Urban Meyer names Florida State as one of the top jobs in all of College Football
Former college and NFL coach Urban Meyer is spending his days as an analyst after flaming out in Jacksonville in 2021. Meyer returned to his previous position as a member of Fox Sports' Big Noon Kickoff crew this past year, a role he also held from 2019-20.
At the end of January, Meyer joined Patrick Peterson and Bryant McFadden on the 'All Things Covered' podcast to talk about a variety of topics surrounding his time with Florida, Ohio State, and Jacksonville.
During the course of the conversation, an interesting question was posed to Meyer. He was asked to rank the top-5 jobs in college football based on the school, tradition, and prestige. Meyer was quick to interject, stating that he puts 'talent' in front of the other aspects mentioned.
It seemed like a simple answer for Meyer as he quickly rattled off Georgia, Ohio State, Florida State, Florida, LSU, and USC. He went on to mention Alabama and LSU as well, straying over the five schools mark, but we'll let it slide this time. Meyer clarified that he has the Seminoles and Gators tied in his rankings.
"I would say the Florida Gators/Florida State because I think they're really similar jobs cause of the talent level," Meyer stated.
Meyer also offered his thoughts on a couple of the other programs that made his list. The talent-rich areas around the state of Georgia and the quality of coaching stand out to him.
"Georgia, within three or four hours of that campus, you stumble over players," Meyer said. "Here's the interesting thing about Georgia, I think think the high school coaching is as good as anywhere in the country."
The same can be said for southern California and the region around USC, which has produced numerous NFL selections over the years.
"Draw a circle within 300 miles of that campus and then go check the NFL Draft," Meyer said.
Though the Crimson Tide didn't make his initial five, Meyer still has a lot of respect for the state. However, he stated Alabama probably isn't as stocked with talent as places like Florida, Georgia, or Louisiana.
"I think Alabama is a great job tradition-wise, history-wise," Meyer said. "I was there early on when Alabama didn't have Nick Saban, they did beat us one year pretty badly. Alabama high school football is fantastic, but I don't know if you have the same numbers as you have as a Georgia or an LSU."
Prior to his time as a commentator, Meyer spent over 15 years as a head coach at the college level for four different programs - Bowling Green (2001-02), Utah (2003-04), Florida (2005-10), and Ohio State (2012-18). He compiled a 187-32 record, including a 65-15 mark with the Gators.
Meyer won two National Championships at Florida (2006, 2008) and added another one at Ohio State (2014). He guided the Buckeyes to three Big Ten Championships and the Gators to two SEC Titles. He was awarded the Woody Hayes Trophy in 2004 and 2012, which goes to the top collegiate coach annually. His successful tenure didn't come without plenty of controversy.
Florida State finished 10-3 in 2022 under third-year head coach Mike Norvell. The Seminoles defeated both of their primary rivals for the first time since 2016 and won the Cheez-It Bowl against Oklahoma. The program was ranked at No. 11 in the final AP Top 25 Poll of the season.
READ MORE: Florida State's full 2023 football schedule released
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