"They're the best team in the country" - Urban Meyer identifies his top college football team for 2023; it's not Alabama
Urban Meyer has named his top college football team for 2023, and it may surprise some people.
The Georgia Bulldogs are the reigning back-to-back national champions, ranked number one in the country. However, Georgia has yet to play a ranked opponent, so it's hard to know just how good they are this season.
The No. 10 Alabama Crimson Tide is another team that has observers believing could go all the way.
But for Urban Meyer, the former Ohio State and Florida Gators coach, the Texas Longhorns are the best college football team in 2023. He explained his choice on the recent episode of "Urban’s Take with Tim May":
“They’re the best team in the country. They’re a team that in the spring, we have a researcher, Adam, that I’m very close with that we talk throughout the year, and I just started in the offseason reading about these rosters, and I actually still talk to Mark Pantoni, the recruiting guy at Ohio State.
"I just wanted to be educated on what we’re talking about. It’s amazing, some guys pick their final four, and I remember last year some people picking their final four on other networks, and you go, ‘Really?'”
Although many college analysts were surprised by how good Texas is, Urban Meyer said that he had them as his best team going into the season.
Then, once the Longhorns beat the Crimson Tide in Alabama, Texas cemented its place as the top college football team.
“Top to bottom, I think Texas is the best team in the country. I thought that going into the season, if they stayed healthy and if they just kind of figured out things, you know, Texas, you can’t go back and say Texas hasn’t had players. That’s nonsense. There was something wrong, and whatever was wrong seems to be figured out,” Urban Meyer said.
Texas is currently ranked fourth but may continue to have Georgia ranked ahead of them due to the back-to-back national titles. Although the Longhorns have Michigan and Florida above them, Urban Meyer believes that if they played Georgia, Texas would win.
Texas favored to win the Big 12
After Texas' 34-24 win over the Alabama Crimson Tide in Week 2, the Longhorns are now the betting favorite to win the Big 12 Conference title. However, despite the road win over Alabama, the Longhorns are still plus-money to make the College Football Playoff.
The Longhorns will host Wyoming this Saturday before heading to Baylor in Week 4.
Texas still has pivotal games against Oklahoma and Kansas State on the schedule, which will play a key role if the Longhorns can win the Big 12.