It’s hard to put into perspective the impact that James Franklin has had on Penn State. He has breathed life into a program left for dead because of arguably the biggest scandal in college football history. Even though Bill O’Brien immediately followed Paterno, he was only a temporary band-aid. In 2014, the Penn State football program was still under probation and needed a strong voice and great coach to lead the program back to prominence. Enter James Franklin. In four years, Penn State went from the doghouse to the penthouse, culminating with back-to-back 11 win seasons. Franklin is a top five coach in the country.

1. Urban Meyer – Ohio State

There is no debate over the best coach in the Big Ten. That title belongs to one man and one man only, Urban Meyer. He has a record of 73-8 (!!!) in six years at Ohio State. In 2014, Meyer did the unthinkable. He won the Big Ten and National Championship with his third-string quarterback. Before that season started starting quarterback, Braxton Miller was injured. Meyer turned to JT Barrett, who led the Buckeyes to the Big Ten title game. Then, JT Barrett went down with an injury in the regular season finale. So, Meyer magically coaches his third-string Cardale Jones up, for the Big-10 title game, Sugar Bowl, and National Championship and wins all three games. Meyer is in a league of his own and the undisputed king of the Big Ten.