Tiger Tracklist: Auburn

Opps on the radar (You’re dead to me).

How you wanna play ball? (You’re dead to me).

(Winner) takes all (You’re dead to me)

(You’re dead to me, you’re dead to me).

You know what zone I’m in (You’re dead to me).

Don’t care who you’re with (You’re dead to me).

Watch me do my shit (You’re dead to me)

(You’re dead to me).

My first football memory is LeBrandon Toefield ripping off a 62-yard run against Arkansas in 2001. That’s the earliest football play I can remember. I didn’t start actually watching football until 2003. Before that, I just cheered whenever the adults cheered.

To the best of my knowledge, my first football game was 1999. Yeah, the Cigar Game. Not that I would know any better, my uncle took me and we left well before the lighters were flicked. That’s about all I remember, not wanting to leave (not much has changed there) and being in awe of the kickers warming up pre-game.

Growing up, my exposure into college football was one where Auburn-LSU was one of the most important games in college football. I missed out on the Earthquake Game and was too young for Bring Back The Magic, The Pick Six Game, and The Barn Burner, but I grew up in the era of the 2001 SEC Playoff Game, The Ronnie Prude Game, The John Vaughn Game, The Robbery On The Plains, The Death Valley Defeat, Driving The General Lee, Cam’s Run, LSU beating the eventual national champion in an outright downpour, The Fournette Game, Les’ Last Ride, and The Comeback.

Playin’ for keeps,

Don’t take us for weak.

When people talk about LSU-Auburn, they talk about the games. As they very well should, per capita this rivalry has produced more classics than any other rivalry in the sport. Yes, I said that.

But at the heart of that, and what I feel is often is an overlooked aspect of those games that produced the same results were that both teams mirrored each other perfectly. For the longest time LSU and Auburn practiced the same brand of football at or near the same level, producing perfectly symmetrical fighting like you’d see in Street Fighter.

It’s gotten away from that, mainly on Auburn’s side with their move to the spread (Auburn’s offense is predicated on the run but don’t let facts get in the way of a narrative).

But for a while it was manball at it’s finest. During the mid-2000’s you couldn’t go five minutes without a new quote going pre-social media viral talking about how much this game, played in early to mid September in the South, took out of both sides. This is a game where nothing was given and everything was earned.

Which is what we should focus on getting back to.

The world is my expense,

The cost of my desire.

Jesus blessed me with it’s future,

And I protect it with fire.

We’ve seen the national media do some serious backtracking since Labor Day. Maybe reports of LSU’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. A game that was penciled in as an Auburn victory two weeks ago is now set to draw a majority of the nation’s attention.

But LSU hasn’t earned that national respect yet. As fun as the Miami (FL) game was, LSU has to prove what they’re doing is successful in the SEC.

Once again, this game is one of the most important games in the college football season. And just like before, to reap the benefits of a win in the Tiger Bowl you have to strap up and earn it. Empty the tank for three and a half hours under a beating sun and hope whatever memorable moments defines this version of the The Tiger Bowl is in your favor.

LSU-Auburn is everything we love and praise about college football. Big programs, big stage, big games, big rewards. But to take everything and even have a future the rest of the season, you have to take a lick and hit back harder. Earn it.

No smoke, no smoke

You don’t want it.