Seth McLaughlin was in a bad place mentally when he arrived in Columbus. That’s no surprise, the former Alabama football center, now with Ohio State, had been through a lot.

All through the 2023 season, he’d struggled to get snaps to their intended destination, drawing the fury of UA fans. On the final play of Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide career, McLaughlin’s snap was low to Jalen Milroe, and the quarterback was bottled up by the Michigan defense in overtime of the Rose Bowl.

After that loss, the Buford, Ga. native looked like a beaten man, staring at the floor of the locker room as he declined comment to reporters. Shortly thereafter, he entered the transfer portal.

“Love and support,” McLaughlin told AL.com Saturday, about what he needed from his new team. “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.”

He found what he was looking for in Columbus. McLaughlin landed at Ohio State, and the snapping issues dissipated.

It started on his visit to OSU, after offensive line coach Justin Frye watched his Alabama tape.

“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 said 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.”

Frye didn’t get specific on what the technique fix for McLaughlin was.

“Just little things that maybe didn’t get caught or wasn’t looking at at the other place, Frye said.

McLaughlin came in with something to prove. As the season went, his confidence rose, and Ohio State became a serious championship contender.

The center shared his thought process throughout the campaign.

“Just remind myself of who I was,” McLaughlin said. “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.”

Ohio State freshman quarterback Julian Sayin overlapped briefly with McLaughlin in Tuscaloosa. He originally signed with the Crimson Tide as a five-star high school prospect, and joined the team as an early-enrollee for Rose Bowl practices, before also transferring to the Buckeyes after Saban retired.

Sayin said the redshirt senior’s presence has been helpful for the OSU locker room.

“He’s been a great leader for this team,” Sayin told AL.com. “And he’s been playing great football.”

Unfortunately for McLaughlin, his season ended early. As the Buckeyes prepared to face Indiana in November, he snapped the ball in practice, began blocking the nose guard, and felt a pop.

He ruptured his Achilles tendon. At first, his coaches didn’t believe it.

“I’ve seen two people walk off an Achilles rupture,” Frye said. “Kobe Bryant and Seth McLaughlin. He walked past and he’s like ‘I think I just did it.’”

McLaughlin is out of eligibility, so the injury ended his college career. But on his way out, with the NFL ahead of him, he’s making plenty of memories.

First off, he won the Rimington Trophy, accomplishing his goal of becoming the nation’s top center.

“It’s awesome,” McLaughlin said. “It’s a huge honor to me.”

Then there’s the playoff run. After a disappointing loss to Michigan to end the season, Ohio State has become the Death Star.

McLaughlin smoked a cigar on the sideline as the Buckeyes beat Tennessee, the two-time UA grad partaking in a tradition his old teammates didn’t get to this season. Then OSU beat Oregon and Texas by double-digits, setting up the opportunity.

The center, who was on Alabama’s 2020 title team, could go out on top. And he could do it in his home state, taking extra measures to get his friends and family into Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

“He actually texted me to see if I have any tickets,” former Alabama quarterback and current Notre Dame walk-on wide receiver Tyler Bucher said. “Which I don’t. Everyone’s trying to get tickets.”

Monday’s game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN. The Buckeyes are currently favored by more than a touchdown.

McLaughlin will be on the sideline, with a boot on his left foot, his confidence restored, with a chance to go out on top.

“I love this stadium,” McLaughlin said. “I’m undefeated in this stadium. So hopefully we keep the record going.”