As the final seconds ticked down on New Year’s Day in the Rose Bowl, Seth McLaughlin knew his life was about to change.

McLaughlin, Alabama’s 24-game starting center, had one year of eligibility remaining, but he didn’t want to spend it in Tuscaloosa.

He entered his name into the transfer portal the day after the team returned to campus. Two days later, he was at a country club in Columbus, Ohio, having dinner with his parents, Ohio State coach Ryan Day and a familiar face, Kansas State transfer quarterback Will Howard.

The two didn’t play together in college and grew up about 750 miles apart — McLaughlin in Georgia and Howard in Pennsylvania — but their teams met in the 2022 Sugar Bowl. Over dinner they talked about this game and the mutual respect they had for each other. The conversation turned to what they could do if they played together instead of on opposite sidelines.

Howard was also visiting, but had already decided on Ohio State at that point. And his resume was impressive: 34 games of experience and a Big 12 championship.

Although McLaughlin had not yet made his decision, he was leaning in that direction. And although his time at Alabama didn’t end well – his difficulty catching the ball contributed to the Tide’s loss to Michigan in the Rose Bowl – he was in high demand as a center who started 24 games in the SEC.

As they continued to talk, they realized that everything was right: their personalities, their approach to the game, and their goals. They want to be in the NFL next year, but they also want a chance at a national championship.

Seth McLaughlin, a former three-star prospect, graduated from Alabama in two and a half years. (Doral Chenoweth/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

McLaughlin committed on January 6th and the beginning of a close relationship between quarterback and center was born.

Since then, they’ve built on that foundation with countless practice sessions and lots of time spent discussing film. And Howard admits that having a center with so much experience has made his transition to a new program and offense easier.

“I think he brings a certain level of experience and maturity and I think having that guy at the center position is critical,” Howard said. “I’m blessed with some good centers and Seth is right up there. It was very important for this offensive line to have a guy that you could bounce ideas off of and trust to make those decisions.”

McLaughlin received more than 50 calls from coaches across the country while making the more than three-hour drive from Tuscaloosa to his Atlanta-area home after officially entering the transfer portal. One of the first to reach out was Ohio State University offensive line coach Justin Frye.

The Buckeyes were coming off a frustrating 14-3 loss to Missouri in the Cotton Bowl, a game in which the offensive line struggled. McLaughlin was immediately interested in Ohio State, but Frye’s sense of urgency also made him feel wanted. Before the call ended, Frye had scheduled a visit and begun the process of getting McLaughlin and his family on a flight to Columbus.

Committing to Ohio State was just the first step.

Although it was assumed he would be the starting player, McLaughlin had to earn it. And upon his arrival, he was immediately impressed by the player he was trying to replace: Carson Hinzman, a 2023 starter.

“He’s a crazy athlete,” McLaughlin said. “I got a kick in the butt in the spring and it forced me to work harder.”

In the weight room, coach Mickey Marotti pushed him beyond exhaustion. McLaughlin specifically mentioned the “cultural representative.”

“It’s like if it’s a set of eight and you have two more in your system, then you go for two more,” McLaughlin said. “I’ve never done that in my career. It is the culture coach that Mick is building in the weight room. It pushes you to get the most out of yourself.”

The transition continued as spring training began. He worked with his fourth offensive coordinator.

He played well in the spring and entered preseason camp with a different level of confidence – confident in his skills, his understanding of the offense and his ability to be a leader for Ohio State’s offense. And he had to be a leader. Even though he wasn’t a captain or the most experienced offensive lineman in the program, it all starts with him as a center.

“I’m grateful to Seth. “He’s the spearhead of our offense,” said guard Donovan Jackson. “Seth communicates almost down to the snap count to make sure everyone is on the same page. There are times when Will is in his rhythm and tells me to go here. We just follow it and know we’ll make it a good game.”

When McLaughlin and Howard watch films together, they don’t necessarily have feature-length sessions. Sometimes they meet in person. Sometimes they send clips back and forth. But they’re constantly wondering what they’re seeing and what they like about the call, the protections and more.

Everything has the same goal – to get to the same level.

In the game they have to work together. When Ohio State gets to the finish line, Howard is responsible for setting formations, adjusting the play based on pre-snap reads and setting protections. The advantage of an experienced center like McLaughlin is that he can also set the protections.

“It makes my job easier when I don’t have to make a lot of protection calls. I just have to repeat what he says,” Howard said.

McLaughlin doesn’t do this on every play, but strikes a balance between taking things into his own hands and letting Howard do the work. And he has no problem with Howard changing a previously established protection.

“He has full control over it, but as long as we agree, everything is fine,” McLaughlin said.

That depends on trust. The countless hours they spent watching film and going over plays between reps in practice come through in these moments during games and help keep everything on track.

Ohio State has never played a power conference opponent, but the offensive line has clearly been a strength. According to TruMedia, the Buckeyes’ running backs have averaged 3.99 yards before contact (second-best in the country), and the offensive line has allowed a pressure rate of 14.3 percent (lowest in the country).

Part of that is due to offensive coordinator Chip Kelly’s plan and the growth of the returning linemen, but McLaughlin has also made a difference.

He was a calming presence for guards Austin Siereveld and Tegra Tshabola in their first career starts against Akron. But according to Howard, he’s also the “juice guy.”

Above all, McLaughlin is just having fun.

“That’s the greatest thing, and I think if you turn on the movie you’ll see me running around and having fun,” he said.

That has given McLaughlin the freedom to not only do his job, but also provide the leadership Ohio State needs in one of its most important positions.

(Top photo: Jason Mowry / Getty Images)