Step 1: Think about what most common means here.
Exam questions that ask for the most common tumor of the mandible are usually pointing to the most common tumor that actually starts inside the bone from dental tissue, not a cancer that has spread in from somewhere else.
Step 2: Recall the odontogenic tumor hierarchy.
Among tumors that come from tooth forming cells, ameloblastoma stands out as the one seen again and again in surgical and pathology teaching, almost always in the mandible, usually around the molar and ramus area.
Step 3: Compare against the other choices.
Osteosarcoma of the jaw exists but shows up far less often than ameloblastoma and tends to present with pain, swelling, and fast growth rather than the slow, painless course typical of ameloblastoma. Lymphoma of the jaw is rare as a first presentation. Squamous cell carcinoma is common in the mouth overall, but it is a cancer of the lining tissue that later invades bone, so it is not counted as a primary bone tumor.
Step 4: Settle on the answer.
Given the standard reference cited, Bailey and Love page 598, the tumor most linked with the mandible is
\[ \boxed{\text{Ameloblastoma}} \]