Much of the talk this week surrounding the LSU Tigers is about their jump to the number one spot in the ranking poles. However, both the Tigers and Tulane decided to wear special uniforms to help the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.

The most notable difference in the jersey was the white helmet. The normal helmet that the Tigers adorn is of course yellow but for this special occasion, LSU decided to switch it up. The design and logo is exactly the same as the yellow one, but this version is white. This is not the first time LSU has worn the white helmets either. The Tigers adorned the color back in 1997’s Independence Bowl against Notre Dame, which they won 27-9.

The jersey that the Tigers took the field with is similar to the current purple threads they wear throughout the regular season with some minor tweaks. First off, you may notice that the shoulder pad stripes that the Tigers normally have is butchered a little bit. The stripes on the special edition uni are trimmed and shortened. Another important part of the special edition jersey is the pelican patch on the shoulder pads. The pelican is the state bird of Louisiana. However, LSU and Tulane wanted the bird “stylistically” resemble a Phoenix, which promotes the rebirth of New Orleans.

The final visible difference in the uniform was the white pants. Ever since I can remember, the Tigers have worn yellow pants, but they did wear the white pants during that 1997 Independence Bowl. Those bowl game pants and these special edition pants are the same. However, the special edition pants have a LSU Tiger eye patch on the left waist. For some odd reason, I am in love with this little addition, as the patch focuses on the midfield logo at Tiger Stadium.

All in all, the special edition jersey worn by the LSU Tigers were great. I respect the tradition they carry on at the university but I think this jersey should come out at least once a year. The white helmet and the pants would be cool to during a big game. If you wanted to get your hands on a replica jersey that the Tigers wore, I’m sorry to inform you that they are all sold out. The university, however, is hosting an auction of ten uniforms worn by players during the game against Tulane. The uniform package includes the helmet, jersey and pants worn during the game. Proceeds will go to the Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund.

College football is all about tradition. It’s fairly easy to distinguish the powerhouse schools and the also-rans just by looking at their uniform. While the NFL certainly has teams that stay loyal to their uniforms (Raiders and Steelers), college football is far more reliant on its tradition. Below are my five favorite college football uniforms.

1. Penn State Nittany Lions. I used to hate this jersey because it was so plain. But as the years have gone on, its grown on me. There’s not much to it. At home, the Joe Pa’s squad runs out of the tunnel in the same thing they’ve donned for years: A blue jersey with white lettering on top of white pants and a white helmet. Simple, but effective. Penn State refuses to change things over time. Coach Paterno is old enough to remember killing woolly mammoths, and their uniforms have stood the test of time.

2. LSU Tigers. Besides the Cajun fanbase, I’m a fan of all things LSU. I’m a big fan of Death Valley, their fight song as well as their uniforms. Aside from their primary white jerseys, worn in most games, LSU also rocks a purple jersey. The jerseys also have their own tradition behind them. LSU only wears the purple jerseys for non-SEC games, excluding the home opener. Who knew there were so many rules?

3. Texas Longhorns. Orange doesn’t exactly have a rich history in college football (I’m looking at you, Syracuse.) But burnt orange is another story. The Longhorns are a team with rich history, whether its the Hook Em’ gesture, Bevo, Mack Brown getting bitch slapped by Oklahoma before Vince Young showed up and The World’s Largest Texas Flag.

4. Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Homerism aside, few things represent college football more than Notre Dame’s gold helmets, which receive a fresh coat of paint before every game. The tradition of the gold helmets coincides with the famed “Golden Dome” on the campus. The Irish also wear a green jersey on occasion. They’ll wear it again for this year’s meeting with USC.

5. Florida Gators. Florida’s tradition revolves more around winning than keeping the same uniform. The Gators often fall victim to some awful ideas by Nike, who attempt to innovate college football by ruining good looking uniforms. Whether it’s the home blues or road whites, the Gators look sharp. They’ve even worn a throwback that’s badass.

Tell Sportable: What are your favorites?

We?re big fans of College Football here at Sportable. However, we usually don?t jump into coverage until we get to read some preseason magazines and play EA Sports? NCAA Football. This guest article will be part of a new weekly feature on Sportable. Every Thursday until the start of College Football season, Ted Bauer from A Price Above Bip Roberts will discuss college football. If you?d like to submit a guest article, send us an email.

LSU has a lot going for it headed into this season. Most college football pundits are slotting them into the BCS Title game next January - which, coincidentally, will be held in New Orleans - behind their stellar, Glenn Dorsey-led defense and their explosively serviceable offense. There’s also that whole “a few years removed from tragedy, a team must triumph” angle, which definitely helped provide the Saints enough mojo in some games to ultimately propel them to the NFC Championship (albeit in a losing effort). Also recall that the team right before LSU to paste Notre Dame in a bowl game was OSU, and we all know what happened to them the next year (all good things until, er, Chris Leak showed up). Read the rest of this entry »

Glen Davis’ career at LSU is over. The big man officially announced that he will not return to Baton Rouge for his senior season and will instead declare for the NBA Draft in June. After reaching the Final Four last season, Davis and the Tigers missed out on the postseason altogether in this year, finishing with a disappointing 17-15 record and a dismal 5-11 SEC record.

“After my toughest year, I now feel I am physically and mentally ready for the NBA,” Davis said during an announcement hosted by LSU. “Last year, the team had great success. I was part of only four [LSU] teams to make it to the Final Four. I decided to stay and hoped to build on that this year. Unfortunately that didn’t happen.”

Since hindsight is 20/20, we can safely assume Davis’ stock would have been far higher last season. The NBA Draft was substantially weaker a year ago and Davis may have even found a team in the first round. But now, I’m a bit unsure. Davis received little hype after LSU sputtered out of contention. But a season ago, he and Tyrus Thomas were two of the tournament’s biggest stories. Thomas was drafted 2nd overall and Davis stayed put. Whoops.

Davis averaged 17 points and 10 rebounds this year but I’m not exactly sure how he fits into the NBA. He’s big enough to be a center, weighing about 280 pounds. But he only stands about 6′8, which will likely give him the “tweener” label going into the draft. He has an outside shot but he’s certainly not suited to play the 3. Unfortunately, he screams “Robert Traylor”.

This doesn’t seem like the right year for Davis to leave LSU. He could have declared last year but he didn’t. He also could have stayed for his senior season and likely make a return trip to the NCAAs with young players like Tasmin Mitchell, a player very similar to Tyrus Thomas. I don’t know where Davis will end up or how he’ll respond to the NBA rigors but let’s hope he made the right decision.

You better bookmark this article because it may be the first and last time I talk about women’s college basketball. But in the case of LSU coach Pokey Chatman, I have no choice. Just days before the NCAA tournament, Chatman shocked her team and college basketball when she announced her resignation, effective at the end of the season. But now, she’s not going to wait until the season is over. She’s leaving the team immediately.

“My resignation yesterday has prompted speculation and rumors that far exceeded my expectations, and it is clear that my presence would be a great distraction during the NCAA Tournament,” Chatman said. “I believe it is in the best interests of the team that I step away from my coaching duties immediately.”

Really Pokey? This has been quite a week for you but you’ve just made it worse. The allegations of sexual relationships with a former player is certainly a distraction but I think it’s one that could be overcome. Chatman is a very successful coach with apparently, a very good team. This is a team that went 90-14 in Chatman’s four seasons. They have the talent and composure to play through this drama.

From what it looks like, this is a team that has very serious aspirations at winning a national championship. They’re ranked 10th in the country and went 26-7 this year. I understand it’s a tough time for Chatman but for God’s sake, suck it up. It’s the most important time of the season and your team needs you. Don’t bail on them. Well done Pokey.

JaMarcus Russell is expected to announce this week that he will skip his senior season at LSU and head into the NFL. JaMarcus put together a great year this year at LSU and his decision to go pro only adds more depth to an already solid quarterback draft.

Unfortunately for JaMarcus, it looks like he might end up in Oakland. For the sake of both the Raiders, and for Russell, I hope this isn’t the case. The Raiders need way more than just a quarterback on their team, they need an entirely new team. In Aaron Brooks and Andrew Walter the Raiders have two serviceable, not good, but serviceable quarterbacks, and a lot of cap room tied up there. They need to trade down their pick and restart the rebuilding process.

Russell would be a great quarterback, but I don’t think he could do it in Oakland. Robert Gallery at left tackle has looked less like a blocker and more like a revolving door. He flat out has failed to meet any expectations laid out for him, and the rest of the offensive line isnt much better either.

But with the way that the Raiders organization is run, it looks like they are going to end up with Russell. The defense that has been built by defensive coordinator Rob Ryan (probably their next head coach) is very good, it is just their offense that is atrocious. And that won’t be solved by one player, but don’t tell that to Al Davis. I’m expecting to see JaMarcus Russell in a Raiders jersey next year, and that is too bad, because he could have done so well somewhere else.