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Bret Bielema Reveals How Urban Meyer Changed Big Ten Forever

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Grant Bricker | Last updated Jun 26, 2025 10:44 PM ET

Legendary Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer had a history of winning everywhere he went, winning two national titles in Gainesville in 2006 and 2008.

He also finished his tenure there with a record of 65-15 from 2005-2010.

After a solid stint with the Gators, Meyer became the head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2012. Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema joined "The Triple Option" and discussed the impact Meyer had on the Big Ten.

Bielema noted that when Meyer came to the Big Ten, it was the first time concepts and ideas from the SEC had been introduced to the conference.

"In my opinion, there was two big transitions in Big Ten history," Bielema said. "First was the addition of Joe Tiller, which turned our league into a league. Basketball and grass, however you wanna say it. ...Joe was the genesis of that, and I think Urban that really kinda brought a thinking and ideology from the SEC into the conference, and it had never been seen before. That changed our conference in those moments to literally where we are today."

Meyer's transition to the Big Ten went pretty smoothly, as he went 12-0 in his first season with Ohio State. However, the Buckeyes were unable to participate in the postseason due to a ban regarding NCAA violations committed under former head coach Jim Tressel.

Meyer won a national title two years later in 2014, in the first year of the College Football Playoff.

The former head coach was fired up recently, talking about how a pissed off team practices. The comments came after Florida State Seminoles quarterback Thomas Castellanos threw shade at the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Meyer also shared a prediction about how Florida's 2025 season will go.

Florida faces Long Island to open the 2025 season on August 30.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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