The Rutgers Scarlet Knights didn’t go 0-12 last season, but it sure felt like one of the worst seasons ever produced by a major college football team in a power conference. Rutgers, led by former Ohio State assistant coach Chris Ash, is trying to pick up the pieces from the Kyle Flood years, which had their moments but ultimately disintegrated into the familiar mixture of on-field mediocrity and off-field embarrassment due to inappropriate player conduct and university mismanagement of the athletic program. Ash needs a lot of time to get this thing right, and the 2016 season showed why.
How Did They End 2016
Rutgers won only one game against a Football Bowl Subdivision team, against New Mexico. Rutgers went 0-9 in the Big Ten, coming close to winning only three times – against Iowa, Minnesota and Indiana. Those were the only three Big Ten games Rutgers lost by only one possession… or even single-digit scoring margins. All the other games were decisive losses. The Scarlet Knights lost to Ohio State and Michigan by a combined score of 136-0. Michigan beat RU by 78, Ohio State by 58. Rutgers’ season was so bad that a 3-9 Michigan State team blew out the Knights, 49-0. The number of shutout losses – four – underscored how little talent and how few resources Ash truly had on hand in New Jersey. When the cupboard is that bare, anything rates as an improvement… but progress has to be expected to emerge at a glacial pace, not in a rapid way.
Offseason Changes
Jerry Kill, the former head coach at the University of Minnesota and someone who is very familiar with the Big Ten, is the team’s new offensive coordinator. Kill could be an unexpectedly significant addition to the coaching staff especially in terms of scouting for Big Ten opponents during the season.
Four defensive front seven players, including Darius Hamilton, are gone. Three offensive line starters are gone. These losses in the trenches could be seen as huge worries, but remember that when really bad teams lose starters, it could be a blessing. The replacements might be big upgrades over the low-end talent which goes out the door. No one knows if this will in fact be true, but the new players on both the offensive and defensive lines have a chance to rewrite the story for Rutgers football. If they can, this season could become a pleasant surprise.
Team X-Factor
Louisville transfer Kyle Bolin was buried behind Lamar Jackson but is now getting a chance to play. Rutgers won’t have a dynamic quarterback, but if it has a merely decent one, it could make a lot more of this season than many think.
What To Expect From The Scarlet Knights This Year
When a team falls as badly as Rutgers fell last year, it’s impossible to go anywhere but up. However, the record might not reflect the team’s improvement on the field. Getting good quality of play is more important than wins. The quality will show that this program can make a run at a bowl game – not this year, but in 2018.
Record Last 5 Seasons
2016: 2-10
2015: 4-8
2014: 8-5
2013: 6-7
2012: 9-4
Schedule and Outlook
Rutgers has a tough start to the season as they’ll get a visit from Washington in Week 1. Washington is one of the biggest favorites of the games posted as they are laying 30.5 at last check. After that, Rutgers will host Eastern Michigan and Morgan State – opponents that won’t be as challenging. Things ramp up again with back-to-back weeks with a visit to Nebraska and then a home game with Ohio State. They also have Penn State and Michigan on the docket later this year.
If Rutgers can beat Illinois and Purdue, it can reach three wins… but Rutgers won zero Big Ten games last year, so it is hard to trust that this team will be able to accomplish that much. To get the over in this spot, you’ll have to get four wins and that seems like a stretch. At best, this team should push, making this either an under or a no play.
Regular Season Win Total Prediction: Under 3
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