Update: GREATEST College Football Tradition

[Bobby42]

Here we are so far. ESPN to announce the winner on 12/18/2006. To vote go here: Link

57.3% Script Ohio -- The entire band forms the word ''Ohio'' in the middle of the field, while the drum major leads a senior sousaphone player out top to ''dot the i''.

37.1% Texas A&M's 12th Man -- In 1922, E. King Gill, a basketball player at A&M, put on a uniform but didn't play. He stood ready on the sidelines earning the moniker ''The Twelfth Man'', which is what A&M now calls its student section that stands the entire game in case they are needed.

8.1% The Grove at Ole Miss -- An oasis in the normally uncivilized world of college football, the Grove is known for dressing up, drinking down and good food.

2.6% Rolling Toomer's Corner (Auburn) -- After Auburn victories, students and fans converge on an old town landmark, the drugstore at Toomer's Corner, and completely toilet paper the entire area in celebration.

1.1% Army/Navy/Air Force sing alma maters -- At the end of service academy games, opposing players join hands and sing their alma maters to both sides of the stadium in turn, while the academy band plays.

0.9% Colorado's Ralphie -- In what is one of the most impressive and intimidating entries in college football, a buffalo named Ralphie comes charging out of the tunnel, while the fans do a ''Buffalo Stomp''.

0.9% Painting Notre Dame's helmets -- The Irish's helmets receive a full coat of paint every week, the only squad at the school that gets such treatment.

0.8% Oklahoma's Sooner Schooner -- A conestoga wagon, along with two ponies to pull it (Boomer and Schooner), cruises around the field during the game and after Oklahoma scores.

0.7% Battle of the Bands -- The celebrated bands at Grambling and Southern are so popular, halftime shows are not enough for the fans. ''The Battle of the Bands'' takes place the Friday night before the game to an always sold-out arena.

0.6% Rose Bowl Parade -- The first Tournament of Roses Parade took place in 1890. A few years later, marching bands and motorized floats were introduced, followed by the addition of the football game - the first postseason college game ever held - in 1902.

0.6% USC's Traveler -- The noble white horse that appears at all USC home games is one of the most famous in the country.

0.5% University of Georgia's bulldog -- Arguably the most well-known mascot, Uga is awarded a varsity letter, just like the athletes that play there.

0.5% Tennessee's Volunteer Navy -- In 1962, former Tennessee broadcaster George Mooney got to Neyland Stadium by floating on his boat down the Tennessee River, starting the tradition of fans boating their way to the game. It's one of the more interesting tailgates.

0.5% Michigan's fight song, ''The Victors'' -- The Michigan band blares ''The Victors'' as the team runs onto the field and after each score.

0.5% Howard's Rock at Clemson -- Before games, Clemson players run to the top of a hill to rub Howard's Rock, the band plays ''Tiger Rag'', then the team runs down the hill into the stadium.

0.4% Virginia Tech's Lunch Pail -- The lunch pail is a symbol of Virginia Tech's football program. They are expected to work hard every day. The dented original can be seen at practice every day and on the sidelines for each game.

0.4% ''The Border War'' and The Bronze Boot (Colorado State vs. Wyoming) -- It is the oldest interstate rivalry. Each year, the game ball is carried on foot in a shuttle relay by the ROTC detachment of the visiting team to the Wyoming-Colorado state border, where the home team's ROTC detachment receives it and runs the game ball into the hosting stadium, just before kickoff.

0.4% MIT's tradition at Harvard/Yale game -- In 1982, a large weather balloon marked MIT expanded out of the turf before startled fans. What keeps this so surprising is that the Crimson and Elis don't know when the next prank will happen.

0.4% Miami's run through ''The Smoke'' -- The traditional Hurricane ''smoke '' entrance in the Orange Bowl started in 1950. Fire extinguishers produce the famous smoke.

0.4% Little Brown Jug -- Oldest of college football's 57 trophy-game traditions, Michigan and Minnesota play for it each year. The tradition started over a century ago when Michigan coach, Fielding Yost left his jug in Minneapolis following a tie in which the fans rushed the field. Minnesota made him win it back and the tradition still lives today.

Total Votes: 5,489,628

[Shoalzie]

Good for you...your band can spell. Ohio is just another 4-letter word to me. :P

[WolverineSteve]

The Michigan Band first performed the script Ohio, way back in the day.

You are welcome.

[Dinsdale]

A conestoga wagon

Absolutely nothing to do with the topic at hand, but this historical inaccuracy bugs this U&Ler who grew up having Oregon Trail history pounded into his head.

A) Conestoga is a brand, if'n I'm not mistaken, and is always capitalized.
B) The covered wagons that went across the Oregon Trail weren't often Conestogas, they were typically prarie schooners, which are not Conestogas

Those with the money always preferred the Studebaker brand wagons.

Even in my adult life, there were covered wagons to be had around these parts. Heck, you'd see them sitting in the front yards of houses in Oregon City on an occasion. But over the last 20 years, it seems like I never see them anymore. Not for sale, anyway. Used to be a dime a dozen, but I guess their shelf/sitting in the front yard life was coming to an end, I guess. I should have bought one back then, but as a young'un, I was more interested in cars than covered wagons(which generally aren't Conestogas).


But...I dig the Sooners' wagon.

And the Twelfth Man is really cool.

[Van]

They forgot the time honored traditions of USC beating UCLA 55-2 and Cal choking at the mere thought of big road games.

Those are some sweet CF traditions and they deserve their rightful place in the CF pantheon.

[King Crimson]

on line polls are certainly without bias....

[Mikey]

I know that I, for one, always get a tear in my eye and my heart starts to flutter whenever I see they're ready to "dot the i" in Columbus.

....Sighhhhhhhh.......

[The Assassin]

UNLV has a great tradition as well.

Losing.

[TenTallBen]

UNLV has a great tradition as well.

Losing.

With the exception of the Larry Johnson and Stacy Augmon era at UNLV, how in the hell can you have any good teams in that town? Too much distracting shit going on there to focus on athletics. Titties, gambling, alcohol, drugs, titties, etc...

[The Assassin]

UNLV has a great tradition as well.

Losing.

With the exception of the Larry Johnson and Stacy Augmon era at UNLV, how in the hell can you have any good teams in that town? Too much distracting shit going on there to focus on athletics. Titties, gambling, alcohol, drugs, titties, etc...

Which is why I cant understand why UNLV DOESNT land top recruits. The reasons you just stated would be my selling point to some kid coming out of college. Yeah its "immoral" yet the methods other colleges use to recruit kids are just as bad if not worse.

[the_ouskull]

"the indian casino in Norman."

There's more than one, man. I promise. Also, in defense of the integrity of casinos, I'm pretty sure that the guy he kicked off of the team a) wasn't actually "on" the team, b) would have never seen the field, even if every backup at his position were hurt, and c) was the designated, "we'll let a 'bad guy' on the team, just to kick him off before the season starts" guy. Don't think for a second that teams don't have those guys. Walkons with talent, but a shitty attitude. Oh yeah, they're "keepers." You keep 'em around just to fire them.

the_ouskull