Ohio State vs. Florida: Can Will Muschamp Win a Championship Before Urban Meyer?

The Ohio State Buckeyes and Florida Gators may have one more game left before the season comes to an end, but it's never too early to look ahead to next season.

Both Florida and Ohio State had disappointing seasons this year but have great recruiting classes and great coaches to lead them. There is really no question that both of these programs will once again rise to the top and become part of college football's elite.

Once Urban Meyer joined the Buckeyes, many had them winning a national championship real soon. But are we overlooking Will Muschamp and the Gators? Can Florida win a national championship before Meyer and the Buckeyes do?

Let's find out.

Recruiting

Both of these teams are already loaded with talent but still have top-10 recruiting classes. Right now, they have at least two five-star commitments and other top players at nearly every position. They have tons of depth and will remain solid teams for a very long time.

It's always an advantage when you have fantastic recruiting classes, and both of these teams do. You can bet that both of these teams will remain in the championship conversation for years to come.

For the Gators, however, the loss of offensive coordinator Charlie Weis may effect potential recruits. Landing wide receiver Stefon Diggs would be huge for the Gators, giving Florida a Percy Harvin-type player once again.

Conference Talent

The Big Ten is a watered-down conference where really any team has a chance. With Urban Meyer taking over, it instantly makes the Buckeyes the favorites in that conference.

Teams like Michigan State, Wisconsin and Penn State are losing quite a few players and have to rebuild. With the track record of its current head coach, you have to expect Ohio State to reach quite a few Big Ten championships.

Florida, on the other hand, has a very difficult conference that will always be competitive no matter what. Now with the additions of Texas A&M and Missouri, it gets even harder for the Gators. 

Every team in the SEC is loaded with talent, but the good thing is they're in the East Division. Although teams like Vanderbilt, South Carolina and Georgia are on the rise, Florida is talented enough to at least reach the SEC Championship Game.

Ohio State vs. Florida: Overall Comparison

We know both of these teams are talented and have great recruiting classes. We also know that they will be top teams in their respective conferences for years to come. But there are questions for both teams as well.

Ohio State is on a one-year bowl ban, which will prevent it from participating in a bowl game next year. I don't expect that to really hold the Buckeyes back that much, and it hasn't really hurt recruiting either,as the recruits keep flying in.

For Florida, the questions are at offensive coordinator and quarterback.

Charlie Weis, who is an offensive genius, has left to coach the University of Kansas. This not only effects the offense, obviously, but it also impacts recruiting, as many are holding out and waiting to see who Florida hires. The Gators also don't have a real, proven winner at quarterback yet.

Can Florida win before Ohio State?

Who knows, but you can be sure that neither one of these teams will be as bad as they were last season. And they will be in the national championship conversation for years to come.

Randy Chambers is a B/R Featured Columnist that covers college football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or [e-mail].