Ohio State legend Urban Meyer shares brutal 24-team CFP verdict amid Big Ten proposal

Columbus, OH — Urban Meyer, the former Ohio State head coach who guided the Buckeyes to the 2014 national title, delivered a blunt assessment of the Big Ten’s proposal to swell the College Football Playoff to 24 teams, telling “The Herd With Colin Cowherd” on Tuesday that the concept crosses a competitive red line.

“I think that’s too many games, too many teams,” Meyer said during the national radio and television segment. While the three-time national-championship-winning coach reiterated he favors “the idea” of expansion and believes college football is “in the golden era of parity,” he warned that pushing the bracket to nearly two dozen programs risks turning January into an extension of the regular season.

Meyer’s chief concern centers on the calendar. “When you’re [still] play[ing] games and it’s the 25th of January, and you keep adding games, I think that’s too many games,” he said. The current 12-team format already pushes the title game into the third week of January; a 24-team field would add an extra round on campus, potentially forcing finalists to play a 16-game schedule.

The ex-coach also questioned the competitive integrity of an enlarged field, noting that an 8-4 or 9-3 squad could sneak in “barring several metrics.” Meyer suggested the selection committee should focus on “scheduling over the number of teams in the field” rather than simply widening the gateway.

Meyer’s comments come on the heels of Indiana’s stunning run to the conference crown. Reflecting on the Hurricanes’ late-season surge, Meyer recalled, “I was there, they should’ve, they could’ve and I stood there and watched them warm up; they were a national-championship-looking team.” Indiana ultimately edged Miami 27-21 in the title game, underscoring the unpredictable nature of an expanded postseason.

Whether the Big Ten’s 24-team vision gains traction remains uncertain, but Meyer’s message was unambiguous: bigger is not always better if it means playing meaningful football deep into the new year.