Once again, Urban Meyer is challenging the Southeastern Conference.
This time, rather than presenting a challenge from within as he did as the coach of the Florida Gators, he's doing it from outside as the coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Meyer, who is in his second year leading Ohio State, is the biggest threat to the SEC and its role as the nation's top college football conference.
"If there is a team out there that's going to challenge the SEC, the school in the best position is Ohio State," said JC Shurburtt, national recruiting director of 247Sports.
His assess the Buckeyes shortly before National Signing Day when Ohio State landed another top five recruiting class.
Since taking over the Ohio State program in 2011, Meyer 's urban renewal project has centered on back-to-back top five recruiting classes. It's the same formula he used at Florida when he helped guide the Gators to two national titles in six years: recruit heavily in state.
It's typical Big Ten recruiting except in Meyer's case, it's not.
Sure, Meyer is landing the best talent the state of Ohio has to offer, but he's also getting the best players who fit into his system — an SEC system. A system built on speed and athleticism while Big Ten football traditionally is all about bulk and brawn.
It's old school versus new school.
It's the wishbone versus the spread.
It's Bo Schembechler versus, well . . . Urban Meyer.
So far, it's worked as Ohio State went 12-0 in Meyer's first season in Columbus and if it weren't for a postseason bowl ban he inherited, the Buckeyes could have contended for a spot in the national championship game.
It's the same formula that has worked for the SEC, which has seen one of its teams capture the BCS national championship the past seven seasons.
It's why the Big Ten must change or risk being left behind and Meyer knows it.
Which is why he's trying to recruit his fellow Big Ten coaches to step up their efforts when it comes to recruiting, especially following a disastrous National Signing Day. How bad was it? So bad, that Ohio State (3) and Michigan (8) were the only teams from the league ranked in the top 10, while Nebraska (23) was the only other team in the top 25.
Meanwhile, the SEC featured 10 teams in the top 25 led by Alabama, which finished with the No. 1 overall recruiting class in the country.
When asked whether it's important for the league to do better in recruiting, especially in relation to the SEC, Meyer made his point crystal clear.
"It's not only important, it's essential," Meyer said during an interview on 97.1 FM in Columbus Thursday. "It has to happen. . . . I know I have a lot of respect for the tradition and their historical success they've had, but we do need to as a conference need to keep pushing that envelope to be better."
It's a message Meyer will be taking to the Big Ten coaches meetings Monday when he pleads his case to his coaching brethren.
Adapt or risk falling farther behind the SEC.
