1. Urban Meyer, Ohio State
- 2016 record: 11-2 (8-1)
- 2017 record: 12-2 (8-1)
- 2018 B1G recruiting class rank: 1 of 14
Urban Meyer holds the No. 1 spot by default due to the fact that he owns a national championship. The Buckeyes proved majority of the time in 2017 that they were amongst the four best teams in the country, but a 31-point loss at Iowa proved to be their downfall as they were left out of the final top four, even after a Big Ten Championship win over Wisconsin.
The Buckeyes continue to bring in the best talent in the country as Meyer will have not only the No.1 recruiting class for 2018 in the Big Ten, but the nation as well. In many games, specifically their bowl game win over USC and the conference title contest against Wisconsin, it was evident they had the personnel to explode and take over the game and until someone in the Big Ten overtakes his spot at the top of the recruiting ranks, the Buckeyes will be very difficult to dethrone.
The Big Ten East continues to get tougher, so any type of success Meyer has with the Buckeyes does not come easy. Having had to go through Penn State, Michigan State, and Michigan- followed by a win over Wisconsin is hard to ignore and must be recognized accordingly.
Next: Way-too-early college football top 25 rankings for 2018
Urban Meyer, at this point, is at the top of the Big Ten ranks and on-the-field the coach every other member is trying to chase in terms of success. While other teams are going to be a force to be reckon with next year, the Buckeyes will likely be the favorite to win the conference again.