This is a plea to the Golden Band from Tigerland and LSU fans.
This weekend will be the first since Labor Day that LSU fans won’t have a game to watch.
That means there will be plenty of time for Tiger faithfuls to do as their football team — prepare for the mammoth showdown with Alabama on Nov. 5.
For those of you planning on making the trek to Tuscaloosa, rest your voice, drink plenty of warm tea and study your fan playbook. The Tigers will need everyone at full strength for this colossal clash of college football titans.
But this week’s game plan should have one major addition — Rammer Jammer.
The Rammer Jammer cheer is a historical Alabama chant dating back to the 1920s. Until the early 2000s, it was a pre- and postgame ritual for the Crimson Tide fans. It was then banned by the university because it was considered unsportsmanlike.
At Homecoming in 2005 the student body was given the option to reinstate the cheer. The motion passed with a 98 percent favorable vote.
The lyrics originate from the Alabama student newspaper, The Rammer-Jammer, and the state bird of Alabama, the Yellowhammer.
Currently, Alabama’s Million Dollar Band plays the song in the waning moments of big victories.
And when rivals — most notably Auburn — beat the Tide, they return the favor.
For those that have never had the pleasure of hearing the song thrown back in the Alabama faithfuls’ faces, I suggest looking up “2010 Iron Bowl Reversed Rammer Jammer” on YouTube.
Now I’d never recommend taking pleasure in an Auburn victory, so you may want to hide the video as it plays and just listen to the audio.
But the mixture of elation and vitriol by the Auburn fans is a huge part of what makes college football great.
College football thrives off passion. It thrives off hate.
And nothing sticks in an opponent’s craw more than having its own traditions thrown back in its face.
This season has already seen LSU exude that boldness on multiple occasions.
As time wound down in LSU’s 40-27 victory against Oregon, the LSU section chanted “overrated” while holding up the “O” hand symbol that’s become synonymous with the Ducks.
During the fourth quarter of the Tigers’ 41-11 thrashing of Florida, the student section began doing the Gators’ famous Gator Chomp.
And should LSU be victorious on Nov. 5, there’s no better way to celebrate the victory in Bryant-Denny Stadium than Rammer Jammer-ing Alabama.
LSU already has some songs in the arsenal that would fit under the category of “taunts,” but they fail to really hit home.
“Oh-Wee-Oh” isn’t even played anymore, and even if it was brought back, telling Alabama it sucks is asinine. Plus, with no musical accompaniment, a chant usually ends up sounding ill-contrived and weak.
“Neck” is fun after a big score, but the chant associated with it makes LSU fans look incredibly stupid.
No, the most satisfying feeling for Tiger faithfuls would be to watch the Crimson and Cream fans file toward the exits and say with glee: “Hey Alabama. Hey Alabama. Hey Alabama. We just beat the hell out of you. Rammer Jammer. Yellow Hammer. Geaux to Hell,