Nick Saban admits there were multiple errors when it comes to Alabama’s game-deciding play against Michigan.
The play that everybody has been talking about was the final one from the Crimson Tide that involved a designed quarterback run to Jalen Milroe, a decision that received plenty of criticism after the loss for the Crimson Tide.
While the play did not work, head coach Nick Saban stated a low snap complicated things.
“It wasn’t a great snap. It was a low snap,” said Saban. “Now you don’t have your eyes up, it makes it harder to make those kinds of cuts (to the outside).”
Alabama center Seth McLaughlin mightily snapping the ball that night.
Saban explained there was a reason for that happening, and it had to do with the cadence.
“You know, that’s something that’s been a little bit of an issue for us all year long. You know, what you go on a clip, and you use that as a noise cadence, every time somebody hits a pad on defense — they’re not allowed to clap on defense, which is actually what happened in the Auburn game when we got behind the eight ball before the 4th-and-31 play when the ball got snapped, and the quarterback wasn’t ready for it. You had a huge loss.
They actually did clap on defense. They weren’t doing it intentionally. The safety was just trying to get the linebacker’s attention. And it’s a common thing, but it is a penalty.”
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Saban said that McLaughlin was having issues throughout the game because of noises that sounded like a clap, but it wasn’t Michigan or even Milroe making the noise.
“But Michigan was not clapping. But our center was thinking that somebody was making a noise that sounded like a clap and he was snapping the ball early sometimes and when we weren’t ready for it sometimes. So that’s a huge issue for a quarterback.”
He didn’t speak to reporters after the Rose Bowl since he was a major topic of discussion.
Alabama center Seth McLaughlin has since entered the transfer portal. He started all 14 games in his fourth season with the Crimson Tide.
McLaughlin started 25 games over the past three seasons and got into two games in 2020. Despite his issues, he is the most high-profile of more than 10 Alabama players to enter the transfer portal so far.
