As Florida‘s head coach from 2005-10, Urban Meyer was instrumental in the SEC’s rise to national dominance as the premier college football conference, sparking a run that saw the league win 13 national championships over the next 17 years (2006-22). That included seven straight national titles between 2006-12, with Meyer’s Gators winning it all in […]
As Florida‘s head coach from 2005-10, Urban Meyer was instrumental in the SEC’s rise to national dominance as the premier college football conference, sparking a run that saw the league win 13 national championships over the next 17 years (2006-22). That included seven straight national titles between 2006-12, with Meyer’s Gators winning it all in 2006 and 2008 behind superstar QB Tim Tebow.
Of course, in the day-and-age of NIL and the NCAA Transfer Portal, the Big Ten has seemingly overtaken the SEC as college football’s top conference after winning back-to-back College Football Playoff national championships in 2023 (Michigan) and 2024 (Ohio State). It’s because of that championship success that Meyer — who left Florida in 2010 and eventually won the 2014 national championship as the Buckeyes head coach between 2012-18 — is doubling down on the Big Ten’s dominance over college football.
“(The Big Ten is) No. 1, and I never thought I’d say that again in my lifetime because I was in the SEC from 2005 and ’06 is when the SEC started its run. We won the national championship in ’06, won it again in ’08. LSU won it and then Mark Ingram went through it,” Meyer said during Wednesday’s episode of The Triple Option podcast with co-hosts Mark Ingram and Rob Stone. “To be honest with you, when I went to the Big Ten in 2012, it was not close. It was not close. The Big Ten, even at the top of the conference was not near as good (as the SEC). But it’s amazing to say the Big Ten has surpassed the SEC the last two years, certainly at the top of the conference.”
A tale of the tape between the Big Ten and SEC
Just based on last season’s results in games between the two leagues, it’s hard to argue Meyer’s point. The Big Ten won six of its 10 games against the SEC in 2024, including a dominant 5-1 mark in the postseason. That included a pair of Ohio State victories over Tennessee and Texas in last year’s College Football Playoff. Michigan, Illinois and USC also claimed bowl wins over SEC opponents. Alabama went 1-1 vs. the Big Ten, inclduing the ReliaQuest Bowl loss to Michigan, which also went 1-1 vs. the SEC with an early-season loss to Texas.
Despite that recent run of success, the SEC has in fact won more games than it’s lost vs. the Big Ten over the past several seasons, including a 4-2 bowl record in 2023. Outside of a .500 (2-2) mark between the two conferences in 2019 and a 1-3 record vs. the Big Ten in 2017, the SEC has a commanding 25-15 record against the Big Ten between 2015-23, according to mcubed.net
“I still think, top to bottom, the SEC’s bottom is stronger. But when you add Oregon, Washington, USC and UCLA – I know (the SEC) added Oklahoma and Texas – but I’ve seen it in the Big Ten. The stadiums are different, the talent is certainly different,” Meyer continued. “It used to be the SEC had so many players drafted and the Big Ten was way down here. Now it’s very close. So the recruiting has picked up, the coaching has picked up, the stadium environment has picked up.
“But I’m going to say this about the SEC: they get pissed off real quick down there. They’re going to want to get that title back. So I’m anxious to watch this year.”
The SEC and Big Ten will renew their conference rivalry in Week 1’s game of the week when Texas and Ohio State face off in the season-opener for both programs at 12 noon ET on Aug. 30 from Columbus.
Category: General Sports
