Former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer has declared the Big Ten Conference the strongest league in college football, citing a cascade of recent achievements that have reshaped the sport’s hierarchy.
A Shift in Conference Power
The Big Ten’s recent bowl record illustrates its growing edge, with the conference winning four of the five non‑playoff bowl games this season, a performance that outpaces the SEC’s showing in comparable matchups.
That momentum carried into the 2024 NFL Draft, where the Big Ten produced more first‑round selections than the SEC, highlighted by Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza being chosen No. 1 overall and four additional Big Ten players landing among the top ten picks.
At the start of the 2026 season, three Big Ten programs rank inside the AP Top 25’s top ten, and eight teams overall appear in the rankings, reflecting a depth that was unheard of just a few years ago, while Michigan, Ohio State and Indiana have each added a national championship since 2023.
The 2024 College Football Playoff, now expanded to a 12‑team format, featured four Big Ten representatives – the most ever for the league – while the SEC managed a single entry, marking a historic shift in postseason representation.
Meyer’s assessment, therefore, is grounded in tangible results that have redefined the competitive balance of college football, signaling a new era of dominance for the Big Ten.