Even though the Urban Meyer retirement news Tuesday morning was expected, it was still shocking all the same that it’s finally real. The best coach in college football not named Nick Saban is no longer in the game.

Meyer is leaving Ohio State after the Rose Bowl, concluding a 7-year run that is practically unmatched in college football. He is 82-9 there, good for a 90.1 winning percentage. (Nick Saban, if you throw out his first year at Alabama, has a 90.7 winning percentage in the past 10 years.) Meyer has won a national championship at Ohio State, beating Alabama along the way, and he’s won three Big Ten titles and earned another Playoff spot in a year they didn’t win it.

And now, with him gone, that’s all about to change.

Let’s be honest here. Ryan Day might be a very good offensive coordinator, but he’s not Urban Meyer. He’s not going to be able to walk into living rooms between now and the first National Signing Day on Dec. 19 and convince kids to flip from Alabama or Michigan or even Penn State.

Change is coming to Ohio State, and it changes the landscape in the Big Ten completely, and it means the SEC likely will have a new threat to think about. If you don’t think it can get ugly fast — or at least not as pretty as it’s been — following Meyer’s departure, just ask all those Florida fans what it’s been like after he left Gainesville. It’s been nothing but teeth-gnashing and spitting since.

Penn State is capable and will try to take advantage. James Franklin is a good coach and he’s proven to be able to recruit at close to the same level as Ohio State. That might change, too, with Meyer gone. They do have to replace three-year starter Trace McSorley at quarterback, so the bump might not be immediately, but the Nittany Lions certainly could gain an edge over time, especially with Pennsylvania recruits who eye Ohio State hard.

The most obvious benefactor with Meyer’s departure is Michigan, which has worked very hard to close the gap with the Buckeyes during Jim Harbaugh’s four years there. They haven’t been able to do it on the field quite yet, losing all four games, but what 2018 proved to us is that Michigan probably has caught them in talent but just played poorly in their Nov. 24 showdown, a 62-39 beating by Ohio State.

Urban Meyer had his fingerprints all over that game plan, and it was his motivation that had his players whipped into a frenzy. It was the best game they played all year, at the perfect time. That was all Urban Meyer.

I can tell you now: That’s not happening in 2019. Ryan Day doesn’t have that same inspiration gene.

Like all college football powers, Michigan will lose a few key pieces early, but it has plenty of talent coming back next year, so much so that the Wolverines probably would have been the favorite in the Big Ten next year even if Meyer had stayed. Now, it’s probably going to be a no-brainer.

They key to that is whether former Ole Miss quarterback Shea Patterson stays in Ann Arbor for another season. He could turn pro, but he’s probably a mid-round pick at best in 2019 and it’s probably best if he returns for another season under Harbaugh to improve his draft stock. Patterson hasn’t said anything about it yet, but there are plenty of indications to think his return is just a formality.

When he transferred to Michigan, it was with the 2019 season in mind anyway, because there was a 50-50 chance at best that the NCAA would grant his request to not sit out of a year after transferring. He got his wish, but it would be surprising to see him walk away from the Wolverines a year early, especially the way everyone in Ann Arbor has embraced him — players, fans and coaches alike.

Throw in the fact that they have a great receiving corps coming back and their best offensive lineman, Ben Brederson, has already said they’re returning. This could be a potent group.

He knows Michigan could be scary good next year.

“We’ve got a lot of weapons.  I mean, look at our receiving corps,” Bredeson said. “They’re all 19 years old. Next year, they’ll be another year older — bigger, stronger. They’ll get another full year, especially with Shea here. I haven’t talked to him or anything, but I assume he would be. They’ll get a full year working with each other — it will be really good.”

Michigan will lose defensive tackle Rashan Gary and a few others off the defense, but for most of this year they’ve proven that they have a lot of great depth, especially along the line.

Michigan doesn’t have any SEC schools scheduled next year, but the Wolverines are certainly going to be an issue when it comes to grabbing playoff spots. Especially if Patterson stays, it’s very possible that Michigan could run the table next year. They have nonconference games with Middle Tennessee and Army, which shouldn’t an issue, and a massive rematch with Notre Dame on Oct. 26.

That game is in Ann Arbor, which is huge and will likely have massive Playoff implications again. They also get Ohio State (Nov. 30) and Michigan State (Nov. 16) at home, and their toughest Big Ten West game, probably Iowa, is also at home (Oct. 5).

So Michigan can do the happy dance today. Jig away while you wave goodbye to Urban Meyer. His retirement, it has changed everything — including the team the SEC needs to worry about most.