Ohio State, currently ranked No. 2, will have to continue its chase for a national football championship without one of its key offensive linemen.

According to the Columbus Dispatch, center Seth McLaughlin suffered a torn Achilles tendon during practice on Tuesday, which will likely keep him out for the rest of the 2024 season.

A transfer from Alabama, McLaughlin has been a standout in his first season with the Buckeyes. Last month, he was recognized as a midseason All-American by various outlets, including the Associated Press and The Sporting News.

McLaughlin, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 305 pounds, has been a starter in all 10 games for Ohio State this season. He has played a total of 565 snaps without conceding a single sack, as per Pro Football Focus data.

His presence at the center of the offensive line has significantly boosted Ohio State’s running game, which is currently averaging 5.25 yards per carry—an improvement over last year’s 4.19 average. This uptick has been aided by standout transfer running back Quinshon Judkins from Ole Miss, alongside TreVeyon Henderson in the backfield.

With McLaughlin’s injury, Joshua Padilla is likely to step in as the replacement. Padilla, a 6-foot-4, 295-pound redshirt freshman, has been the backup center for the past few weeks and played during the last series of Ohio State’s 31-7 win over Northwestern last Saturday, after the starting players were taken out. He was a four-star recruit and the 11th-ranked interior offensive lineman nationally in the 2023 recruiting class, according to 247Sports’ Composite rankings.

This knee injury comes at a tough time as it follows another setback for the Buckeyes; starting left tackle Josh Simmons sustained a season-ending knee injury during Ohio State’s close loss to Oregon (32-31) on October 12.

The timing of McLaughlin’s injury is unfortunate, as the Buckeyes are scheduled to face No. 5 Indiana on Saturday in a clash of top-five teams, followed by a match against their long-time rival Michigan the following week.