Urban Meyer: Big Ten Has Passed SEC as College Football's Best Conference
Urban Meyer has won national championships in both the Big Ten and the SEC, and he has a clear answer on which conference now reigns supreme in college football. The former Ohio State and Florida head coach says the Big Ten has officially overtaken the SEC as the nation's best conference.
Speaking on Week 1 of Big Noon Kickoff, Meyer pointed to recent playoff results, national titles, and even the NFL Draft as evidence that the balance of power has shifted.
What changed in the Big Ten vs. SEC rivalry?
For nearly two decades, the SEC dominated college football, winning 13 of 17 national championships. But Meyer says that era is over.
“That all changed three years ago when the Michigan Wolverines, then the Ohio State Buckeyes, and then the Indiana Hoosiers won the national title,” Meyer said. “It's not just at the top of the league. Yes, the Big Ten is 4-0 against the SEC in College Football Playoff games, but they've also won four of five in the non-College Football Playoff bowls. So, as of now, it is the best conference.”
Big Ten now winning the NFL Draft battle too
The SEC has long prided itself on producing NFL talent, but Meyer notes that even that edge has eroded.
“The SEC has dominated the NFL Draft for so many years,” Meyer added. “You know what happened last year? The Big Ten had more first-round picks than the SEC. The Big Ten Conference is the strongest conference in college football. That was last year. We'll see [what happens] this year.”
In the 2026 NFL Draft, Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza went No. 1 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders, marking the first time a Big Ten player topped the draft since Michigan's Jake Long in 2008. Three more Big Ten players landed in the top 10: Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate (No. 4) and Ohio State linebackers Arvell Reese (No. 5) and Sonny Styles (No. 7).
Big Ten's playoff dominance and Iowa's place in the new order
The Big Ten sent four teams to the 2024 College Football Playoff in the first year of the 12-team format. Last season, three Big Ten teams made the field, with Indiana and Ohio State earning first-round byes as the top two seeds. Two Big Ten teams reached the semifinals: champion Indiana and Oregon.
Before 2023, a Big Ten team hadn't won a national title since Meyer's 2014 Ohio State squad. Meyer coached the Buckeyes from 2012 to 2018, going 83-9 and winning at least 10 games every season. At Florida (2005-10), he went 65-15, winning two SEC titles and national championships in 2006 and 2008.
Entering Week 1 of the 2026 season, the Big Ten boasts three teams in the AP Top 10 and eight in the Top 25, including Iowa at No. 22. Ohio State sits at No. 1, Oregon at No. 2, and Indiana at No. 6.
What does the Big Ten's rise mean for Iowa?
For Iowa fans, the conference's resurgence is good news. A stronger Big Ten raises the profile of every program in the league, including the Hawkeyes. With Ohio State, Oregon, and Indiana leading the way, Iowa's path to a playoff berth runs through a conference that is now widely considered the best in the nation. That means bigger matchups, more national attention, and higher stakes in every conference game.
Meyer's assessment is clear: the SEC's reign is over, and the Big Ten is now the standard in college football.