Alabama head coach Nick Saban revealed what led to the botched snap on the final play of their 27-20 loss to Michigan in the Rose Bowl.
With one last chance in overtime, center Seth McLaughlin snapped the ball low, causing chaos on Alabama’s fourth-and-goal attempt from the 3-yard line, leading Michigan to get an easy stop to close out the semifinal win.
This came after McLaughlin had messed up on two other snaps in the second half, an issue that was persistent this season.
“It wasn’t a great snap,” Saban said of the costly snap during a Thursday appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “It was a low, shoelace snap. Which now you don’t have your eyes up. It makes it harder to make those kind of cuts.”
The issue with some of McLaughlin’s snaps centered around the fact he had mistakenly thought he heard Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe clap to snap the ball several times during the game, according to Saban.
“But our center was thinking that somebody was making a noise that sounded like clapping,” Saban said. “And he was snapping the ball early sometimes and when we weren’t ready sometimes. That’s a huge issue for our quarterback.”
Saban also acknowledged that the exchange between Milroe and his center had been “a little bit of an issue for us all year long.”
Milroe addressed the snap issue after the Rose Bowl, telling reporters that there was a “multitude of things that me and Seth talk about in that regard.”
McLaughlin won’t be returning to Tuscaloosa next season for his final year of eligibility.
The center confirmed that he was entering the transfer portal in a post on Instagram following multiple reports that he was leaving.
“I love this school, I cherish this program, and I deeply appreciate the fans,” McLaughlin wrote in a farewell post. “Their passion for the game and their love for Alabama football are some of the main reasons why playing here has been so enjoyable. I’m excited to see what the future has in store.”
