Urban Meyer coached at Ohio State for seven seasons. But when it comes to the greatest college football program of the 2000s, he's not picking the Buckeyes.

Meyer shared an article by Gators Wire on X titled "Florida was the greatest college football team of this decade."

The Ohio State snub hits different when you look at the history. Jim Tressel won the 2002 national title there. Meyer himself coached the Buckeyes from 2012 to 2018 and went 83-9. He won a national championship there too.

Adam Dubbin of Gators Wire quoted CBS Sports writer Chip Patterson, who backed Meyer's take with a proper breakdown.

"With two national championships, three conference championships and five SEC Championship Game appearances in a decade when the league ascended to the top of the sport, Florida gets to take the honor as the team of the decade," Patterson wrote on July 4.

The case for Florida is built on what happened from 2006 to 2009. Meyer took the Gators to win two titles in three years in 2006 and 2008. Tim Tebow became the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy in 2007. Florida finished 13-1 and ranked No. 3 nationally in 2009.

The toughest competition in the debate wasn't Ohio State. It was LSU. Nick Saban started things in Baton Rouge with a 2003 title and Les Miles added another in 2007. Two titles under two different coaches at the same program in the same decade is a serious argument.

What broke the tie in Florida's favor was the full decade picture. LSU had gaps. Florida had Steve Spurrier's 2000 SEC Championship, the Ron Zook transition, then Meyer arriving and turning it into a dynasty. That consistency from one end of the decade to the other is what put the Gators over the top.

Ohio State's 2002 title and Oklahoma's consistent presence got honorable mention. USC and Miami cooled off as the decade went on. That opened the door, and the SEC walked right through it.

Urban Meyer won two national titles at Florida before taking his methods to Ohio State

Meyer is not just giving an opinion here. He built exactly what he is talking about. That is why people listen when he speaks on this. He went 65-15 at Florida from 2005 to 2010, per Florida Gators.

He then took those same principles to Columbus, built another dynasty, and won a national title in 2014, winning 42-20. The methods that made Florida the team of the decade are the same methods he used to elevate Ohio State.

Choosing Florida over the program where he also won a title tells you exactly how he ranks the two runs in his own mind. Florida was where the blueprint was written. Ohio State was where it was applied.

Do you think Florida deserves to be named the greatest college football program of the 2000s? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Farheen Fathima

Edited by

Shubhi Rathore