Urban Meyer | Head Coach
Urban Meyer at Ohio State
He has done this by developing and overseeing a program culture that requires accountability, promotes respect, prepares young men for life after football and develops football skill sets and talents at an unsurpassed rate: his program has produced 26 NFL draft picks the last four years, including seven first-round picks and record numbers of draft picks through the second, third and fourth rounds of the 2016 NFL Draft.
And his team members are getting it done in the classroom, as well. Ohio State Buckeyes have earned four academic All-American honorees the past three years, one National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete award and the team is coming off its finest academic semester under Meyer last fall with record numbers of students with 3.0 (or above) grade point averages for the semester and cumulatively.
These first 15 years as a head coach for Meyer, featuring three national championships and a record of 165 wins against just 29 losses for an .850 winning percentage, have been full of accomplishment, achievement and success for which few can compare. Consider:
- Meyer is the third-winningest coach in the history of college football (at least 10 years at an FBS school), trailing only Knute Rockne and Frank Leahy
- Meyer’s .850 winning percentage is No. 1 among all active coaches with at least five years of experience at an FBS school
- He set the major college record with 165 wins through his first 15 seasons as a head coach
- Meyer’s 2015 Buckeye senior class was the first Power 5 school to win 50 games over a four-year run (2012-15)
- Meyer is the only modern day coach to win national championships coaching in two different conferences and, with championships in 2006 and 2008 at Florida and 2014 at Ohio State, and he is one of only two coaches to win national titles at two different schools
- He is the first coach in modern history — since 1937 when the NCAA began keeping records — to win at least 13 games in consecutive years (in 2008 and 2009), three times (2006-08-09) and four times (2006-08-09 at Florida and 2014 at Ohio State)
- Meyer is the only coach in major college history to have four different winning streaks of at least 20 games (20 with Utah/Florida; 22 at Florida; 25 with Florida and Ohio State; and 23 at Ohio State). Only eight other coaches have had even two winning streaks of at least 20 games
- Meyer won more games his first 10 years — 104 — than all but three coaches in college football history
- Meyer reached 100 wins faster than all but one coach — Bud Wilkinson — in the last 57 years and faster than all but five coaches all-time
Making the Great State of Ohio Proud
Born in Toledo, raised in Ashtabula and with degrees from Cincinnati and Ohio State, Urban Meyer made it clear from the day he took the Ohio State position – Nov. 28, 2011 – what his intentions are: “We’re going to make the great state of Ohio proud with everything we do.”
Meyer made history in his first season as Ohio State coach in 2012, guiding the Scarlet and Gray to only the sixth undefeated and untied season in school history with a 12-0 record and also to a Big Ten Conference Leaders Division championship. He was awarded the Woody Hayes Trophy as national Coach of the Year by the Touchdown Club of Columbus. He was also a finalist for four additional national Coach of the Year Awards.
The winning and the history making continued for Meyer and the Buckeyes in Year 2, with Ohio State extending its winning streak to school-record status (24 games) and ultimately finishing a 12-2 season with a second consecutive Big Ten Leaders Division title, a berth into the Big Ten championship game and an invite to the Discover Orange Bowl.
In Year 3, his Buckeyes shook off the loss of two starting quarterbacks and an early season loss to win the 35th Big Ten Conference championship in school history with a resounding, 59-0, win over Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game. The win so convinced the CFP committee that it chose Ohio State as the No. 4 seed in the first College Football Playoff.
Once in the playoffs, the Buckeyes rolled!
In the CFP semifinals at the Allstate Sugar Bowl, Ohio State came back from a 21-6 deficit behind outstanding defense and 230 rushing yards from Ezekiel Elliott to defeat No. 1 Alabama, 42-35, and claim the Sugar Bowl championship and a date in the national championship game vs. No. 2 Oregon.
And 11 days later in the CFP national championship game at Reliant Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the Ohio State defense was again dominant and Elliott led an offensive charge with 246 rushing yards and four touchdowns in a 42-20 victory.
Meyer’s Ohio State Buckeyes were champions! College Football Playoff national champions, to be exact, and Meyer was named the Rawlings 2014 Football Bowl Subdivision Coach of the Year, The Dispatch Ohio College Coach of the Year, the Phil Steele Coach of the Year and he earned his third Woody Hayes Trophy from the Touchdown Club of Columbus.
A loss to Michigan State on the last play of the game kept the Buckeyes from repeat appearances in the Big Ten title game and the College Football Playoff in 2015, but Meyer’s team stayed true to its competitive nature and made the home state proud, once again, by closing the 12-1 campaign with dominant wins over Michigan in Ann Arbor, 42-13, and Notre Dame, 42-28, in the BattleFrog Fiesta Bowl.
A return to the College Football Playoff semifinals, wins over three teams ranked in the final Top 10 of the polls, including a fifth-consecutive win over the team’s rival from the north, highlighted an 11-2 campaign in 2016.
Real Life Wednesdays
Five years in as head coach of the Buckeyes and Meyer’s teams are 61-6 and with a plethora of superlatives, but winning games and competing for championships aren’t the only goals for the Buckeyes. Meyer wants more than just a degree for his students. He wants to also develop outstanding young men prepared to succeed in life, and the efforts he and his staff engage their student-athletes in to ensure they are prepared for life after football are equally important and impressive.
Wednesday afternoons in the winter and spring are a time for guest speakers — CEOs, wealth management experts, professional athletes, senior leaders from athletics, national media and former Buckeyes — to address the team in a life experiences forum initiated by Meyer called “Real Life Wednesdays.”
The goal each year is to introduce the team to influential individuals who can share insight into succeeding in life after football is over. Speakers typically address the job interview process, finances, starting and building a successful business, parenting and other career endeavors.
The list of speakers who have addressed the Buckeyes during Real Life Wednesdays is nationally known, impressive and includes:
- Les Wexner, chairman and CEO of The Limited Brands
- JPMorgan Chase & Company chairman and CEO Jamie Dimond
- Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert
- ESPN analyst and Buckeye great Chris Spielman
- CBS analyst and Ohio State basketball legend Clark Kellogg
- Harley Davidson CEO Keith Wandell
- Panera Bread CEO/owner Sam Covelli
- Ohio State Director of Athletics Gene Smith
Throughout the year, Meyer also ensures that pre- and post-practices often include inspiring words and important messages from guest speakers. Those who have addressed the team include:
- President Bill Clinton
- Ohio Governor John Kasich
- Navy SEAL and “Lone Survivor” Marcus Luttrell
- NFL coaches Marvin Lewis, Greg Schiano and Chip Kelly
- NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell
- Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany
- Hall of Fame coach Lou Holtz
- Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman
- Cameron Mitchell, CEO and Founder of Cameron Mitchell Restaurants
- Heavyweight champion of the world Buster Douglass
Internships & Job Fairs
As winter turns to spring and then eases into early summer, the Ohio State players continue to develop their minds and portfolios for life after football. Everyone gets a professional, leather binder and prepares or updates their resumes. The month of May is an opportunity for internships, site visits and shadowing opportunities for juniors and seniors. For example: Sam Hubbard, Joe Burrow and Austin Mack interned for a week at Goldman Sachs in May of 2016.
The football program’s annual Job Fair takes place in late May. More than 50 companies across all sectors, including hospitality, law enforcement, broadcasting, medical sales, athletic administration, finance and business, send human resource representatives to meet with and ask questions of the Buckeye student-athletes. Contacts are made. Relationships are built. Life after football is in motion.
24th Coach in Ohio State History
Meyer, who is in his 31st season as a collegiate coach, is married to the former Shelley Mather. The couple are proud parents to daughters Nicki (a 2013 graduate of Georgia Tech) and GiGi (a 2015 graduate of Florida Gulf Coast), and a son, Nate (a high school sophomore). Nicki and her husband, Ohio State graduate assistant Corey Dennis, are the parents to the Meyer’s first grandson, Troy, who was born on CFP selection Sunday last November.
Meyer became the 24th head coach in the storied history of Ohio State football when he signed a six-year agreement to coach the Buckeyes on Nov. 28, 2011. He was the only candidate interviewed by a five-member search committee of senior Ohio State leaders, headed by then-President E. Gordon Gee and Director of Athletics Gene Smith.
“In Urban Meyer we have found an exemplary person and remarkable coach to lead the University’s football program into the future,” Gee said. “As an alumnus, he understands and believes in the core academic mission of the University. As an Ohioan, he shares our common values and sense of purpose.”
Smith said that Meyer is “known not only as one of the nation’s most successful coaches, but also as a leader and mentor who cares deeply about the young men who are his student-athletes. He brings with him an understanding of the University — both the important traditions of its football program and the excellence of the institution.”
It’s easy to see why he was the No. 1 choice of the search committee.
Meyer had already won two national championships — in 2006 and 2008 with the University of Florida — and four national coach of the year honors, including The Sporting News honor in 2003 and the Eddie Robinson, Woody Hayes and Home Depot Coach of the Year awards, respectively, in 2004.
Meyer had not only won big at each of his three previous head coaching positions, but he had won immediately. He led Bowling Green to the best turnaround season in the nation in 2001 with an 8-3 record and he went 9-3 in Year 2. He was 22-2 in two seasons at Utah, including a 16-game winning streak and a 12-0 campaign in 2004 when he led the first-ever non-Bowl Championship Season program into a BCS game.
He was 65-15 in his six seasons at Florida with the two national titles, two Southeastern Conference championships and three 13-win seasons, including consecutive 13-win seasons in 2008 and 2009 to become the first coach ever to accomplish that feat.
“I am honored and humbled by the opportunity to return to Ohio State,” Meyer said during his initial press conference. “This University and the state of Ohio have enormous meaning to me. My duty is to ensure that Ohio State’s football program reflects and enhances the academic mission of the institution. I am part of it, I believe in it, and I will live it.”
Coaching Career
After graduating from Saint John High School in Ashtabula, Meyer was a 13th-round MLB draft pick of the Atlanta Braves and spent two years in minor league baseball. He matriculated to Cincinnati and played one year at defensive back for the football program and graduated in 1986 with his bachelor’s degree in psychology.
Meyer’s foray into football coaching was as an intern at St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati in 1986. The following year, he joined Coach Earle Bruce’s staff at Ohio State and spent two years as a graduate assistant — coaching tight ends in 1986 and receivers in 1987 — while pursuing his master’s degree in sports administration. Ohio State won a Big Ten title in 1986 and 1987 was Bruce’s final season as coach.
It was during his time as a Buckeye when he forged a relationship with Bruce that has only been strengthened through the tests of time and change.
“My relationship with Coach Bruce is extremely close, second only to my father,” Meyer said during the news conference to announce his hiring at Ohio State…17 days after his father, Bud, passed away.
“Every step of my career, every part of my family life, Coach Bruce has always been there. So close that he was gracious enough to speak at my father’s funeral just last Friday.”
First Year: Coach of the Year
Meyer, as every young coach who aspires to be a head coach does, then moved on to a series of assistant coaching positions — Illinois State for two years under Jim Heacock, Colorado State for six years under Sonny Lubick and Bruce, and Notre Dame for one year under Lou Holtz and five years under Bob Davie — before getting his first head coaching assignment at Bowling Green.
Taking over a team that was 2-9 in 2000 and that had not had a winning season in seven years, Meyer guided Bowling Green to the top turnaround in the nation in 2001 with a six-win improvement and an 8-3 record that included wins over Missouri, Northwestern and BGSU’s rival to its north, Toledo. He was named Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year.
He followed that with a 9-3 record in his second season with the Falcons, including another win over Missouri. After BGSU opened the season with eight consecutive wins, the program cracked both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Top 25 polls for the first time in school history, peaking with an all-time school best No. 16 national ranking by ESPN/USA Today.
Meyer’s BGSU teams were anything but one-dimensional. His 2002 team led the nation in red zone production with 61 scores in 63 trips inside the 20 (.968) and was ninth in total offense (448.9 yards per game). Defensively, his 2001 team ranked first in the MAC in scoring, rushing and total defense and his teams led the MAC both years in turnover margin.
Made Players Believers
Josh Harris, who became a starter at quarterback for BGSU in the ninth game of the 2001 season and reeled off 11 consecutive wins as a starter, told Plain Dealer reporter Elton Alexander that his former coach simply made players believe they were as good as any other team.
“One thing for sure, when coach Meyer believes in a guy, he might even believe in him more than the guy believes in himself,” Harris said. “There was a time when I had to get my belief in Josh Harris up to where Urban Meyer believed that Josh Harris was. That really propelled me, and my game, to new levels.
“That’s one of the things he did for me that I will always be thankful for.”
The Move Out West
Meyer moved on to the University of Utah following the 2002 season and in two seasons led the Utes to a 22-2 record. He was named national Coach of the Year in 2003 by The Sporting News and in 2004 he was named the Football Writers Association of America’s Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year, the Home Depot Coach of the Year and the Touchdown Club of Columbus presented him with its coach of the year award, the Woody Hayes Trophy.
In his first season in Salt Lake City, Meyer coached the Utes to their first outright conference championship since 1957, a 17-0 Liberty Bowl win over Southern Mississippi and a final national ranking of No. 21. In addition to his national coach of the year honor by The Sporting News, Meyer was named Mountain West Conference coach of the year and thus became the first coach in Utah’s 111-year football history to earn such an honor in his first year.
Utah then enjoyed its finest season in program history in 2004. The 12-0 record was the first 12-0 season in 75 years and a second-consecutive outright MWC championship represented the first consecutive championships by one school in conference history.
The 2004 Utah offense was unstoppable, finishing in the Top 5 in six categories, including No. 3 in scoring (45.3), total offense (499.7) and turnover margin (1.25). The team also led the MWC in 11 statistical categories and was No. 2 in passing, scoring and total defense.
Following Utah’s 16th consecutive win, a 35-7 pummeling of Pitt in the Fiesta Bowl, Meyer’s record was a sterling 39-7 as a head coach and he was established as a proven winner. And the University of Florida was in need of a coach.
Simply Great in Gainesville
“Urban’s accomplishments speak for themselves,” Florida Athletics Director Jeremy Foley said. And this was before Meyer would topple his coaching achievements with the even-greater successes he would experience coaching the Gators.
Meyer coached Florida to a 9-3 record in his initial season, a record that included wins over four nationally ranked opponents, making Meyer the first first-year coach in UF history to accomplish the feat.
Meyer’s Year 2 success — he was a combined 21-3 in his second season at Bowling Green and Utah — continued in Gainesville as he led the Gators to a school-record 13 wins and SEC and national championships in 2006 against the toughest schedule in the nation. Florida played six ranked teams and 11 of its opponents went to bowl games. The BCS Championship game win: 41-14 over No. 1 ranked Ohio State in Glendale, Ariz. Meyer was named national Coach of the Year by the All-American Foundation at the conclusion of the season.
His 2007 Gator team went 9-3, featured Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Tim Tebow and ranked third nationally with an average of 42.5 points per game.
Consecutive 13-win seasons followed in 2008 and 2009, a first in major college history. The 2008 team was the most prolific offensive unit in SEC history with 611 points scored against the nation’s second-toughest schedule. Meyer won a second national championship this season, with Florida defeating Oklahoma, 24-14, in the BCS Championship game in Miami, Fla.
The only blemish on an otherwise spectacular 13-1 2009 season was to eventual national champion Alabama in the SEC championship game. This Florida team’s senior class departed with the best record for a class (at the time) in SEC history: 48-7.
Meyer coached his final Florida team to an 8-5 record in 2010 with his last game as Florida coach a 37-24 win over Penn State in the Outback Bowl, in Tampa, Fla.
Meyer is a Buckeye
Meyer sat out the 2011 football season to devote time to his family and his health and to work as an analyst for ESPN prior to his return to collegiate coaching.
On Wednesday, Nov. 23, Ohio State Director of Athletics Gene Smith first talked to Meyer about returning to coaching. Four days later, on Sunday, Nov. 27, Smith presented Meyer with terms for a six-year contract. Less than 24 hours later Meyer was a Buckeye.
Stats and Facts
- Urban Meyer’s teams are 26-3 in “rivalry games.” Bowling Green was 1-1 vs. Toledo; Utah was 4-0 vs. Utah State and BYU; Florida was 16-2 vs. Florida State, Tennessee and Georgia; and Ohio State is 5-0 vs. Michigan.
- His teams are 99-20 in conference play with five championships (two apiece at Utah and Florida and 2014 at Ohio State). They are also 3-2 in conference title games.
- His teams are 10-3 in bowl games, including 2-1 in College Football Playoff games, 3-1 in New Years Six games and 4-1 in BCS bowl games.
- Meyer has coached teams to six double digit winning streaks: 11 games (Bowling Green), 20 games (16 at Utah and four at Florida), 11 games (Florida), 22 games (Florida), 25 games (Florida and Ohio State) and 23 games (Ohio State).
- His teams have 27 wins by 40-or-more points and another 24 wins by at least 30 points.
- Meyer’s teams are 3-2 vs. the No. 1 team in the nation, 11-4 vs. Top 5 teams, 20-8 vs. Top 10 teams and 37-14 vs. Top 25 teams.
- His teams are 45-4 when having more than one week to prepare for an opponent (includes season openers, games after “off” weeks and post-season games).
- In first-time matchups vs. an opposing coach, Meyer’s teams are 94-15.
- Meyer’s Buckeye teams have set and/or tied 34 team records — includes Ohio State, NCAA and Big Ten — including NCAA wins in a season (14 in 2014), Big Ten rushing yards in a season (4,321 yards in 2013, but that has since been broken) and total offensive yards (7,674), school overall winning streak (24), road winning streak (22), and Big Ten (30) winning streaks.
- Both the Sporting News and Sports Illustrated named Meyer “Coach of the Decade” in December 2009.
- Meyer has watched as a total of 62 players he coached the previous season get selected in the NFL Draft, including 16 first-round draft picks.
- At the 2016 NFL Draft, five of Meyer’s players were drafted in the first round, tying the mark for the second-most first-round picks in one draft. The first-round picks were Joey Bosa (No. 3 to San Diego), Ezekiel Elliott (No. 4 to Dallas), Eli Apple (No. 10 to the New York Giants), Taylor Decker (No. 16 to Detroit) and Darron Lee (No. 20 to the New York Jets).
- A total of 12 Buckeyes were selected in the 2016 NFL Draft, with the total tying the NFL Draft record for most picks in the first two rounds (seven) and setting draft records for most picks through three rounds (10) and four rounds (12).
- Of Meyer’s 62 NFL Draft picks, four were quarterbacks, including first-round picks for Utah’s Alex Smith (San Francisco, 2005) and Florida’s Tim Tebow (Denver, 2010) with Smith the overall No. 1 pick.
- Smith and Tebow rank first and third, respectively, in the NCAA record books for passing efficiency; Smith in the 325-399 completions category and Tebow in the 500-or-more completion category.
- Between 2006-10, Meyer and Florida had more first round NFL Draft picks — eight — than any other school.
- Meyer’s first-round draft picks include UF offensive linemen Maurkice Pouncey (Pittsburgh, 2010) and Mike Pouncey (Miami, 2011); UF defensive linemen Jarvis Moss (Denver, 2007) and Derrick Harvey (Jacksonville, 2008); UF defensive backs Reggie Nelson (Jacksonville, 2007) and Joe Haden (Cleveland, 2010); UF wide receiver/running back Percy Harvin (Minnesota, 2009); Ohio State linebacker Ryan Shazier (Pittsburgh, 2014); and Ohio State cornerback Bradley Roby (Denver, 2014).
- Eleven (11) of Meyer’s former assistant coaches are FBS head coaches: Steve Addazio (Boston College); Gary Andersen (Oregon State); Chris Ash (Rutgers); D.J. Durkin (Maryland); Luke Fickell (Cincinnati); Tom Herman (Texas); John “Doc Holliday (Marshall); Dan Mullen (Mississippi State), Charlie Strong (South Florida); Kyle Whittingham (Utah); and Everett Withers (Texas State).
Urban Meyer Quick Facts
Hometown: Ashtabula, Ohio
High School: St. John
Age: 52
Alma Mater: Cincinnati, 1986
Master’s Degree: Ohio State, 1988
Year in Coaching: 31st (Sixth year at Ohio State)
Wife: Shelley
Family: Daughters, Nicki and Gigi, son, Nate, son-in-law Corey Dennis and grandson, Troy
| COACHING EXPERIENCE | ||
| Year | Title | School |
| 2012-pres. | Head Coach | Ohio State |
| 2005-10 | Head Coach | Florida |
| 2003-04 | Head Coach | Utah |
| 2001-02 | Head Coach | Bowling Green |
| 1996-00 | Wide Receivers | Notre Dame |
| 1990-95 | Wide Receivers | Colorado State |
| 1989 | Quarterbacks/Wide Receivers | Illinois State |
| 1988 | Outside Linebackers | Illinois State |
| 1987 | Grad Assistant (Wide Receivers) | Ohio State |
| 1986 | Grad Assistant (Tight Ends) | Ohio State |
HEAD COACHING RECORD
| Year | School | Record | Conference Record (Finish) | ||
| 2001 | Bowling Green | 8-3 | 5-3 | ||
| 2002 | Bowling Green | 9-3 | 6-2 | ||
| 2003 | Utah | 10-2 | 6-1 (First) | ||
| 2004 | Utah | 12-0 | 7-0 (First) | ||
| 2005 | Florida | 9-3 | 5-3 | ||
| 2006 | Florida | 13-1 | 7-1 (First) | ||
| 2007 | Florida | 9-4 | 5-3 | ||
| 2008 | Florida | 13-1 | 7-1 (First) | ||
| 2009 | Florida | 13-1 | 8-0 (First, East) | ||
| 2010 | Florida | 8-5 | 4-4 | ||
| 2012 | Ohio State | 12-0 | 8-0 | ||
| 2013 | Ohio State | 12-2 | 8-0 (1st/Lea.) | ||
| 2014 | Ohio State | 14-1 | 8-0 (First) | ||
| 2015 | Ohio State | 12-1 | 7-1 (T1st/Ea.) | ||
| 2016 | Ohio State | 11-2 | 7-1 (T1st/Ea.) | ||
| Ohio State Totals: | 5 Years | 61-6 | 38-2 | ||
| Totals: | 15 Years | 165-29 | 98-20 |
Detailed Coaching Records
| Career Home Record Ohio State Home Record | 91-9 (.910) 34-2 (.944) |
| Career Road Record Ohio State Road Record | 55-14 (.797) 22-1 (.957) |
| Career Neutral Field Record Ohio State Neutral Field Record | 19-6 (.760) 5-3 (.625) |
| Career vs. Top 25 | 37-14 (.725) |
| Career vs. Top 10 | 20-8 (.714) |
| Career vs. Top 5 | 11-4 (.733) |
| Career vs. No. 1 | 3-2 (.600) |
| Career in Overtime | 8-0 (1.000) |
| Career in Bowl/Playoff Games | 10-3 (.769) |
| Career in CFP Games | 2-1 (.667) |
| Career in Conf. Championship Games | 3-2 (.600) |
| Career in National Championship Games | 3-0 (1.000) |
Urban Meyer — Game-by-Game
BOWLING GREEN – 2001 (8-3; 5-3 MAC)
| Sept. 1 | at Missouri | W | 20-13 |
| Sept. 8 | Buffalo | W | 35-0 |
| Sept. 22 | Temple | W | 42-23 |
| Sept. 29 | at Marshall | L | 31-37 |
| Oct. 6 | Kent State | W | 24-7 |
| Oct. 13 | at W. Michigan | L | 28-37 |
| Oct. 20 | at Akron | W | 16-11 |
| Nov. 3 | Miami | L | 21-24 |
| Nov. 10 | at Ohio | W | 17-0 |
| Nov. 17 | at Northwestern | W | 43-42 |
| Nov. 23 | Toledo | W | 56-21 |
BOWLING GREEN – 2002 (9-3; 6-2 MAC)
| Aug. 29 | Tennessee Tech | W | 41-7 |
| Sept. 14 | Missouri | W | 51-28 |
| Sept. 21 | at Kansas | W | 39-16 |
| Oct. 5 | Ohio | W | 72-21 |
| Oct. 12 | at C. Michigan | W | 45-35 |
| Oct. 19 | W. Michigan | W | 48-45 OT |
| Oct. 26 | Ball State | W | 38-20 |
| Nov. 2 | at Kent State | W | 45-14 |
| Nov. 9 | at N. Illinois | L | 17-26 |
| Nov. 16 | at USF | L | 7-29 |
| Nov. 23 | E. Michigan | W | 63-21 |
| Nov. 30 | at Toledo | L | 24-42 |
UTAH – 2003 (10-2; 6-1 MWC/CHAMPION)
| Aug. 28 | Utah State | W | 40-20 |
| Sept. 6 | at Texas A&M | L | 26-28 |
| Sept. 11 | California | W | 31-24 |
| Sept. 27 | at Colorado State | W | 28-21 |
| Oct. 3 | Oregon | W | 17-13 |
| Oct. 11 | San Diego State | W | 27-6 |
| Oct. 18 | at UNLV | W | 28-10 |
| Oct. 25 | New Mexico | L | 35-47 |
| Nov. 1 | at Air Force | W | 45-43 (3OT) |
| Nov. 15 | Wyoming | W | 47-17 |
| Nov. 22 | at BYU | W | 3-0 |
| Dec. 31 | vs. Southern Miss@ | W | 17-0 |
@Liberty Bowl at Memphis
UTAH – 2004 (12-0; 7-0 MWC/CHAMPION)
| Sept. 2 | Texas A&M | W | 41-21 |
| Sept. 11 | at Arizona | W | 23-6 |
| Sept. 18 | at Utah State | W | 48-6 |
| Sept. 25 | Air Force | W | 49-35 |
| Oct. 1 | at New Mexico | W | 28-7 |
| Oct. 16 | North Carolina | W | 46-16 |
| Oct. 23 | UNLV | W | 63-28 |
| Oct. 30 | at San Diego State | W | 51-28 |
| Nov. 6 | Colorado State | W | 63-31 |
| Nov. 13 | at Wyoming | W | 45-28 |
| Nov. 20 | BYU | W | 52-21 |
| Jan. 1 | vs. Pittsburgh@ | W | 35-7 |
@Fiesta Bowl at Scottsdale, Ariz.
FLORIDA – 2005 (9-3; 5-3 SEC)
| Sept. 3 | Wyoming | W | 32-14 |
| Sept. 10 | Louisiana Tech | W | 41-3 |
| Sept. 17 | Tennessee | W | 16-7 |
| Sept. 24 | at Kentucky | W | 49-28 |
| Oct. 1 | at Alabama | L | 3-31 |
| Oct. 8 | Mississippi St. | W | 35-9 |
| Oct. 15 | at LSU | L | 17-21 |
| Oct. 29 | vs. Georgia* | W | 14-10 |
| Nov. 5 | Vanderbilt | W | 49-42 (2OT) |
| Nov. 12 | at South Carolina | L | 22-30 |
| Nov. 26 | Florida State | W | 34-7 |
| Jan. 2 | vs. Iowa@ | W | 31-24 |
*at Jacksonville; @Outback Bowl at Tampa, Fla.
FLORIDA – 2006 (13-1; 7-1 SEC/CHAMPION; NATIONAL CHAMPION)
| Sept. 2 | Southern Miss | W | 34-7 |
| Sept. 9 | UCF | W | 42-0 |
| Sept. 16 | at Tennessee | W | 21-20 |
| Sept. 23 | Kentucky | W | 26-7 |
| Sept. 30 | Alabama | W | 28-13 |
| Oct. 7 | LSU | W | 23-10 |
| Oct. 14 | at Auburn | L | 17-27 |
| Oct. 28 | vs. Georgia* | W | 21-14 |
| Nov. 4 | at Vanderbilt | W | 25-19 |
| Nov. 11 | South Carolina | W | 17-16 |
| Nov. 18 | Western Carolina | W | 62-0 |
| Nov. 25 | at Florida State | W | 21-14 |
| Dec. 2 | vs. Arkansas# | W | 38-28 |
| Jan. 8 | vs. Ohio State@ | W | 41-14 |
* at Jacksonville, Fla.; # SEC Championship game at Atlanta; @ BCS National Championship at Scottsdale, Ariz.
FLORIDA – 2007 (9-4; 5-3 SEC)
| Sept. 1 | W. Kentucky | W | 49-3 |
| Sept. 8 | Troy | W | 59-31 |
| Sept. 15 | Tennessee | W | 59-20 |
| Sept. 22 | at Ole Miss | W | 30-24 |
| Sept. 29 | Auburn | L | 17-20 |
| Oct. 6 | at LSU | L | 24-28 |
| Oct. 20 | at Kentucky | W | 45-37 |
| Oct. 27 | vs. Georgia* | L | 30-42 |
| Nov. 3 | Vanderbilt | W | 49-22 |
| Nov. 10 | at So. Carolina | W | 51-31 |
| Nov. 17 | Fla. Atlantic | W | 59-20 |
| Nov. 24 | Florida State | W | 45-12 |
| Jan. 1 | vs. Michigan@ | L | 35-41 |
*at Jacksonville, Fla.; @Capital One Bowl at Orlando, Fla.
FLORIDA – 2008 (13-1; 7-1 SEC/CHAMPION; NATIONAL CHAMPION)
| Aug. 30 | Hawaii | W | 56-10 |
| Sept. 6 | Miami | W | 26-3 |
| Sept. 20 | at Tennessee | W | 30-6 |
| Sept. 27 | Ole Miss | L | 30-31 |
| Oct. 4 | at Arkansas | W | 38-7 |
| Oct. 11 | LSU | W | 51-21 |
| Oct. 25 | Kentucky | W | 63-5 |
| Nov. 1 | vs. Georgia* | W | 49-10 |
| Nov. 8 | at Vanderbilt | W | 42-12 |
| Nov. 15 | So. Carolina | W | 56-6 |
| Nov. 22 | The Citadel | W | 70-19 |
| Nov. 29 | at Florida State | W | 45-15 |
| Dec. 6 | vs. Alabama# | W | 31-20 |
| Jan. 8 | vs. Oklahoma@ | W | 24-14 |
*at Jacksonville, Fla.; #SEC championship game at Atlanta; @BCS National Championship game at Miami, Fla.
FLORIDA – 2009 (13-1; 7-1 SEC)
| Sept. 5 | Charleston Southern | W | 62-3 |
| Sept. 12 | Troy | W | 56-6 |
| Sept. 19 | Tennessee | W | 23-13 |
| Sept. 26 | at Kentucky | W | 41-7 |
| Oct. 10 | at LSU | W | 13-3 |
| Oct. 17 | Arkansas | W | 23-20 |
| Oct. 24 | at Mississippi State | W | 29-19 |
| Oct. 31 | vs. Georgia* | W | 41-17 |
| Nov. 7 | Vanderbilt | W | 27-3 |
| Nov. 14 | at South Carolina | W | 24-14 |
| Nov. 21 | Florida International | W | 62-3 |
| Nov. 28 | Florida State | W | 37-0 |
| Dec. 5 | vs. Alabama# | L | 13-32 |
| Jan. 1 | vs. Cincinnati@ | W | 51-24 |
*at Jacksonville, Fla.; #SEC championship game at Atlanta; @Sugar Bowl at New Orleans
FLORIDA – 2010 (8-5; 4-4 SEC)
| Sept. 4 | Miami Univ. | W | 34-12 |
| Sept. 11 | South Florida | W | 38-14 |
| Sept. 18 | at Tennessee | W | 31-17 |
| Sept. 25 | Kentucky | W | 48-14 |
| Oct. 2 | at Alabama | L | 3-31 |
| Oct. 9 | LSU | L | 29-33 |
| Oct. 16 | Mississippi State | L | 7-10 |
| Oct. 30 | vs. Georgia* | W | 34-31 OT |
| Nov. 6 | at Vanderbilt | W | 55-14 |
| Nov. 13 | South Carolina | L | 14-36 |
| Nov. 20 | Appalachian State | W | 48-10 |
| Nov. 27 | at Florida State | L | 7-31 |
| Jan. 1 | vs. Penn State@ | W | 37-24 |
*at Jacksonville, Fla.; @Outback Bowl at Tampa, Fla.
OHIO STATE – 2012 (12-0; 8-0 BIG TEN)
| Sept. 1 | Miami Univ. | W | 56-10 |
| Sept. 8 | Central Florida | W | 31-16 |
| Sept. 15 | California | W | 35-28 |
| Sept. 22 | UAB | W | 29-15 |
| Sept. 29 | at Michigan State | W | 17-16 |
| Oct. 6 | Nebraska | W | 63-38 |
| Oct. 13 | at Indiana | W | 52-49 |
| Oct. 20 | Purdue | W | 29-22 OT |
| Oct. 27 | at Penn State | W | 35-22 |
| Nov. 3 | Illinois | W | 52-22 |
| Nov. 17 | at Wisconsin | W | 21-14 OT |
| Nov. 24 | Michigan | W | 26-21 |
OHIO STATE – 2013 (12-2; 8-0 BIG TEN)
| Aug. 31 | Buffalo | W | 40-20 |
| Sept. 7 | San Diego State | W | 42-7 |
| Sept. 14 | at California | W | 52-34 |
| Sept. 21 | Florida A&M | W | 76-0 |
| Sept. 28 | Wisconsin | W | 31-24 |
| Oct. 5 | at Northwestern | W | 40-30 |
| Oct. 19 | Iowa | W | 34-24 |
| Oct. 26 | Penn State | W | 63-14 |
| Nov. 2 | at Purdue | W | 56-0 |
| Nov. 16 | at Illinois | W | 60-35 |
| Nov. 23 | Indiana | W | 42-14 |
| Nov. 30 | at Michigan | W | 42-41 |
| Dec. 7 | vs. Michigan State# | L | 24-34 |
| Jan. 2 | vs. Clemson@ | L | 35-40 |
#Big Ten championship game at Indianapolis; @Discover Orange Bowl at Miami, Fla.
OHIO STATE – 2014 (14-1; 8-0 BIG TEN/CHAMPION; NATIONAL CHAMPION)
| Aug. 30 | vs. Navy* | W | 34-17 |
| Sept. 6 | Virginia Tech | L | 21-35 |
| Sept. 13 | Kent State | W | 66-0 |
| Sept. 27 | Cincinnati | W | 50-28 |
| Oct. 4 | at Maryland | W | 52-24 |
| Oct. 18 | Rutgers | W | 56-17 |
| Oct. 25 | at Penn State | W | 31-24 2OT |
| Nov. 1 | Illinois | W | 55-14 |
| Nov. 8 | at Michigan State | W | 49-37 |
| Nov. 15 | at Minnesota | W | 31-24 |
| Nov. 22 | Indiana | W | 42-27 |
| Nov. 29 | Michigan | W | 42-28 |
| Dec. 6 | vs. Wisconsin# | W | 59-0 |
| Jan. 1 | vs. Alabama@ | W | 42-35 |
| Jan. 12 | vs. Oregon! | W | 42-20 |
#Big Ten championship game at Indianapolis; @CFP Semifinals at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans; !CFP National Championship Game at Arlington, Texas
OHIO STATE – 2015 (12-1; 7-1 BIG TEN)
| Sept. 7 | at Virginia Tech | W | 42-24 |
| Sept. 12 | Hawai’i | W | 38-0 |
| Sept. 19 | Northern Illinois | W | 20-13 |
| Sept. 26 | Western Michigan | W | 38-12 |
| Oct. 3 | at Indiana | W | 34-27 |
| Oct. 10 | Maryland | W | 49-28 |
| Oct. 17 | Penn State | W | 38-10 |
| Oct. 24 | at Rutgers | W | 49-7 |
| Nov. 7 | Minnesota | W | 28-14 |
| Nov. 14 | at Illinois | W | 28-3 |
| Nov. 21 | Michigan State | L | 14-17 |
| Nov. 28 | at Michigan | W | 42-13 |
| Jan. 1 | vs. Notre Dame@ | W | 44-28 |
@ BattleFrog Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Ariz.
OHIO STATE – 2016 (11-2; 7-1 BIG TEN)
| Sept. 3 | Bowling Green | W | 77-10 |
| Sept. 10 | Tulsa | W | 48-3 |
| Sept. 17 | at Oklahoma | W | 45-24 |
| Oct. 1 | Rutgers | W | 58-0 |
| Oct. 8 | Indiana | W | 38-17 |
| Oct. 15 | at Wisconsin | W | 30-23 OT |
| Oct. 22 | at Penn State | L | 21-24 |
| Oct. 29 | Northwestern | W | 24-20 |
| Nov. 5 | Nebraska | W | 62-3 |
| Nov. 12 | at Maryland | W | 62-3 |
| Nov. 19 | at Michigan State | W | 17-16 |
| Nov. 26 | Michigan | W | 30-27 2 OT |
| Jan. 1 | vs. Clemson@ | L | 0-31 |
@ At CFP Semifinal/PlayStation Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Ariz.
In the History Books
Multiple 20-Game Win Streak Coaches
Urban Meyer
23 – Ohio State (2014-15)
25 – Florida (2010) & Ohio State (2012-13)
22 – Florida (2008-09)
20 – Utah (2003-04) & Florida (2005)
Walter Camp
27 – Yale (1890-92)
28 – Yale (1888-89)
Robert Neyland
20 – Tennessee (1950-51)
22 – Tennessee (1937-39)
Tom Osborne
26 – Nebraska (1994-96)
22 – Nebraska (1982-83)
Joe Paterno
20 – Penn State (1993-95)
23 – Penn State (1968-69)
Barry Switzer
20 – Oklahoma (1986-87)
28 – Oklahoma (1973-75)
Bud Wilkinson
47 – Oklahoma (1953-57)
31 – Oklahoma (1948-50)
George Woodruff
31 – Pennsylvania (1896-98)
34 – Pennsylvania (1894-96)
Fielding Yost
26 – Michigan (1903-05)
29 – Michigan (1901-03)
Coaches with Multiple Undefeated Seasons
Only 17 coaches have produced multiple undefeated seasons in the last 79 years, or dating to the 1937 season when the Associated Press started polling writers and broadcasters and naming a national champion based on their vote. Urban Meyer and Chris Petersen, at Boise State, are the only two coaches in the past 20 years to have multiple undefeated seasons.
Multiple Undefeated Seasons
Since 1937…
- Bernie Bierman, Minnesota — 1940, 1941
- Frank Leahy, Boston College & Notre Dame — 1940, 1947, 1949
- Red Blaik, Army — 1944, 1945, 1949
- Bud Wilkinson, Oklahoma — 1949, 1954, 1955, 1956
- Clarence “Biggie” Munn, Michigan State — 1951, 1952
- Woody Hayes, Ohio State — 1954, 1968
- Ara Parseghian, Miami & Notre Dame — 1955, 1973
- Dan Devine, Arizona State & Missouri — 1957, 1960
- Bear Bryant, Alabama — 1961, 1966, 1979
- John McKay, USC — 1962, 1972
- Darrell Royal, Texas — 1963, 1969
- Joe Paterno, Penn State — 1968, 1969, 1973, 1986, 1994
- Frank Lauterbur, Toledo — 1969, 1970
- Frank Kush, Arizona State — 1970, 1975
- Tom Osborne, Nebraska — 1994, 1995, 1997
- Chris Petersen, Boise State — 2006, 2009
- Urban Meyer, Utah & Ohio State — 2004, 2012
Urban Meyer Stories
