, can anyone put this on YouTube?)

44) The Annual Joe Namath Boozy Sideline Interview
The Annual Joe Namath Boozy Sideline Interview (AJNBSI) is, as Jim Nantz would say, "A tradition unlike any other." Last year's installment featured guest appearances by an amused Brodie Croyle and a shell-shocked John Parker Wilson. Namath, of course, was barely intelligible. Bets on which game will feature this year's AJNBSI? I'm saying October 4 vs. Kentucky, and I'm saying he brings in Kenny Stabler.

43) Secondary Rivalries
Also known as, "wait, WHO hates us?!?" For example, Tennessee might consider Florida its biggest rival, but Vanderbilt claims UT. So does Kentucky. So does South Carolina, sometimes. The SEC is full of these match-ups, in which one team is playing its Superbowl, and the other is worrying about next week. These are often rivalries in the same one-sided vein of Road Runner vs. Wile E. Coyote, or Chris Rainey vs. Laws of Physics.

42) Herschel Freaking Walker.
Enough said.

41) Signing Day
In 2008, the SEC brought in four of the top eleven recruiting classes. In 2007, it had seven of the top ten. In 2006, five of the top eleven. Noticing a trend? On no other day of the year is the SEC's region-wide talent more evident, and its fans' hopes higher.

40) Erin Andrews
She's a regular on the sideline for ESPN's SEC broadcasts, a Florida alum, and if you really need the third reason I'll ask how you're reading this column without the help of braille or an audio text. Also, she's good at her job.

39) Dreamland BBQ
A staple at Tuscaloosa tailgates, Dreamland's ribs are the only ones outside Memphis that live up to the hype.

38) Honk If You Sacked Brodie
In the wake of 2005's Iron Bowl (in which Auburn sacked Brodie Croyle eleven times), these bumper stickers began popping up all over the state of Alabama. Anytime the back of your truck celebrates a three year-old defensive performance at the expense of Ole Brodes, you've earned a gentlemanly tip of the cap.

37) Rocky Top
Rocky Top is: 1) arguably the league's most recognizable fight song 2) probably the most-often played and 3) certainly the most-hated. Either way, if you're close enough to hear Rocky Top, that means it's gameday. And I'd give $50 and a rack of ribs for it to be gameday right now. (Editor's note: "Rocky Top" is not technically UT's fight song. It's just the song they play during games in the places where most teams play their fight songs. Important distinction, there.)

36) Verne Lundquist (I guess)
Sure, Verne doesn't really know where he is. Sure, he doesn't "technically" know how to pronounce names like DeMeco or BenJarvus. Sure, he usually takes a nap sometime in the third quarter. But somebody has to be the voice of SEC football, right? Right?

35) The Dress Code
Nowhere else (except maybe UVA) will you find blazer-clad frat boys and sundress-ed sorority girls sweating out a September day game in the name of tradition. One glance at the Grove's co-eds on a fall Saturday reinforces this: if you care that much about something, you might as well look your best doing it.

34) Summer Suspension
Every summer, somebody's football team gets bored, goes to a local watering hole, and gets in a fight (Arkansas in 2007, etc.). This means several things: 1) fans hold their collective breath during the slow months and pray for good behavior and 2) somebody, somewhere, without fail, looks at a 250-pound linebacker at a local bar and thinks to himself, "I think I can take him." Unreal.

33) Sylvester Croom
The SEC's coaching talent is remarkable: five SEC head coaches have national championship rings, and two more have BCS bowls under their belt. And none of those coaches won Coach of the Year in 2007, a distinction Sly Croom certainly earned leading the perennially average Mississippi State Bulldogs to a respectable 8-5. Coach Croom is a gifted motivator, a likable figurehead, and a class act. He's proof that there's something to like about every SEC program, regardless of where your loyalties lie.

32) Whiskey
Sour mash, bourbon, even Scotch...you name it, you'll find it at an SEC tailgate. LSU Coach Mike Archer famously said you could "smell the bourbon on the field" in Death Valley. Tents at the Grove are practically powered by Jack Daniels. Pick your poison, and pick your venue...something about it just tastes like football.

31) Death, Taxes, and Vanderbilt
SEC fans across the South have all felt the reassurance of "At least we're not Vanderbilt" after a tough loss, or the unadulterated panic at the prospect of losing to the Commodores. It seems like every SEC team has almost lost to Vanderbilt (Florida in 2005, Bama in 2006), only to edge them out and restore order to the universe.

Agree? Disagree? Have a YouTube clip of Jason Witten outrunning the Michigan secondary? Give me a shout, or discuss on the Scout Forums.

Either way, come back Thursday for Part Two!

[Indian09]

I was at the 2002 Citrus bowl where Witten made Michigan look like a peanut team. Good memories

[Ironlung]

I've got that game taped. I need to drag that out. Other than that first Cal game, that's the last time that they actually throttled a half decent program.

[Biggin]

bama has a huge OOC game this year, if they can beat clemson in atlanta that will prove they are ready for a good year.


number 47. only in the SEC can players like Boss, Champ, Pork Chop, etc.. be great players

[UTVols2]

Before we get started, thanks to everyone who wrote in following Part One. Tons of great suggestions, including one that mentioned "mixed marriages" as a potential land-mine for any SEC family. For example, if your mother's an Ole Miss fan and your father's a Mississippi State guy, they're probably not watching the Egg Bowl together. For the sake of the marriage.

In response to #41, Signing Day, Dave from Buckeye country pointed out that this June was the first time in twenty years no SEC team was on probation for recruiting violations. Yowsa. That's a great stat. Of course, a certain State University in Ohio has had its fair share of trouble, and always lands near the top of the recruiting lists. But, let's face it, the big boys are the big boys for a reason.

Finally, major props to Joe in Johnson City, Tennessee, for sending me this nugget of video gold. There it is, in all its grainy, low-fi glory: Jason Witten rumbling and stumbling into SEC lore against Michigan. Thanks, Joe!

Now, onto the list!

30) The Third Saturday in October
Alabama and Tennessee have played 90 times since 1901, and the rivalry has only gotten more heated, more vicious, and more nationally significant. In the wake of Bama's multi-year probation after the Antonio Langham and Albert Means Incidents, many Bama fans still suspect that Phil Fulmer actually blew the whistle on Bama to deflect attention from UT's own indiscretions. Some members of the Crimson Tide nation swear they now hate UT even more than Auburn. Don't believe me? Just ask...

29) ...THIS GUY
Because I don't like pumpkins, either.

28) Rece Davis
Everyone knows Rece Davis is one of the best studio hosts in sports. He's always informed and poised, and navigates the Mark-May-Lou-Holtz-Sideshow masterfully. What many don't know is that he's a Bama alum with an unmatched talent for subtly backing his team. For several years, few Texas A&M losses went by without a comment about "Dennis Franchione's underachieving squad." For all his expertise and professionalism, sometimes Rece's Crimson Tide roots bubble up to the surface, and it's always fun to watch.

27) Chris Leak's Spiral
Whether you loved or hated Leak at Florida, nobody threw a prettier ball. (Side note: If you're wondering who won the 2007 Chris Leak Memorial for "SEC Quarterback Who Throws the Nicest Ball," that would go to Kentucky's Andre Woodson. 2008's winner is TBD, but it's safe to assume Tim Tebow's "Clausen-Inspired Knuckler" isn't on the watch list.)

26) Rolling Toomer's Corner
If Auburn fans are rolling Toomer's Corner, there's a decent chance your team just lost. Still, as far as post-game traditions go, this one is fun, time-honored, and infinitely safer than West Virginia's "burning the couches" celebration.

25) Nobody Holds a Grudge Better
Not only is the SEC home to a fraternity of elite coaches, players, and trainers...the whole darn frat house is a spiteful, incestuous mess. Unless you've got Trindon Holliday's wheels, I wouldn't go praising Tommy Tuberville in Oxford (Tuberville left Ole Miss for Auburn after the 1998 season). Folks in Knoxville still don't know how they feel about their twice-departed David Cutcliffe. It's as though each coaching tenure is a dysfunctional relationship, leaving the school or fan-base to say, "we'd never take him back..." Until they do.

24) The World's Largest Outdoor Party (That May or May Not Have Cocktails)
When Coach Richt ordered the "celebration heard round the world," he may as well have declared war. Said the Florida fan a few rows behind me at last year's game, "You know what they just did? They made this as big as Florida State." Sure, every Cocktail Party is a major match-up and last year's was an instant classic...2008's installment could very well feature #1 vs. #2 in the nation. Right now, this is the SEC's single biggest rivalry, and its most nationally relevant. (Note #35 on this list, Verne Lundquist, calling Knowshon "Moreeno" in the YouTube clip.)

23) Percy Harvin
Harvin is the rarest of SEC talents: every team wholly respects him, and every fan-base openly fears him. Any time a player is a legitimate scoring threat every time he touches the ball, he's thrilling in a way that transcends typical fan loyalties. And if he happens to be making those plays against a Big 10 opponent in, say, a national championship game, by outrunning the competition...that's just icing on the cake.

22) The Daves on Lincoln
Every week, the Lincoln Financial (or, Broadcast Formerly Known as JP) game features a three-headed monster of a broadcast team in Dave Neal, Dave Rowe, and Dave Baker. Are these guys especially good at their jobs? No. Are they still employed mainly for their "aw, shucks" personas and "good ole boy" semi-charm? Of course. Is the whole messy broadcast harmless enough at 11am on a Saturday morning and, in a weird way, pleasant and familiar? Sure, why not.

21) The Earthquake Game
In the monstrous book titled SEC Football: Lore and Mythology, the first three chapters should detail LSU's now-legendary Earthquake Game. In 1988, Tommy Hodson connected with Eddie Fuller to beat Auburn in the final minute, and the LSU crowd's response registered as an earthquake on a local seismograph. That's right: Death Valley got so loud one night that the earth literally shook. Twenty years later, this story remains another example of how football in the South is more than just a game.

20) Bo Freaking Jackson
In an age where every athlete is hyped as "The Next Somebody," there will never be another Bo Jackson. (And Bama fans are eternally grateful.)

19) Tennessee versus Florida
Perhaps no other SEC rivalry has meant more in the last fifteen years than Tennessee/Florida. The fans genuinely hate each other. The coaches (or at least the one-time coaches) publicly insulted each other. Three national championships and countless match-ups later, the road to Atlanta is often still decided early in September, between the Vols and the Gators. This is the early-season game that is perennially circled on the calendar, and it never seems to disappoint.

18) Abner's (and its chicken-shack brethren)
Seemingly every SEC college town has its local chicken shack that is supposedly the best in the South. Whether it's Abner's in Oxford, Zaxby's down in Georgia, McDougal's in Nashville, or any of the countless others, fried chicken is square one for a good tailgate. And if you can't get your favorite chicken on gameday, for the love of God, at least find some Chik-fil-A.

17) Knowshon Moreno
From my seat in the endzone for last year's Cocktail Party, two things were abundantly clear: 1) Georgia fans were louder than Florida fans and 2) Knowshon Moreno is a bad, bad man. Everyone knows Moreno is one of the top running backs in the country, but in person his quickness and vision are simply unreal. Regardless of who you're rooting for on Saturday, Moreno is the latest in the line of special SEC running backs, the successor to Darren McFadden, Cadillac Williams, Ronnie Brown, Jamal Lewis, Shaun Alexander, and countless others. He's simply a joy to watch.

16) The "Mock Chomp" Backlash
Statisticians should spend less time documenting time of possession and more time calculating the success ratio for teams that mock the Gator Chomp. Here's how it works: 1) Somebody on an opposing team does something good, and does the Gator Chomp to mock the Florida team. 2) Florida responds by either scoring, forcing a turnover, getting a sack, burning down the offender's apartment, or all of the above. It's staggering how often Florida responds to the "Mock Chomp" with a big play. (Side note: 2007 was a glaring exception to this trend. Georgia infamously incited the UF players and still won, and the Auburn kicker "Mock Chomped" Urban Meyer after kicking the game-winner. Twice.)

15) Delusion
Everyone praises SEC fans for their passion, but delusion and fervor often go hand in hand. Sure, all fans are biased, obsessed, and somewhat unreasonable (I'm looking at you, Fighting Irish), but the die-hard SEC fan is a special breed of crazy. For example, actual newspapers in Arkansas declared FB Peyton Hillis "NFL-ready" as a senior in high school. After Miami throttled Tennessee in 2002, I actually heard several Vol fans explain away a 23-point loss to questionable officiating. What, other than chronic delusion, could possibly explain the existence of die-hard Vandy fans?

[UTVols2]

Also, Richard from Auburn Nation says the "Tiger Walk" deserves its own mention because it was the "Team Walk" that actually started the tradition (now used at dozens of schools), and remains the best. A background check reveals that Auburn was, in fact, one of the first schools to have a "walk," and it's certainly an awesome experience in person.

Thanks to Corey down in Louisiana, I finally got the name of Baton Rouge's best chicken shack, Raising Cane's. Awesome tailgating down there...

Finally, Jeff from Arkansas reminds me: "How about Matt 'Freaking' Jones? Only the SEC's all-time leading rusher at QB, not to mention the author of some of its greatest moments and games. 7 OT win at Ole Miss, 6 OT loss at Tennessee, 7 OT win at Kentucky, plus the last-second touchdown pass to beat LSU and win the SEC West, also known as The Miracle on Markham." While I wouldn't put Jones on the same level as Pantheon SEC players like Herschel Walker and Bo Jackson, it's truly incredible that he was involved in so many SEC classics. A gentlemanly tip of the cap to Mr. Jones.

Now, on to the list!

14) Steve Spurrier
Love him or hate him (or a little bit of both), Steve Spurrier has been an SEC institution as a Heisman-winning player, national championship-winning coach, and perennially entertaining provocateur. At the height of Fun N' Gun, nobody won more consistently, talked more trash, and had more fun doing it than the Ole Ball Coach. As one Vol fan once told me, "I don't care if he's coaching Dartmouth, as long as Spurrier's on the other sideline, I'm scared to death." That, for an SEC coach, might be the highest of compliments.

13) Southern Hospitality
Sure, every fan base has its bad apples, but the stereotype is mostly true: come to an SEC football game and you'll be treated to some Southern hospitality. Don't believe me? Go to rivalry game (say, Ole Miss/LSU in Oxford) wearing white and watch both sides assume you're with them. You'll eat and drink for free all day, so long as your manners are good and your allegiances acceptable. Most SEC fans truly pride themselves on their hospitality, welcoming visiting fans with friendly taunts and open tailgates. Virginia Tech fans are still talking about the warm reception they got last year in Baton Rouge...if only the LSU team had been so kind to the Hokies.

12) Uga
Hands-down, the greatest mascot in college athletics. And, in case you needed further proof...

11) The Swamp
Neyland is the biggest, and Death Valley is (arguably) the loudest, but stadium has a greater intimidation factor than the Swamp. Between the unorthodox design, the sweltering heat, the infamously unruly fans, and the history of dominance (#3 home record in the nation since 1990), The Swamp might be the least accommodating, most hostile, most difficult place for an opposing team to play and an opposing fan to visit. Many UT fans would sooner take multiple trips to Death Valley than one to The Swamp.

10) The Mannings
You don't have to love Peyton, Eli, or Archie to appreciate what that family has meant to SEC football over two generations. For all their college inconsistency and public goofiness, Peyton and Eli have become two of the SEC's most-decorated alumni. Archie is the league's de facto patriarch, always classy, measured, and winning when serving as "the voice of the SEC" for CBS's studio show.

9) Speed
Let the debate begin (or continue). The SEC's speed (and superiority to other conferences) has been maybe the most hotly-debated issue of the past few years. While the national jury is still out on whether SEC players are, in fact, that much faster than everyone else, one thing is certain: SEC programs value speed, coaches scheme according to speed, trainers develop speed, fans crave speed, and the result is a very, very fast league. I'll have plenty more on this topic soon, but for now let's leave the debate at this: the speed of the SEC is certainly one of its defining characteristics, and one of the biggest reasons SEC football is so fun to watch.
(*Warning: YouTube video has some NSFW language.)
(Side note: Keep an eye out for my next column this Thursday, which will tackle the question once and for all: Is the SEC Faster?)

8) The Common Enemy
Perhaps the single biggest cheer in Death Valley last year was not in response to an LSU touchdown or Florida turnover, but the announcement that USC had lost to Stanford. The LSU crowd could practically taste a #1 ranking, the LSU sideline was reignited, and the momentum shifted in favor of LSU for the rest of the game. We may all dislike each other, but SEC fans actively root against everyone else as a unified force. This is especially true during bowl season, when a me-against-you mentality becomes an us-versus-the-world phenomenon.

7) The Iron Bowl
All due respect to the Egg Bowl, the cocktail Party, UT/Florida, and many others...this is the SEC's most storied and historically meaningful rivalry. The game itself has featured legendary players, ended and prompted national championship runs, and frequently crowned the SEC West champion. Also, unlike OSU/Michigan, its two rivals hail from the same state. This means fan interaction is amplified and unavoidable year-round. Recruiting bases could not be more hotly contested, county to county, city to city, high school to high school. Team allegiances go back generations, even affecting social standing and (yes, you guessed it) marriages. While the Iron Bowl has become slightly less relevant on a national stage, no one rivalry means more to the two fan bases involved.

6) Bear Freaking Bryant
One glance around Tuscaloosa on gameday tells you everything you need to know. From the plentiful houndstooth caps, to the statues, memorial plaques, and constant mention in tailgate conversations, Bear Bryant's legacy is not only inescapable, but remains the single domineering force in Alabama football. Often lost in the mystique and reputation is the record it was built upon: thirteen SEC titles and six national championships speak volumes for themselves. The Bear won Coach of the Year so frequently they decided to name the award after him. Coach Bryant's ubiquity around Alabama and the rest of the SEC is proof that, as Faulkner once wrote, "The past is never dead. In fact, it's not even past."

5) The Grove
Acres of tailgating tents with satellite dishes and chandeliers, shaded by oaks and the shadows of Faulkner and Welty, guided by hundred-year traditions and simple Southern hospitality. Bourbon and perfume are the smells. Fried chicken and chess pie are the tastes. "Dixie" and "hotty toddy" are the sounds. Here the Rebels wear church-clothes on gameday as proof that football is a religious experience. Or perhaps militaristic: when the sun goes down over the Grove before a night game--hordes marching toward the field, drums pounding over the hill, candles dimly lighting the tents--it resembles an army's campsite before battle. If football, friendly people, beautiful women, and great food are your passions--there simply is no finer place.

4) Tailgating Traditions
Hand-in-hand with #5 on our list, tailgating across the SEC isn't so much a seasonal pastime as a yearlong obsession. Families in Oxford occupy the same plot of Grove property for decades. Head to Knoxville for UT/Florida and you'll find an annual specialty: Gator Gumbo. Fans from Columbia to Fayetteville all have their own traditions, tailgating venues, gameday recipes. The sheer scope and depth of tailgating cuisine down in Baton Rouge fully deserves its own spot on this list. Tailgating in the South is proof that SEC football is as much about the culture of sports--the community, the places, and the traditions--as it is about the game itself.

3) Pure Passion
What's the difference between SEC football and football everywhere else? I could write for pages (and likely will), but let's leave it at this for now: after last year's home loss to Stanford, USC quarterback John David Booty was spotted at a hot Hollywood club, partying with different co-eds and USC fans. That simply would not happen in the SEC. The quarterback wouldn't want to go out. Even if he did, he'd be too ashamed/afraid to party in public. And even if he did, his reception would be anything but friendly and accepting. This isn't necessarily a good thing or a bad thing. It's just one of a million examples of how much more football matters to fans in SEC country.

2) The Women
Nothing compliments football better than a crowd full of SEC women. Nothing. ESPN's Gameday Crew, traveling journalists, and (yes, more than a few bloggers) have found out what we've known all along: there is something in the water down South. And thank God.
(Also, my mailbox over the last week has reinforced this: SEC women know their football, love their football, and are some of the best fans in the country. Gameday wouldn't be gameday without them.)

1) Dominance
11-4 in BCS bowls. Four national championships in ten years. 7-2 in all bowl games for 2007. 47-10 non-conference record in 2007. Five teams in the final Top 25. Perennial recruiting dominance based on Rivals.com rankings (See Part One). Oh, and no SEC team has lost a national championship game in the BCS era, including wins over an ACC team (Florida State in 1998), a Big-12 team (Oklahoma in 2003) and two Big Ten teams (Ohio State in 2006 and 2007). A strong case could be made for pre-BCS dominance as well, factoring in Spurrier's Florida teams in the 90's. Alabama alone accounted for six championships from '61 to '79. All these numbers (and more) add up to one undeniable whole, a fact that is both a badge of honor to SEC faithful and a constant source of anger, resentment, and competition to the rest of the nation: we are better at this than you.

Agree? Disagree? Got a bone to pick with the whole Manning clan? Give me a shout, or discuss on the Scout Forums.

Either way, check back soon...I settle the debate once and for all this Thursday, Is the SEC Faster?

[Unchained]

#9 is a joke. Nobody over the last 20 yrs has had the speed more times than not that Miami and FSU have had.

[oakland_raiders]

#9 is no joke yeah miami and fsu may have like a player here and ther ethat is fast but not the whole freaking team my friend in the SEC we have speed on both sides of the ball offense and defense no questions asked

[Unchained]

Nobody has sent as many players to the NFL over the last couple of decades than THE U. You cannot play in the NFL unless you have speed. That is a fact.

[oakland_raiders]

are we even mentioning the nfl right now....dont think so but week in and week out the sec shows every other conference why they cant compete against our defense cause there is to much speed your fighting a losing battle the dominance of speed is in the sec and will be