Ohio State's win over Iowa Saturday made it 19 in a row for the Buckeyes under Urban Meyer and 20 straight for Meyer as a head coach.
Per research by Ohio State's sports information department, it's believed Meyer is the first coach at the major-college level to achieve three 20-plus game win streaks in his career.
Anyway you slice it, that's a pretty impressive feat.
Meyer previously won 20 straight games starting in 2003 at Utah and extending into 2005 at Florida, then won 22 at Florida starting with the Gators 2008 national championship season and extending in 2009. This personal streak started with his final game at Florida, a win over Penn State in the Outback Bowl on New Year's Day 2011.
Asked after Ohio State's 34-24 win on Saturday about the streak and the record, Meyer said he was unaware such records were tracked but was humbled by the achievement.
"One day, I imagine, when I'm an old guy sitting somewhere I'll say, 'That's kind of cool,'" Meyer said. "But right now it means I'm blessed to have a bunch of very good players and a bunch of great coaches. I didn't even know that; that's interesting."
The Ohio State research showed that 41 coaches have won at least 20 consecutive games and 50 such streaks had been achieved. Nine coaches have done it twice: Walter Camp, George Woodruff, Fielding Yost, Robert Neyland, Bud Wilkinson, Barry Switzer, Joe Paterno and Tom Osborne. Wilkinson's Oklahoma team won a record 47 straight from 1953-57.
Meyer's overall record as a head coach is 123-23, tops among active Div. I coaches with at least 10 years experience.
