Program Profile: Louisiana State

since 1893 (SEC)
Colors: Purple and Gold
Mascot: Tigers

First, we have to talk about Death Valley (Clemson’s claim to the name are tenuous; it's universally accepted as one of the scariest places to play. More than 90,000 crazy fans (some much more so than necessary. Their fans are known as among the more virulent, shall we say, and police escorts are absolutely imperative for visiting teams and bands) commonly raise the noise level in excess of 120 decibels (ie- prolonged exposure to intense LSU games may cause hearing loss). And we all know the story from 1988 against Auburn when a winning Tiger TD was scored in the final seconds prompting cheers that registered on the Geology Department’s seismograph. There was the “Bluegrass Miracle” in 2002 when the ranked Tigers beat unranked Kentucky by a last second 75-yard Hail Mary. A live mascot, misspelling “Go” to reflect the Cajun atmosphere, distinctive tailgating featuring jambalaya instead of barbecue, a healthy pre-game show, playing “Chinese Bandits” after turnovers, distinctive goal posts…LSU has a lot going for it.

But there are chinks in the armor. Most notably, who can they call a rival? Originally they battled Tulane for the “Tiger Rag”, but Tulane left the SEC. LSU next turned to Mississippi, but the Rebels dumped them for Mississippi State. None of the in state schools are in LSU’s league, so they turned to Texas A&M. But with two years left in the contract, LSU broke it to schedule weaker out of conference teams; A&M refused to have anything to do with LSU when they came crawling back. So LSU remains single, or rather, latches on to every team it hasn’t burned bridges with. That includes all the teams in the SEC West that begin with “A”.

And there’s the part where they think too much of themselves. Like WalMart dealing with its suppliers, LSU strongholds the schedulers insisting they get a night game because Heaven forbid they participate in give and take like every other team in the nation. They also have a tendency to over smugness, even when it is not deserved. And there’s the fact they’re down the list with Florida in regards to gracious fans. There’s a lot to dislike about them. But they won the NC in 2003 and are competitors for it every year, which helps the SEC, so I won’t completely dispel them.

Mike the Fightin’ Tiger is the face of LSU, but he’s also a nod to the past. The state’s confederate brigade was known as the “Louisiana Tiger”. Cha-ching. I got nothing on Purple and Gold, though.