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· collected 2026-09-03 · by David Hookstead
The author of this article presents their top-10 list of songs for college football tailgate playlists, claiming they are essential for getting fired up before games. The key numbers mentioned are none, as the article focuses on song selections rather than statistics. The article takes an opinionated angle, with the author providing personal endorsements and anecdotes to justify each song's inclusion on their playlist.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-03,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
College football season has officially begun, with games being played on Thursday night, Saturday, and Monday. To get fans pumped up for the season, Fox News contributor David Hookstead suggests creating a tailgate playlist with the right songs to "get fired up". He includes 10 songs in his list, starting with John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads", which he considers an "all-time classic" that captures the feeling of fall weather and good vibes. Other songs on the list include Toby Keith's "Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue", a "monster hit" from the late country artist.
Written for “College Football Tailgates” on 2026-09-03,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
position.
No political leaning scored for article 3494 · logged 2026-09-03
College football is officially in full swing, and that means it's time for the ultimate playlist to get fired up.
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playlist → mean → swing
Thursday night features several games to wet the whistle before a packed Saturday of action and games Sunday and Monday.
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night → feature → action
If you're not excited, then I have to wonder if you're a patriotic American.
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you → have → ?
Of course, we all know you can't have college football season without the tailgates and parties that are mandatory.
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that → know → tailgates
Well, you're all in luck because I have you all taken care of to make sure you don't miss a single hit for your tailgate/pregame playlist.
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you → have → playlist
Now, we'd be here for days if I listed every song that needs to be included.
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that → list → song
What I'm going to do is give you a surefire top-10 hit list.
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going → go → list
Let's roll.
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's → let → ?
It's an all-time classic and perfectly captures the feeling of fall weather and good vibes.
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It → capture → weather
2) Toby Keith - Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue
Toby Keith (RIP) made several monster hits during his career, but this one stands out as the most iconic.
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one → make → iconic
It will have you ready to run through a wall.
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you → have → wall
I think the answer is no, and it only takes off from there.
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it → think → ?
Speaking of AC/DC, I can't include one of their songs without also including "Thunderstruck."
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I → speak → Thunderstruck
5) Alice In Chains - Man in the Box
Sticking with some rock music, there is no chance "Man in the Box" by Alice in Chains isn't making my tailgate playlist.
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Man → stick → playlist
There are probably six other Alice in Chains songs that I will have as well, but "Man in the Box" is another example of pure adrenaline.
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Man → be → adrenaline
6) Metallica - Enter Sandman
Where are all my Virginia Tech fans at?
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fans → enter → Where
It might be Virginia Tech's entrance song, but this song fits in perfectly in just about any sports setting.
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song → fit → setting
You simply can't go wrong with "Enter Sandman.
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You → go → Sandman
7) Alabama - Song of the South
Switching gears, "Song of the South" is an anthem for people in the South, and it's not hard to see why.
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it → switch → South
Is there a single fan above the age of 40 at a Georgia, Ole Miss, LSU, Alabama or Auburn tailgate who doesn't have this on their playlist?
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who → have → playlist
I think the answer is no.
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answer → think → ?
8) House of Pain - Jump Around
As a Wisconsin man, this song is about as on-brand as it gets.
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it → get → man
It's played between the third and fourth quarters at Camp Randall, and the stadium shakes to the point you can feel it outside and water inside the stadium literally vibrates.
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water → play → stadium
9) Guns N' Roses - Welcome to the Jungle
Another all-time rock classic that you simply can't go wrong with by blasting it under a tent as the sun beats down ahead of kickoff.
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sun → go → kickoff
10) Gordon Lightfoot - Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
This might seem like it's totally out of left field, but what you have to understand is that people in the Midwest love "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald."
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people → seem → Fitzgerald
The Mighty Fitz went down in 1975, and has lived on in Midwestern legend ever since.
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Fitz → go → legend
If there's one song that unites people across all backgrounds and ages in the Great Lakes region of the Midwest, it's this classic from Gordon Lightfoot.
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it → be → Lightfoot
Do you have a favorite song you always smash the play button on during football season?
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you → smash → season
Let me know at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.
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me → let → David.Hookstead@outkick.com
