Urban Meyer: Why Big Ten, Not SEC, Is College Football's Best Conference

Is the Big Ten or the SEC the best conference in college football?

Urban Meyer has coached and won national championships in both conferences. And when it comes to which one is better, he has a pretty definitive answer.

"For close to 20 years, the SEC, we all knew it, dominated the country and the Big Ten Conference," Meyer said on Week 1's edition of "Big Noon Kickoff" when asked about the Big Ten vs. SEC debate. "They won 13 of 17 national championships. You know what? That all changed three years ago when the Michigan Wolverines, then the Ohio State Buckeyes, and then the Indiana Hoosiers won the national title.

"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."

That debate goes beyond results on the field. 

"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."

The Big Ten sent four teams to the 2024 College Football Playoff, which was the first year of the 12-team format. Then, last season (2025), it sent three teams to the playoff, with Indiana and Ohio State each earning first-round byes as the No. 1 and 2 seeds, respectively. The Big Ten also had two teams reach the semifinal round: eventual-champion Indiana and the Oregon Ducks.

As for the NFL Draft, Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders with the No. 1 pick, marking the first time a Big Ten player was selected with the top overall pick since Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long was taken by the Miami Dolphins in 2008. Even more, four of the top-10 selections in the draft were players from the Big Ten: Mendoza, Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate (No. 4) and Ohio State linebackers Arvell Reese (No. 5) and Sonny Styles (No. 7).

Before 2023, a Big Ten team hadn't won the national championship since Ohio State captured the title in 2014 with Meyer as head coach, his third season in Columbus. Over Meyer's seven seasons at Ohio State (2012-18), the Buckeyes went a combined 83-9, winning at least 10 games in every season.

Meyer's SEC coaching stint came at Florida, where he served as head coach from 2005-10. Across six seasons in Gainesville, Meyer went 65-15, won two SEC titles and captured two national championships, in 2006 and 2008.

Entering Week 1 of the 2026 season, the Big Ten has three teams ranked in the top 10 of the AP Top 25 and eight teams in the Top 25 altogether: Ohio State (one), Oregon (two), Indiana (six), USC (T-14), Michigan (16), Washington (17), Penn State (18) and Iowa (22).