MADISON — Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer spent time assessing the strength of the Big Ten Conference last week. “I think our conference is very strong right now,” he said, “and our division (the East) has to be one of the strongest — if not the strongest — in college football.” In a refreshing change, not many argued. That wouldn’t have been the case two or three years ago, when the SEC had all but obliterated the Big Ten, capturing national titles and hogging the media spotlight. Worse, the conferences were headed in opposite directions and people wondered if the Big Ten could ever regain its status as an elite league. Four weeks into this season, the Big Ten has assuaged those fears. Ohio State is ranked second, Michigan fourth, the University of Wisconsin eighth, Nebraska 15th and Michigan State 17th. All except Michigan own an eye-catching non-conference victory. The Buckeyes and Wolverines are considered national title-worthy. So what happened to the creaky, behind-the-times Big Ten? Meyer and Jim Harbaugh happened, that’s what. Two intense, pushy, high-profile coaches with track records of success entered the Big Ten — Meyer in 2012, Harbaugh at Michigan in 2015 — and helped…
Continue Reading: OATES: Meyer, Harbaugh have raised bar in Big Ten football
