Pete Carroll Vs. Urban Meyer: Who's No. 1?

There are only two coaches vying for the No. 1 spot in college football.

Urban Meyer of the University of Florida and Pete Carroll of the University of Southern California top most lists of the best coaches in America and may soon have the opportunity to settle the question on the field.

Tim Tebow, a once-in-a-lifetime recruit who helped Meyer win two national titles, is entering his final season, and Notre Dame is recovering from a 7-6 season that brought Charlie Weis’ record with the Fighting Irish to an unacceptable 29-21, making 2010 the perfect time for Meyer to head to Notre Dame.

Meyer, a former Notre Dame assistant, has little left to prove at Florida, where he’s the third-highest paid coach in the SEC, and recent reports convey an image of an out-of-control program.

Certainly, Notre Dame would have no problem making him the highest-paid coach in America.

If Weis doesn’t come back for the Irish in 2010, the country could be treated to an annual duel between the two best coaches in America.

The annual Southern Cal-Notre Dame rivalry could be rekindled, and we’d get the answer to the question on everyone’s mind.

Who’s the best coach in America?

Both coaches have won national championships, produced Heisman Trophy winners, and decimated their team’s biggest rivals.

It’s definitely close, with both coaches claiming two national titles and winning percentages above 80 percent.

Meyer supporters will point to Florida’s dominance in the mighty Southeastern Conference, which has taken the last three BCS titles.

Carroll’s supporters will argue that his dominance of the Pac-10 and seven straight BCS bowl appearances are unmatched.

Recruiting

Both coaches are great recruiters who control their home states. If you’re the best in California or Florida, chances are you’ll be donning a Trojan or Gator uniform in college.

Additionally, both have proven to be great national recruiters, with Meyer landing Percy Harvin, the gamebreaker from Virginia Beach, and Carroll landing All-American Taylor Mays from Seattle.

Advantage: Tied

Coaching

Meyer has a background as an offensive coach, and his recruitment of Tim Tebow was the perfect marriage of player and system, with Tebow thriving in Meyer’s spread offense. Meyer’s offense produced video game numbers and a Heisman for Tebow in 2007 and has yet to be stopped in the last two years.

Carroll has a defensive background, and his teams consistently produce All-Americans at every defensive position. Carroll, a former college safety, may have the next Troy Polamalu in Mays. The Trojans consistently have one of the country's top defenses, and in 2008 the team had three shutouts and held No. 5 Ohio State to three points.

Advantage: Tied

Strength of Schedule

While Carroll has won two titles and seven consecutive Pac-10 titles, he coaches in a much weaker conference. The SEC is full of great players and teams, making road wins a daunting task in places like Knoxville and Baton Rouge.  

The simple fact that one team has won the Pac-10 for seven seasons in a row reeks of mediocrity. No other team in the Pac-10 is a national contender besides Southern Cal, while LSU, Alabama, and Georgia are powers in the SEC.  

Advantage: Meyer. His SEC wins are more valuable than Carroll’s Pac-10 pastings.

Preparing Players for the NFL

Carroll is a former NFL head coach who knows how to prepare players for the next level, and most of his senior starters are guaranteed to be draft picks. That Mark Sanchez could start only 16 games at USC and be on his way to starting for the New York Jets in his rookie year is no coincidence. Heck, Matt Cassel couldn’t break Carroll’s starting lineup, but he’s now a starting quarterback in the NFL.

You could call USC Tailback U, Linebacker U, Lineman U, Quarterback U, or any other “U” you can think of because Carroll churns out NFL players at every position.

Meyer’s team produces NFL players too, but he hasn’t produced as many high-profile offensive players as Carroll has defensive players. Meyer’s strength is quality, as Tebow and Harvin were two of the best players in the country for two years in a row, and Harvin was a first-round draft pick of the Minnesota Vikings.

Advantage: Carroll. He’s a defensive coach who has produced three Heisman Trophy winners and three quarterbacks who were drafted in the top 10, and he essentially has the only pro team in L.A.

There’s no truthful answer to the question, as the responses will vary based on geography, personalities, and other prejudices.

But what would college football be like without subjectivity?

There’s a mythical national championship decided by writers, coaches, and computers. Bowl selection committees make choices every year to determine which teams they like most.

Maybe the question will be answered on Jan. 7, 2010 in the BCS title game.