LSU Tigers football The LSU Tigers football team , also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals , represents Louisiana State University in the sport of American football . The Tigers compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision ( FBS ) of the National Collegiate Athletics Association ( NCAA ) and the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) . Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005 . Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as the head coach the Tigers have been consistently a top ten team . LSU enters the 2011 season with 721 victories , the 12th most in NCAA history , and the 4th most of any SEC team , behind only Alabama ( 792 ) , Tennessee ( 783 ) , and Georgia ( 731 ) . LSU entered the 2010 season with a 0 . 641 all - time winning percentage , the 14th best in the NCAA , and the 4th best in the SEC , behind only Alabama ( 0 . 707 ) , Tennessee ( 0 . 692 ) , and Georgia ( 0 . 646 ) . They won the BCS National Championship in 2004 ( 2003 season ) with a 21 – 14 win over Oklahoma in the Nokia Sugar Bowl in New Orleans , and victory in the 2008 ( 2007 season ) BCS National Championship Game versus the Ohio State Buckeyes with a 38 – 24 score , thus becoming the first team since the advent of the BCS to win multiple BCS national titles . Championships . National championships . The NCAA ' s website states that " the NCAA does not conduct a national championship in Division I - A football and is not involved in the selection process . " It goes on to say that " a number of polling organizations provide a final ranking of Division I - A football teams at the end of each season . " LSU officially claims three national championships ( 1958 , 2003 & 2007 ) ; however , the school has been recognized as national champions by polling organizations on four additional occasions : 1908 , 1935 , 1936 and 1962 . ( The NCAA officially changed the " I - A " designation to the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision ( FBS ) in 2006 . ) In the 2007 season , LSU became the first Collegiate Football program to win the BCS National Championship Game twice and the second Collegiate Football program to win the National Collegiate Football Championship with multiple losses with a 12 – 2 record . Conference championships . LSU has won a total of fourteen conference championships in three different conferences . Since becoming a founding member of the Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) in 1933 , LSU has won eleven conference championships . Divisional championships . Since the SEC began divisional play in 1992 , LSU has won or shared the SEC West title 8 times , and is 4 – 1 in the SEC Championship game . Current coaching staff . LSU Football Coaches Logos and uniforms . Jerseys . LSU has worn nearly the same jerseys since the inception of the program . The team has sported the traditional gold helmet with purple face mask , with white and purple stripes down the center and team logo on the side . LSU ' s jerseys for home games are white with purple and gold stripes on the shoulder , with purple numbers . Since the wearing of white jerseys has become a tradition for LSU football , the white jerseys are worn for both away games and home games ( when allowed ) . The current style of jerseys were introduced by coach Paul Dietzel in 1957 with " TV " numerals on the shoulders . Those numbers were moved to the sleeves in 1959 , where they have remained . Pants . The team traditionally wears one style of pants , which are gold with white and purple trim . For a 1995 game at Kentucky , the Tigers wore purple pants , which had no stripes and a tiger head logo on the left thigh . LSU lost to the Wildcats 24 – 16 and the pants were auctioned off . LSU has worn white pants on five occasions since 1996 Helmets . From 1957 through 1971 , LSU ' s helmets bore the jersey number of the player . In 1972 , the first logo was introduced , a tiger head inside a purple circle . The current helmet logo was adopted in 1977 . In 2011 for a Nike Pro Combat promotion , the Tigers wore a white helmet with old gold and purple stripes to accompany a white uniform . Bowl games . LSU has played in 43 bowl games , compiling a record of 23 – 19 – 1 . Note that in the table below , the year references the season , and not the actual date the game was played . Rivals . Tulane Green Wave . LSU ' s oldest rival is Tulane ; the first LSU - Tulane football game was played in 1893 and for the first fifty or so years of Tiger football , no team was more hated by LSU fans than the Green Wave . The series , in which they battle for the Tiger Rag , was played continuously from 1919 to 1994 . The intrastate rivalry featured two teams which were geographically close ( Baton Rouge and New Orleans are roughly apart ) and drew on socio - political tensions between the state ' s capital and seat of government and its biggest and most culturally important city . As opponents in the SIAA , Southern Conference and SEC , the Tulane rivalry flourished for many years but slowly declined after Tulane left the SEC and de - emphasized athletics . Until 1949 , the series was very competitive , with LSU leading 23 – 18 – 5 ; since 1949 , LSU has dominated , going 45 – 4 – 2 . The two teams renewed the annual series in 2006 and ended it again after the 2009 meeting . Ole Miss Rebels . LSU ' s traditional SEC rival is Ole Miss . Throughout the fifties and sixties , games between the two schools featured highly ranked squads on both sides and seemingly every contest had conference , and at times national , title implications . A trophy has now been named for the LSU - Ole Miss rivalry known as the " Magnolia Bowl " . Recently , the second to last regular season game has been between these two colleges . There is still a strong rivalry between both schools . From 1961 through 1988 , LSU did not play on the Ole Miss campus in Oxford , Mississippi . Instead , all of the Rebels ' home dates in the series were contested at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson . LSU and Ole Miss played at Oxford in 1989 for the first time in 29 seasons , then moved the series permanently to Vaught - Hemingway Stadium in 1994 after the 1991 and 1992 contests returned to Jackson . Auburn Tigers . While Auburn ' s rivalries against Alabama and Georgia may overshadow its rivalry with LSU , in recent years , LSU ' s biggest rival has been the Auburn Tigers . The two share more than just a nickname , as they have both enjoyed success in the SEC ' s Western Division and plenty of memorable match ups . Either Auburn or LSU has won at least a share of the SEC Western Division championship for eight of the last eleven years . The home team won every game from 2000 through 2007 , until visiting LSU defeated Auburn in 2008 . Both the 2007 and 2008 games saw LSU win dramatic , come - from - behind victories with last minute touchdown passes . The game between the two rivals has no official name or trophy , but is unofficially referred to by fans and sports commentators as the " Tiger Bowl " . Alabama Crimson Tide . LSU and Alabama have played every year since the 1960s , with Alabama holding a historic edge in the series , 43 – 25 – 5 . Many trace the origins of the rivalry back to a 15 - game undefeated streak Alabama had in Tiger Stadium , which is generally considered to be one of the most hostile atmospheres in college football . While their rivalries against Auburn and Tennessee may overshadow their rivalry with LSU , the significance of this rivalry increased after Alabama hired former LSU coach Nick Saban in 2007 . Arkansas Razorbacks . After the Razorbacks left the Southwest Conference in 1990 , Arkansas joined the SEC in 1991 and began a yearly rivalry with LSU . Spurred by both the SEC and the schools , LSU and Arkansas have developed a more intense football rivalry . The winner takes home the Golden Boot , a trophy in the shape of the states of Arkansas and Louisiana that resembles a boot . The game , played the day after Thanksgiving until the 2010 season , is usually the last regular season game for each team and is broadcast on CBS . In 2002 , the rivalry gained momentum as the game winner would represent the Western Division of the SEC in the SEC Championship Game . Arkansas won the exciting game on a last second touchdown pass by Matt Jones . In 2006 , the Razorbacks , who had already clinched the SEC Western Division and were on a 10 - game winning streak , were beaten by LSU in Little Rock . In 2007 , Arkansas stunned top - ranked LSU in triple overtime , giving them their first win in Baton Rouge since 1993 , and again defended the Golden Boot trophy with a last minute touchdown drive in 2008 . A 15th ranked LSU would win back the trophy for the first time in two years in 2009 after Razorback kicker Alex Tejeda missed a field goal that would have sent the game into a second overtime , solidifying LSU ' s record as the third best in the SEC as well as a position to go to the Capital One Bowl . The LSU Tigers were defeated at Little Rock in 2010 , with Arkansas winning 31 – 23 . In 2011 , the # 1 ranked Tigers defeated the Razorbacks 41 - 17 in Tiger Stadium , after overcoming a 14 - 0 deficit . Florida Gators . LSU is Florida ' s permanent inter - divisional rival . Florida leads the series 30 – 25 – 3 . The winner of the Florida - LSU game has gone on to win the Bowl Championship Series ( BCS ) national championship game three of the last five years . With a few exceptions , this rivalry has been known for close games in recent years , with both teams usually coming into the match - up highly ranked . Texas A & M Aggies . The Aggies have matched up against the LSU Tigers more than any other non - conference opponent ( though they were both members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association from 1903 – 1908 and 1912 – 1914 , and will both be members of the SEC in 2012 ) . The Aggies first played the Tigers in College Station in 1899 , winning the game 52 – 0 . The Tigers are the Aggies ' seventh - oldest collegiate - football rivalry . Over the years , the two teams have built strong home - field advantages , and the series ' record is reflective of these reputations . The Aggies are 7 – 1 – 1 in College Station , 10 – 22 – 1 in Baton Rouge , and 3 – 4 – 1 at neutral sites ( including the losses in the 1944 Orange Bowl in Miami and the 2011 Cotton Bowl in Dallas ) . Through 1923 , the Aggies built a 7 – 3 – 2 advantage ( which included neutral site games in New Orleans in 1908 , Houston in 1913 , Dallas in 1914 , Galveston in 1916 , and San Antonio in 1917 ) . The Aggies and Tigers next played every year from 1942 to 1949 during the regular season with all of the games held in Baton Rouge . The Aggies were 2 – 6 in those match - ups . In addition to the regular season match - up in 1943 , the Aggies and Tigers also faced each other in the first bowl match - up of their rivalry . Though the Aggies won the regular season game by a score of 28 – 13 , the Tigers won the January 1 , 1944 , Orange Bowl by a final score of 19 – 14 . The Aggies and Tigers met twice more in 1955 and 1956 with the Aggies taking both match - ups ( the 1955 game was held at a neutral site in Dallas , and the 1956 game was held in Baton Rouge ) . From 1960 to 1975 , the Aggies and Tigers produced the most consecutive match - ups of the series , playing every year , with all of the games played in Baton Rouge . The Aggies were 3 – 12 – 1 over this span . After a nine - year absence , the rivalry renewed in 1986 and continued until their last regular season meeting in 1995 , this time with the games alternating between Baton Rouge and College Station . The Aggies were 6 – 4 over this span , winning the last five meetings , and winning six of the last seven meetings . The most recent regular season contest was won by the Aggies on September 2 , 1995 , by the score of 33 – 17 . Finally , after a 15 - year absence , the Aggies and Tigers faced each other once more on January 7 , 2011 , in the Cotton Bowl Classic . It was only the second time the two have faced each other in a bowl game . The Aggies lost 24 – 41 . Over the life of the series , the Aggies have claimed the largest margin of victory with a 63 – 9 final score in 1914 ( the Aggies also have the next two largest margins of victory with the 52 – 0 win in 1899 and the 47 – 0 win in 1922 ) . The Aggies have shut - out the Tigers 7 times ( including the Aggies ' non - university recognized National Championship Season of 1917 when they did not surrender a point during 8 games , and beat the Tigers 27 – 0 ) . The Tigers have shut - out the Aggies 9 times ( including the Tigers ' non - university recognized National Championship season of 1908 , when they beat the Aggies 26 – 0 , and the Tigers ' non - university recognized National Championship season of 1962 , when they beat the Aggies 21 – 0 ) . Add to those totals the game in which the Aggies and Tigers shut each other out , with a final score of 0 – 0 in 1920 . The Tigers hold the series ' longest winning streak of 6 games from 1960 to 1965 , which were all played in Baton Rouge . That winning streak was part of a 10 - game unbeaten streak for the Tigers from 1960 to 1969 which included a 7 – 7 tie in 1966 ( with all of the games played in Baton Rouge ) . Other SEC opponents . LSU has played Mississippi State more often than any other opponent . However , the series is hardly considered a rivalry , as the Tigers hold a commanding lead and have won 12 consecutive games in the series and 19 of 20 since 1992 . Until the 1970s , the game was played far more often in Baton Rouge to allow MSU to reap the benefits of the larger gate at Tiger Stadium , which seated 67 , 500 at the time , more than twice the 32 , 500 of Scott Field in Starkville ; MSU usually moved its home games in the series to Jackson until its on - campus stadium was expanded in the 1980s . The 2011 matchup marked the first time both teams were rated coming into the game ( # 3 LSU , # 25 MSU ) . LSU won at Starkville 19 – 6 . LSU and Kentucky played every year between 1949 and 2001 , but the yearly meeting was ended when the SEC changed its scheduling format in 2002 . Longtime LSU coach Charles McClendon ( 1962 – 79 ) was an All - American at Kentucky from 1948 – 51 under legendary coach Bear Bryant , and Tiger coaches Paul Dietzel and Bill Arnsparger were also assistants with the Wildcats . LSU has generally dominated the series , although Kentucky won the second to last meeting , ousting the then - No . 1 Tigers 43 – 37 in triple overtime in 2007 at Lexington . In the previous game at Lexington in 2002 , the Tigers won 33 – 30 on the Bluegrass Miracle , a 75 - yard touchdown pass from Marcus Randall to Devery Henderson on the last play of the game . The # 1 ranked Tigers defeated Kentucky in the 2011 season 35 - 7 . Traditions . Geaux Tigers — A common cheer for all LSU athletics , Geaux Tigers , pronounced " Go Tigers " , is derived from a common ending in French Cajun names , - eaux . Acknowledging the state ’ s French heritage , it is common for fans to issue LSU newcomers an endearing “ French ” name . Intended to be more humorous than grammatically correct , coaches are especially targeted . Gerry DiNardo became “ Dinardeaux ” , Nick Saban became “ Nick C ’ est Bon ” . Tailgating — LSU football fans from every corner of the region , well over ninety thousand , descend on the Baton Rouge campus for every home game ; setting up motor homes and tents for one of Louisiana ' s biggest parties after Mardi Gras . Visiting team supporters are heckled and LSU fans chant " Tiger Bait ! Tiger Bait ! " , often inciting confrontations between hot - headed followers . Visitors to Baton Rouge who take the jeers and jaunts with a sporting disposition will be invited to join in on the party , the drink , the regional cajun cuisine , the spirit of Saturday night in Baton Rouge , and the vibrant tradition of LSU football . March Down The Hill – The LSU players , coaches , cheerleaders , Mike the Tiger , and finally The Golden Band from Tigerland march down the hill between Tiger Stadium and the Pete Maravich Assembly Center ( AKA , the PMAC ) prior to each game . Thousands of fans line up on both sides of the road to watch and cheer for their beloved Tigers . The band plays their drum cadence while marching and just before entering the stadium , " Pregame " is played . The LSU Band ' s Pregame Show — The LSU pregame show was created in 1964 , and revised over the next nine years into its current format . The marching band lines up along the end zone shortly before kick off . Then the band strikes up a drum cadence and begins to spread out evenly across the field . When the front of the band reaches the center of the field , the band stops and begins to play an arrangement of " Pregame " ( Hold that Tiger ) . While it does this , the band turns to salute the fans in all four corners of the stadium . Then the band , resuming its march across the field , begins playing " Touchdown for LSU . " At this point , the LSU crowd chants " L - S - U , L - S - U , L - S - U . . . " White Jerseys — LSU is notable as one of the few college football teams that wears white jerseys for home games as opposed to their darker jerseys ( in their case , purple ) . Most other NCAA football teams wear their darker jerseys in home games , even though football is one of the few college sports that do not require a specific jersey type for each respective team ( for instance , college basketball requires home teams to wear white or light - colored jerseys while the away team wears their darker jerseys ) , and is similar to the NFL in letting the home team decide what to wear . The tradition started in 1958 , when Coach Paul Dietzel decided that LSU would wear white jerseys for the home games . LSU went on to win the national championship that year . Since then , LSU continued to wear white jerseys at home games through the 18 - year tenure of Charles McClendon . Then in 1983 , new NCAA rules prohibited teams from wearing white jerseys at home . Because of this , LSU wore purple jerseys during home games from 1983 to 1994 . The team ' s fans believed wearing purple jerseys brought bad luck to the team and complained often from 1983 and through the 1994 seasons , although LSU won SEC championships in 1986 and 1988 wearing purple at home . In 1993 , then - coach Curley Hallman asked the NCAA for permission to wear white jerseys at home during LSU ' s football centennial , but was turned down . In 1995 , LSU ' s new coach , Gerry DiNardo , was determined to restore LSU ' s tradition of white home jerseys . DiNardo personally met with each member of the NCAA Football Rules Committee , lobbying LSU ' s case . DiNardo was successful , and LSU again began wearing white jerseys at home when the 1995 season began . In LSU ' s first home game with the white jerseys , unranked LSU prevailed in a 12 – 6 upset victory over # 6 Auburn . In 2000 , LSU ' s new coach , Nick Saban , altered the tradition of the white home jerseys : now LSU only wears white jerseys for the home opener and for home games against SEC opponents . Saban ' s successor , Les Miles , has continued this pattern . For non - SEC home games other than the home opener , LSU wears purple jerseys at home . The rule allowing LSU to wear white at home has one stipulation : the visiting team must agree for non - conference games . On two occasions , LSU was forced to wear colored jerseys at home . The first time was in 1996 against Vanderbilt , who was still angry at LSU for hiring Gerry DiNardo , who left Vanderbilt to become LSU ' s head coach after the 1994 season . LSU wore gold jerseys for that game ( a 35 – 0 LSU victory ) , and fans were encouraged to wear white in an effort to " white out " the Commodores . The next season , the SEC amended its rule to allow the home team its choice of jersey color for conference games without prior approval of the visiting team . In 1998 and 2000 , Florida coach Steve Spurrier exercised this option and forced LSU to don a colored jersey at Gainesville . The Tigers wore gold in 1998 under Gerry DiNardo ( lost 22 – 10 ) and purple in 2000 under Nick Saban ( lost 41 – 9 ) . In 2007 and 2009 , LSU wore its purple jerseys at Mississippi State , but the Tigers emerged victorious both times ( 45 – 0 in 2007 and 30 – 26 in 2009 ) . In 1978 , the purple jersey jinx bit the Tigers in a game against State at Jackson . In 2004 , Oregon State did not want to suffer in its black jerseys in the humid weather of Louisiana in late summer , forcing LSU to wear its purple jerseys for a nationally - televsied game on ESPN . However , by this time , LSU had worn its purple jerseys at home several times under Saban . In 2009 , the NCAA relaxed its rule that previously required most away teams to wear white . The rule now states that teams must simply wear contrasting colors . Chinese Bandits – Whenever LSU forces a turnover or gets the ball back via a defensive stop , the LSU band plays the " Chinese Bandits " tune . Tiger fans bow to the defense while the tune is played . The term " Chinese Bandits " originated as the nickname that LSU Coach Paul Dietzel gave to the defensive unit he organized in 1958 , which helped LSU to win its first national championship . The next season , the 1959 Chinese Bandit defense held their opponents to an average of only 143 . 2 yards per game . No LSU defense since has done better . Geaux to Hell Ole Miss — When LSU is playing their rival , Ole Miss , LSU fans shout " Geaux to Hell Ole Miss . Geaux to hell " frequently , and signs with the same saying can be seen throughout the stadium . Ole Miss fans typically respond with " Go to hell , LSU ! " Legend has it this was started prior to the 1959 contest when Coach Paul Dietzel , trying to motivate his troops , hired a plane to litter the LSU campus with flyers saying , " Go to Hell , LSU ! " When word of this reached Oxford , Johnny Vaught , not to be outdone , responded in kind by littering the Ole Miss campus with flyers saying , " Go to Hell , Ole Miss ! " Saturday night , 30 minutes prior to kickoff , Tiger Stadium was already packed with the crowd split down the middle between Tigers and Rebels . Each set of fans were shouting at the top of their lungs to the other , " Go to Hell ! " The tradition has stuck ever since . Hot boudin – LSU ' s famous cheer before games and during about famous food in Louisiana . It goes " Hot boudin , cold coush - coush , come on tigers , push push push . " Push is pronounced poosh to rhyme with coush - coush [ koosh - koosh ] . Coush - coush is a Cajun dish generally served for breakfast . H style goal posts — LSU ' s Tiger Stadium sports " H " style goal posts , as opposed to the more modern " Y " style used by most other schools today . This " H " style allows the team to run through the goal post in the north endzone when entering the field . Yard lines — Tiger Stadium also is notable for putting all yard line numbers on the field , not just those that are multiples of 10 . However , the 10 - yard - line numbers are the only numbers that get directional arrows , as the rules make no provision for 5 - yard - line numbers . Tiger Bait – LSU fans will yell " Tiger Bait , Tiger Bait " at visiting fans who wear their team colors . First Down cheer – When the Tigers earn a first down , the Golden Band from Tigerland plays the " Geaux Tigers " cheer . The band also has a specific cheer for second and third downs . Hall of Famers . The following LSU players and coaches are members of the College Football Hall of Fame . Head coaches . LSU has had 32 head coaches since it began play during the 1893 season , and since January 2005 , Les Miles has served as head coach . Charles McClendon is the leader in seasons coached and games won , with 137 victories during his 18 years with the program . Allen Jeardeau has the highest winning percentage of those who have coached more than one game , with . 875 . Of the 32 different head coaches who have led the Tigers , Dana X . Bible , Mike Donahue , Biff Jones , Bernie Moore , and McClendon have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame . Poll history . Associated Press Poll History The AP Poll began in 1936 . Coaches Poll History The Coaches ' Poll began in 1950 .