Seth McLaughlin reflects on transfer to Ohio State, how it helped him recover from lowest point of career

Seth McLaughlin‘s time in Tuscaloosa ended with a whimper after snapping issues proved to be Alabama‘s ultimate undoing in a 27-20 overtime loss to Michigan in last season’s Rose Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal, which turned out to be Nick Saban‘s final game as head coach.

It was a double-whammy for Crimson Tide fans, whose vitriol after the loss was squarely directed at McLaughlin, leading to the Alabama junior center entering the NCAA Transfer Portal before committing to Ohio State less than week after the New Year’s Day setback.

Get your team’s official College Football Playoff watch from AXIA by CLICKING HERE: “Watches that tell so much more than time”

More than a year removed from that experience, McLaughlin is redeemed and looking to cap his collegiate career with a win in Monday’s CFP National Championship Game vs. Notre Dame, even if a season-ending Achilles injury prematurely ended his senior season in mid-December.

Nevertheless, McLaughin is feeling plently of “love and support” from the Buckeyes faithful after the Rimington Award winner helped guide Ohio State (13-2) to the verge of achieving its first national title in a decade.

McLaughlin opened up about his transfer and how the beset former Alabama lineman bounced back from what he described as “the lowest point of my career” to become the best center in college football during his lone season in Columbus.

“Love and support,” McLaughlin told AL.com’s Matt Stahl on Saturday. “To pick me back up from where I was, at the lowest point of my career. I needed a lot of love and support, (to) instill my confidence in me again.”

And he got that in spades at Ohio State, as the welcomed change of scenery was exactly what the doctor ordered for McLaughlin.

Seth McLaughlin: ‘I knew in my heart that I could be the best center in college football’

“Just remind myself of who I was,” he told AL.com. “I knew in my heart that I could be the best center in college football and I didn’t think last season was a reflection of that, what I could do. So just being in a new environment and a new system with new guys around me, I think I really blossomed.”

Buckeyes offensive line coach Justin Frye was a key figure in McLaughlin’s reclaimation effort, identifying and implementing “a little technique fix” to his snapping routine.

“I said, ‘I don’t see a guy with a snapping issue, I see a guy that has a little technique fix that we can get,’” Frye told AL.com on Saturday. “Here’s how we’re going to do it and here’s how we’re going to ID it. Here’s what we’re going to do here.

“So I think he just really relied on him and his family, the love of football, and then being able to come back and do what he did. That showed on tape. … (It was) just little things that maybe didn’t get caught or wasn’t looking at at the other place (Alabama).”

Now, the Buford (Ga.) native is back in his homestate and eager to end his collegiate career the same way he began it as an Alabama freshman in 2020 — as a national champion.

“I love this stadium,” McLaughlin told AL.com of playing inside Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, site of Monday’s CFP National Championship Game. “I’m undefeated in this stadium. So hopefully we keep the record going.”