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Alabama Holder James Burnip Roasted for Not Going Laces Out

In an era of high-definition cameras and 20 different angles on plays, fans see the game unlike ever before. That’s bad news for Alabama’s holder.

There are certain fundamentals that each athlete has to know to master their craft. For the holder in football, one of those fundamentals is to get the laces pointed out! The kick gets made on the smooth side of the ball there is less of a chance the kick will go haywire.

As Alabama was held up by Cincinnati’s defense in the second quarter, things didn’t go to plan. The Crimson Tide has had issues with kickers in the past. However, this one was not the fault of Will Reichard. His holder James Burnip, didn’t get the ball positioned just right, and he was forced to kick with the laces in. You just hate to see it.

Alabama was up 10-3. It looked like they were marching down to another touchdown just when the Cincy defense held strong. Faced with fourth down Nick Saban went for the field goal. Unfortunately for the holder, he just didn’t get the ball placed right. He knew it, too.

Luckily for the kicker and his holder, the Alabama offense wouldn’t be contained much longer. Before the end of the half, the Tide would find the endzone on a long pass play that shook the Bearcats defense. So, as long as Bama doesn’t lose by 3 or less, they might be let off the hook.

As for the internet… the internet never forgets. There were so many reactions to the laces incident to count, really. However, that won’t stop us from going through some of the best.

Reactions to Laces In During Alabama Field Goal

Heading into halftime, Alabama might have been up 17-3, but fans aren’t going to let this kick go. If you have watched holders in football before, they find a way to spin the ball if needed before the kick comes in. It seems that the holder might have just hesitated on the spin and had to place it.

Put simply, the holder just has two jobs. Patrick Edwards on Twitter laid it out plain and simple.

“The holder has two jobs 1. catch the ball 2. put the laces out[.] The Alabama holder did not complete the assignment.”

Then, there were the reactions of despair. When your team is as good as Bama, these mistakes can come as a shock.

Chris Owen tweeted, “The dreaded laces out!”

College football is great. And the College Football Playoff is the best of the best. While it might be a bit messy at times, that’s what fans love about the game. Right now, it’s going to be a tough road ahead for each team as they try to punch a ticket to the national championship.