National championships are hard to come by. Since 2006 however, the SEC has won 13 out of the 17 National championships. With success, comes celebration. And that celebration when it comes to how much SEC football means in the southeast bring a passion with it that is palpable through the television screen.
Arguably, a portion of the fan base that brings this passion most front and center are the marching bands. The color and pageantry that each brings to their school is paralleled by few schools outside the SEC.
While some national championships were one-sided affairs, some were nail biters and with it came some fantastic celebrations. With the college football season just now underway, I wanted to share some of the best reaction videos of SEC teams winning the national championship and beyond from the perspective of the schools’ marching bands.
The best marching band reactions to national championships
2022, Georgia Bulldogs (National Championship)
The marching band famously known as “The Redcoat Marching Band” sure brought the passion and celebration to a new level in 2022. Taking on the rival Alabama Crimson Tide, this would be the first time head coach Kirby Smart beat his mentor Nick Saban. And it would also be the first time an SEC team other that the Crimson Tide won the National Championship since 2008 with the exception of LSU in 2019.
With the Crimson Tide facing a fourth down and long late in the fourth quarter, Bulldogs defensive back Keely Ringo sealed the victory with a pick six which happened to be ran back as a touchdown right in front of the Redcoats. This was the Bulldogs’ first National Championship since 1980.
2013, Auburn Tigers (Iron Bowl)
With one second on the clock, defensive back, Chris Davis runs a field goal back that fell short to win the game for the Tigers. Davis ran back the kick 109 yards. The video here is incredible without actually showing the play itself. All we have here in the audio from the play-by-play and the bands reaction from when the kick was in the air to when the touchdown was scored. If this does not make you tear up, I do not know what will.
2019, LSU Tigers
The band played “Neck!” Although the Tigers routed the Clemson Tigers 42-25, the fans and band were ecstatic with the Tigers’ first National Championships since 2007.
The energy was already palpating before the contest as well with LSU, “Golden Band from Tigerland” sounding off on Bourbon Street in New Orleans as well. Contagious is an understatement.
2015, Alabama
“Rammer Jammer” is the song and it was sang all night long after the Alabama Crimson Tide beat the Clemson Tigers 45-20. This neat overlook of “The Million Dollar Band” shows how the energy exudes to the Tide fans in the stands as Saban wins another National Championship with the Crimson Tide.