"I’d call them the Elite 8": $35M-worth Urban Meyer shares eight contenders that can win CFB national championship next season

Urban Meyer, former Ohio State Buckeyes coach, recently said that in his opinion, there are only eight teams who could realistically win the National Championship in the upcoming college football season.

This prediction comes as the College Football Playoff is expanding to 12 teams this season. While there are certainly favorites to win the National Championship, there are also several teams capable of making a surprise run and challenging for the title, according to Meyer.

He revealed his "Elite 8" teams, which include Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Michigan, Texas, and Utah.

“Every year, I used to do this,” Meyer said on Saturday. “I’d make circles and I’d draw — I’d call them the Elite 8. Because realistically there are not 12 teams that can win a national title,” said Meyer on Saturday. “I don’t think so. I think every year there’s an 8. There’s my 8.”

Meyer also considered Notre Dame as a potential contender, but they were just outside his top choices. LSU, Florida State, and Clemson were also unmentioned in Meyer's list.

The former coach - a three-time national champion - was one of the most successful coaches in the modern era of college football. However, Meyer hasn't coached since 2021 when he was fired by the Jacksonville Jaguars following a disastrous 13-game stint.

Meyer's net worth is estimated to be between $35 million and $40 million (per Celebrity Net Worth). He currently works as an analyst for Fox's "Big Noon Kickoff" pregame show.

Urban Meyer on the spring game broadcast for the very first time

During the Ohio State spring game this year, Fox televised the event for the first time ever, with former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer joining play-by-play announcer Jason Benetti and analyst Brady Quinn on the call.

A Twitter user named “Paul [@TheCorpatty]” shared an excerpt of Meyer's commentary during the broadcast:

“I was at Oregon 2 days ago and they had green, yellow, and white instead of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd string because they are worried about losing guys [to the transfer portal].”

While Urban Meyer has previously worked as a pregame analyst for Fox and as a color commentator for ESPN in 2011, this was his first time providing commentary for an Ohio State spring game broadcast.