Alabama vs Florida – The 2008 SEC Championship Playlist

We’re big fans of

magazine, so it was a pleasant surprise to hear from them through the miracle of the Interwebs. Seems the pop culture and music site has decided to throw down the gauntlet on the SEC Championship game with their list of the

10 best songs to listen to as Florida defeats Alabama

in Saturday’s game.

Now, we’re not the type to go knocking anyone’s musical tastes. But honestly, the hipster shoegazers that would love the music on this list aren’t the same Florida fans we see shambling about TJ Maxx in their jorts and Gator wife beaters. What, no Molly Hatchet Gator Country?

In the spirit of friendly competition, we offer Gator fans our rebuttal. We’ve tried to avoid most of the obvious song choices, but a few managed to slip in anyway. This weekend, as you watch the Crimson Tide upset the Fighting Tebows, keep this playlist in mind:

Detroit Cobras – Shout Bama Lama
A buzzsaw cover of an Otis Redding rocker, this one should be played Saturday at the Georgia Dome every time Tim Tebow is hit in the backfield. It’ll be played a lot.

Jurassic Five – Twelve
Like most every song in Mr. Killingsworth’s article (Coldplay? Seriously?), this choice has nothing specific to say about football, but the title alone refers to the number of the Tide’s national titles… at least until January.

The Doors – Alabama Song
A weird little ditty originally performed in German opera houses in 1927. By that time, Alabama had already won its first two national championships, and had established itself as a football powerhouse. This Saturday night, Atlanta’s whiskey bars will be filled with Tide fans celebrating their win.

Drive-By Truckers – The Southern Thing
Being from Alabama always seems to require defending your existence. We’re all supposed to be inbred, racist yokels, and it’s easier for Yankees to dismiss us as such, rather than face the skeletons in their own closets. The Truckers gave voice to this frustration in haunting fashion.

Steely Dan – Deacon Blues
Strictly a palate cleanser, this mellow ’70s groove namedrops the Crimson Tide. Intended as a diss of the championship teams (notice a pattern here?) of the 70s, the most famous band named after a strap-on instead provided Tide fans a reason to listen to jazz fusion.

The White Stripes – Conquest
Alabama has made a living this season by crushing teams who were more hype than substance. Clemson, Georgia and Auburn – among others – thought showing up would be enough to win, and ended up notches on our belt. The Gators seem to be the real deal, so this conquest will be especially sweet.

Connells – Choose A Side
Football is overflowing with martial symbolism and language, and most music played at games fits the narrow Jock Jams category. Going the opposite direction, this beautiful Celtic-tinged college rock conjures up battle imagery without bombast.

My Morning Jacket – The Bear
It’s impossible to talk about Alabama football without mentioning Paul “Bear” Bryant. A legendary figure among the Tide faithful, his memory has cast a long shadow. Tide coach Nick Saban intends to step out of that shadow, and wins against Florida and – likely – Oklahoma will help him do just that.

Public Image Ltd. – I Could Be Wrong
Hedging our bets through music, we’ve chosen a track by John Lydon’s second band. In doing so, we’re allowing for the slight possibility that, through the miraculous skills of the Great Circumsisor Himself, Florida might be able to… nah…

Lynyrd Skynyrd – Sweet Home Alabama
You thought we’d leave this one out? The anthem to the Heart of Dixie is sung lustily in every bar in the country, by people of all stripes. Ironically, it took a group of southern rockers from Florida to capture the rebellion, self-examination and redemption at the heart of Alabama’s character. After winning the SEC championship, Tide fans will return the favor by serenading the vanquished Gators.