Urban Meyer knows what dominance looks like in college football. After all, he’s coached in the thick of it in both the SEC and Big Ten.
But now, from his analyst’s chair, Meyer sees a major shift in the sport’s power structure.
According to the three-time national championship-winning coach, the Big Ten has officially surpassed the SEC – at least at the top tier.
Speaking on the Another Dooley Noted Podcast, Meyer didn’t hold back when assessing the current landscape of college football’s elite programs.
“You know what the SEC’s done? It’s raised the level,” Meyer said. “But the Big Ten has passed the SEC at the upper part … If you would have told me that 10 years ago, I would’ve said it’s not even close. Because it’s not.”
That’s a bold claim from a man who helped shape the SEC’s golden era.
Meyer launched a string of seven consecutive national titles for the conference when he led Florida to a championship in 2006.
After adding another with the Gators in 2008, he later returned to glory with Ohio State in 2014 – the last time the Buckeyes won it all before last season’s resurgence.
Fast forward to now, and Ohio State is once again on top after dismantling both Tennessee and Texas on its way to a dominant national championship run.
Ohio State’s triumph marked the Big Ten’s second consecutive national title, following Michigan’s victory the previous season – and it came without a single SEC team appearing in the final game either year.
During this past College Football Playoff, Meyer had already planted the flag for a changing of the guard.
He boldly stated that the SEC’s era of dominance was “over” after both Georgia and Tennessee were bounced early.
That was before Ohio State finished the job, toppling the last SEC hope in Texas and defeating independent Notre Dame for the crown.
Meyer believes the Big Ten’s top-tier programs have now caught fire – and are setting the pace nationally.
“The upper echelon Big Ten Conference schools have really jumped on – as far as recruiting – you saw the Wolverines last year were one of the most dominant programs of the last decade,” Meyer said back in January.
“The Buckeyes right now have the best roster – I don’t think it’s close – in college football. You got Penn State that’s really put together a hell of a team. And then you have Illinois beating South Carolina. Think about that.”
The comment is a striking reflection of how far things have come.
For years, the SEC was the undisputed king of college football – claiming seven of eight national titles between 2015 and 2022.
But with the SEC’s recent struggles in the playoff, and the Big Ten’s surging top contenders, Meyer sees the balance of power tilting.
Programs like Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State, along with new Big Ten arrivals like Oregon, are all expected to contend again in 2025.
If Meyer’s prediction holds true, the Big Ten might not just have passed the SEC at the top – it may be building a dynasty of its own.
What are your thoughts on Meyer’s comments? … Who do YOU think is the best conference in college football???
