Urban Meyer Names College Football Program With A ‘Brutal’ Schedule

Urban Meyer is no stranger to winning after leading the Florida Gators (2006, 2008) and Ohio State Buckeyes (2014) to national titles. Before working for those teams, He was also a head coach for the Bowling Green Falcons (2001-02) and Utah Utes (2003-04).

Meyer named a team with a very "brutal" schedule on a recent edition of "The Triple Option." That team was Florida, who he coached for from 2005-10. He also called the team's season opener against the Miami Hurricanes a must-win for both programs.

The Gators have the most challenging schedule in the country this season. Head coach Billy Napier has not had a winning season since joining the program in 2022. Last season, Florida finished the year at 5-7.

"This is a must-win for both programs," Meyer said. "Think about that, at Florida. Lost 10 of the last 13 games against Power Five. Mario Cristobal at Miami is 12-13 the last two seasons. The Florida Gators have the number one most difficult schedule in the country. It's brutal."

Florida has quite the gauntlet to run through this season. The Gators face eight teams featured in the top 25 preseason rankings. Here is how Florida's schedule looks for 2024:

Aug. 31: vs. Miami
Sept. 7: vs. Samford Bulldogs
Sept. 14: vs. Texas A&M Aggies
Oct. 5: vs. UCF Knights
Oct. 12: at Tennessee Volunteers
Oct. 19: vs. Kentucky Wildcats
Nov. 2: vs. Georgia Bulldogs
Nov. 9: at Texas Longhorns
Nov. 16: vs. LSU Tigers
Nov. 23: vs. Ole Miss Rebels
Nov. 30: at Florida State Seminoles

Florida returns players like quarterback Graham Mertz, running back Montrell Johnson Jr., receiver Trey Wilson III, and safety Jordan Castell. Transfer portal additions include players like former Arizona State Sun Devils receiver Elijhah Badger, former Colorado Buffaloes corner Cormani McClain, and former USC Trojans offensive lineman Jason Zandamela.

Florida and Miami meet in Gainesville on Saturday. Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

Related: Greg McElroy Reveals Keys For A Potential Florida Over Miami Upset In Week 1