Alabama fans sing Dixieland Delight during College Football Playoff semifinal vs. Michigan
It might not be a home game, but Alabama fans were still able to sing ‘Dixieland Delight’ at the Rose Bowl on Monday.
The song, which is typically used to hype up the Crimson Tide fan base down the stretch of each home game, was sang along by the entire band of Alabama supporters during the Crimson Tide’s College Football Playoff semifinal matchup against Michigan.
Heading into the fourth quarter needing a boost — the song played out and Alabama scored in the opening moments of the final quarter.
Although Michigan was able to tie the game in the final 90 seconds of the matchup, it still provided Alabama the spark it needed to remain in the game.
The exciting finish will be aired live on ESPN. You won’t want to miss it.
ESPN replay analyst breaks down special teams no-call on Alabama punter James Burnip
The final drive of Alabama’s first quarter for the Crimson Tide ended in controversy as Alabama punter James Burnip was injured after Michigan’s Kechaun Bennett ran into him at the end of his punting motion.
Typically when a punter comes up injured after contact, more often than not it gets flagged for roughing the punter. No such flag was thrown, leaving many — including replay expert and former referee Bill Richardson — scratching their head.
“I’ve got minimally running into the kicker,” Richardson told Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit on the ESPN broadcast. “It was part of his kicking motion. Running into the kicker would have been a first down. I would have liked to see the flag on that one, even though it’s not roughing. You have to allow the punting motion to be completed without hitting him.”
Burnip ended up punting for Alabama on its next drive, this third of the afternoon — a rarity for the Crimson Tide specialist. He ended up punting the ball five times during the first half, one of the highest marks for him throughout the 2023-24 college football season.
In the end, the no-call would have no consequence as Michigan would end up squandering the opportunity by punting on the ensuing drive, keeping the game knotted at seven a piece. Though, Michigan would be the next to strike with a highlight touchdown reception from QB JJ McCarthy to wideout Tyler Morris. Coming down to the wire, this CFP semifinal will likely come down to who has the ball last.