Even Nick Saban Sang During Darius Rucker's College GameDay 'Wagon Wheel' Performance

No one can outrun the "Mr. Brightside" of the South.

Pat McAfee, Nick Saban, and Lee Corso fist bump before a live broadcast of College GameDay near Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C. | Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In the library of stadium anthems, there's just something about "Wagon Wheel."

It has an irresistibly American story, having been fleshed out gradually from a Bob Dylan snippet to Old Crow Medicine Show's signature song to Darius Rucker's high-definition Nashville showcase. It is simple. It is catchy. It is geographically precise (well, kind of).

"Wagon Wheel" is so intoxicating that even a man of ex-Alabama coach Nick Saban's stature can fall under its spell. On Saturday, cameras captured Saban jamming out to Rucker's performance of the song on College GameDay ahead of South Carolina's home game against No. 16 LSU.

Darius Rucker performs 'Wagon Wheel' in Columbia on College GameDay.

Nick Saban: "Every Saturday night we had a karaoke party at our house in recruiting, and the No. 1 requested song was 'Wagon Wheel'!" 🏈📺🎙️🎶 pic.twitter.com/XomYWX69YR

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 14, 2024

Saban singing Wagon Wheel is everything I didn’t know I needed and more pic.twitter.com/5RiDV8WzjZ

— Courtney McKinney (@CourtAnne1225) September 14, 2024

"Every Saturday night we had a karaoke party at our house in recruiting, and the No. 1 requested song was 'Wagon Wheel.'" Saban said after Rucker's performance.

Unfortunately, the presence of Rucker—a Gamecocks superfan who formed Hootie and the Blowfish at South Carolina—could not lift his squad past the Tigers, who left Columbia with a thrilling 36–33 win.

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