Urban Meyer Names His Big Ten Championship Dark Horse

Preseason discourse surrounds a handful of Big Ten teams projected to win the conference championship in 2024. Ohio State (No. 2), Oregon (No. 3), Penn State (No. 8), Michigan (No. 9) – the newly-expanded conference is tied with the SEC for the most teams within the AP Top 25 entering the season.

But the beauty of college football comes from unheralded teams that play beyond expectations and cause some chaos at the end of the year. So which overlooked squad has the best chance at doing that this season?

Former Ohio State and Florida national champion head coach Urban Meyer wasted no time in naming his surprise Big Ten team in an appearance on "The Herd," hosted by Collin Cowherd.

"People know this, I’m a Nebraska fan," Meyer said. "You know, if I was a player, I would love to go to Nebraska. It’s that history – the stadium, the fans are incredible – we coached out there. And they’ve been really down for several years… You talk about a team that didn’t look like a Nebraska of old."

The Cornhuskers have the ninth-most wins in college football history, but you wouldn't know that from recent results. Nebraska hasn't had a 10-win season since 2012 and have had three different head coaches over the last decade.

There is a different feeling, though, headed into Matt Rhule's second season at the helm. 2023 (5-7 record) can be chalked up to a building year under Rhule, who took the job after leading the Carolina Panthers from 2020-22. Rhule previously led the Baylor Bears to the Big-12 Championship Game in 2019 and coached the Temple Owls to an American Conference Championship title in 2016.

Rhule has ignited efforts on the recruiting trail, the key to getting back into contention in one of the toughest conferences in the sport. Former five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola, a flip from Georgia, is expected to be a long-time starter for the Cornhuskers. He headlined a 2024 class that finished 18th in the nation, per 247Sports.

"I just think he’s (Matt Rhule) recruited well…," Meyer continued. "Dylan (Railola) is a really good player. I like their coach. Their coach knows how to win. He’s won at every level. There’s a difference between winning and winning at every level. And that’s why I’ve got a lot of respect for Matt Rhule."

There's still a long road ahead for the Cornhuskers to battle at the level of the perennial powers in the conference, but the foundation is in place to reach that pinnacle sooner rather than later.

"So Nebraska would be my team," Meyer said. "They’re not good enough to win it, but they’re good enough to make some noise."

The Cornhuskers will open the season at home against UTEP on Aug. 31. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET (FOX).

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