Urban Meyer, Colin Cowherd say Big Ten venues and fans have caught up and 'bypassed the SEC'

Urban Meyer joins Colin Cowherd to discuss Indiana winning the National Championship, how the Big Ten is now the premier conference, and Fernando Mendoza’s draft stock.

It wouldn't be the college football offseason without some spirited debate over the quality of different conferences. Not only has this offseason not been any different, it might feature more debate than a typical year.

For most of the past decade, the SEC has been the unquestioned leader in the sport, thanks to Nick Saban's Alabama dynasty and the consistent excellence of Kirby Smart's Georgia Bulldogs teams. But for three years running, the SEC has not been able to reach the National Championship game, let alone win one.

Instead, the Big Ten has staked its claim as the best in college football. Michigan won in 2023-2024, Ohio State in 2024-2025, and in a stunning 16-0 season, Indiana steamrolled its way to a title in 2025-2026. Three in a row, and arguably the top two teams heading into 2026-2027 are Ohio State and Oregon. Perhaps even worse, there's a case to be made that Notre Dame and Miami might be bigger threats to the Big Ten's dominance this year than Georgia or Texas.

PERCEPTION IS REALITY, AND THE SEC NEEDS TO START WINNING AGAIN BEFORE IT CONTINUES TO PUFF OUT ITS CHEST

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day shouts to his team against Rutgers during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

For Big Ten fans or former coaches, this recent run of success has created an opportunity to, shall we say, gloat over the SEC's apparent decline. And former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer and Colin Cowherd are no exception.

Cowherd asked Meyer when he started to believe that Big Ten