"It's very vicious competition": When Urban Meyer's wife Shelly got real about SEC after leaving Florida

Urban Meyer came out of retirement in November 2011 to become the coach of Ohio State. He announced his retirement from coaching in December 2010, marking the end of his successful tenure at Florida. However, he decided to take on a new challenge after a season break.

In his early days in Columbus, Urban Meyer's wife, Shelley Meyer, appeared in a one-on-one interview with NBC4 Columbus to discuss the new job. She described what the level of competition among programs looked like in the Southeastern Conference compared to the Big Ten.

"We're leaving one pressure-filled situation, and we are going to another," Meyer said (Timestamp: 2:27). "There's something a little bit different down here in the SEC that's more hostile, I would say. And I know some fans don't like to hear that, but it is.

"It's a very vicious competition because all of the schools are competing for the same players all the time. And, you know, you've got to be a top dog. The SEC's won the last six national championships."

The SEC has been the gold standard of college football for close to two decades. The conference has continued to dominate college football right from Urban Meyer's days at Florida. Despite the setbacks in the last two seasons, the league continues to remain a force to be reckoned with.

Urban Meyer’s wife outlined what she was expecting at Ohio State

Taking the Ohio State job was a big challenge for Urban Meyer despite his successful tenure at Florida. The Buckeyes are known for their passionate and demanding fanbase. Heading to Columbus, Shelley Meyer knew the level of pressure to expect in their new job.

“I've been at Ohio State when we were very young,” Meyer said (Timestamp: 2:58). “Urban was a GA there. And I know the passion there, and it's awesome. And the fans are incredibly supportive.

"There's just a little different tone down here that, believe me, I won't be sad that they don't have that tone up in Ohio State. Because it's just an intensity that's really hard to explain."

“I know it's gonna be tough up there, and I know those fans want to win and I really know that they're expecting us to win a national championship because we did it down here. I'm just hoping that they realize that it's not easy to do, that it's really hard to do that.”

Urban Meyer went on to record a successful tenure at Ohio State, which lasted seven seasons. He led the Buckeyes to a national title, three Big Ten championships and five divisional titles. He joined Nick Saban as the two coaches to have won national championships at two different programs.