SB Nation - Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Big Ten exapansion talk...again?

John M (The Crimson Quarry) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 18:54:24 -0000

As I mentioned in yesterday's headlines post, Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez reopened expansion discussion with these comments:

Speaking to Wisconsin's athletic board on Friday, Alvarez, the former longtime Badgers football coach, said the conference already has investigated possibilities for expansion "from all over the country." And though he places no timetable on the search, Alvarez thinks conference commissioner Jim Delany will respond to a group of athletic directors and coaches who want expansion. "I have a sense he is going to take this year to really be more aggressive about it," Alvarez told the board. "I just think everybody feels [expansion] is the direction to go, coaches and administrators."

Expansion is not something that the Big Ten undertakes lightly. Penn State joined in 1990. Michigan State joined in 1950. Before that, the last new members to join were Indiana and Iowa in 1899. The University of Chicago is the only school to leave the Big Ten permanently (per Wikipedia, Michigan left the conference from 1907-1916, but was a charter member when the conference was formed in 1896). All current and former members of the Big Ten are major research institutions ranked in the top 100 by US News & World Report and are members of the Association of American Universities. The Big Ten cares about its brand, academically and athletically.

Certainly, expansion isn't a new topic around here. In this post, nearly two and a half years ago, after comments by Jim Delany about expanding the geographic borders of the conference, I discussed the various possible members in states that border the current Big Ten footprint (but not schools within the footprint. Last May, I mentioned Joe Paterno's East Coast expansion dreams. So, here's a rundown of the candidates.

One issue that I don't think matters to the discussion is the Notre Dame issue. While it's an interesting issue, it doesn't add much to the expansion discussion because 1) Notre Dame is extremely unlikely to join the Big Ten; and 2) if #1 ceases to be true, then Notre Dame is an obvious fit as the 12th school and no further discussion is required. This post will focus on the other schools both inside and outside the footprint that might be plausible candidates. My inclusion of any school in this list should not be considered any sort of an endorsement. I will list every school in or adjacent to Big Ten territory that has anything approaching a big time athletic program.

INSIDE THE FOOTPRINT (from east to west)

University of Pittsburgh

Football: The Panthers have a strong history and have won multiple national championships, but most recently in 1976. The Panthers' fan support pales in comparison to that of Penn State, but in recent years have been reasonably respectable. It has been a generation since Pitt could legitimately be considered a football power, but the Panthers certainly wouldn't be a stretch for Big Ten membership in this regard.
Basketball: Historically, Pitt has been an afterthought, but thanks to the accomplishments of former coach Ben Howland and current coach Jamie Dixon, the Panthers have transformed into one of the best programs in the country. In the late 1990s, Pitt tore down its football stadium, became a tenant of the Steelers at then-new Heinz Field, and built a state-of-the-art basketball arena where the football stadium once stood.
US News Ranking: 56 (five current Big Ten members are ranked lower).
AAU member?: Yes.
Fit/Big Ten interest: Pitt, as a large research university within the Big Ten footprint, has much in common with Big Ten schools, and would have been a good fit at any point over the last few decades. Still, the Panthers plow no new ground. The Big Ten, thanks to Penn State, already has a strong presence in Pittsburgh. The Panthers, even during an excellent 2009 season, averaged only 53,000 in attendance at a stadium with a capacity of over 65,000. Would Pitt, plus the addition of a championship game, result in a net revenue gain for the conference? I have my doubts.
Likelihood of interest:I suspect that from a financial perspective, membership would be tough to decline for Pitt. The Big East, however competitive, provides a fraction of the football revenue. In 2007-08, Pitt ranked #61 in Division I-A with $39 million in revenue. Northwestern was last in the Big Ten with $41 million in revenue that year, and Indiana was next-to-last with $56 million, nearly 20 million more than one of the most prominent programs in the Big East. Also, it would be an academic boon for Pitt. The interesting question would be to what degree Jamie Dixon and his East Coast recruiting would play a role. My guess is that Dixon would be opposed, but my further guess is that his opposition wouldn't be enough.

University of Cincinnati

Football: Barely more than a decade ago, Cincinnati was on IU's schedule as a MAC-style warmup game. In 2009, the Bearcats were a missed Texas field goal away from playing for the national championship. Still, Cincy plays in a 35,000 seat stadium, and Brian Kelly's decision to head to Notre Dame seems to confirm that the Bearcats have nowhere to go but down.
Basketball: Cincinnati is a legitimate historical power. The Bearcats won two NCAA titles in the 1960s and were excellent under Bob Huggins in the 1900s and 2000s.
US News Ranking: Tier 3 (all Big Ten schools are Tier 1)
AAU member?: No.
Fit: It's really pointless to debate Cincinnati's athletic merits, whether Ohio State would oppose it, or anything else. A tier 3 commuter school like Cincinnati never will garner the support the Big Ten's presidents.
Likelihood of interest: Cincinnati is a Big East school with no long history in the conference and located in the heart of Big Ten territory. I presume Cincinnati would jump at the chance in the unlikely event it were offered.

Iowa State University

Football: Other than some recent wins over dramatically more talented Iowa teams, not much to write home about. Iowa State ranks #103 in all-time winning percentage among current Division I-A members. Only Northwestern and IU rank lower. Unlike even Northwestern and IU, Iowa State has never played in one of the current BCS bowls.
Basketball: A bit better than football, but not much. Iowa State hasn't been to the Final Four since 1944 and has only 13 NCAA Tournament appearances.
US News Ranking: 88, below all Big Ten schools, but Tier 1.
AAU member?: Yes.
Fit/Big Ten interest: This is a school that is often mentioned in discussions on Big Ten expansion, and the appeal is completely lost on me. The Cyclones have a lackluster history in both sports, the Big Ten already has representation in Iowa, which is a fairly small state with no major media markets. Unless the creation of a championship game is some sort of cure-all, I can't imagine how anyone could argue that adding Iowa State would make the Big Ten a better conference.
Likelihood of interest: I sincerely have no idea. I have no read on Iowa State fans. I don't know if they prefer to be in a different conference from their rival Hawkeyes or if they would rather go toe-to-toe with Iowa in the Big Ten. I presume, perhaps unfairly, that most Big East teams would make the leap. It's a tougher read when the prospective team has a generations-long connection to a prominent conference. Iowa State ranked #63 in football revenue in 2007-08, and the Big 12 has inbalanced revenue distribution.

OUTSIDE THE FOOTPRINT

Rutgers University

Football: The Scarlet Knights played in the first-ever college football game but haven't done much to distinguish themselves since then. Rutgers has parlayed some success under Greg Schiano into strong attendance, stadium expansion, and the like, but would it be appealing for Rutgers to leave an eastern conference that it theoretically can dominate to join a conference where it must compete with Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State? Rutgers has won 50 percent of its games (#78 in I-A) and has never played in a New Year's Day bowl or in one of the current BCS bowls.
Basketball: The Scarlet Knights have been to the NCAA Tournament six times in school history, most recently in 1991. Rutgers plays its home games in the RAC, and 8,000 bandbox.
US News Ranking: 66, within the range of Big Ten schools.
AAU member?: Yes.

Fit: Academically, fine. Athletically, the Scarlet Knights are well below average in the two sports that matter. Rutgers is a popular hobby horse for Joe Paterno and others, usually based on Rutgers's presence in the greater New York metro area/media market. This strikes me as overblown. If being in such an area matters, then why does Rutgers play in a 8,000 seat basketball arena? Why was the football stadium only recently expanded from 41,000? This would be a nice addition for Big Ten alumni who live in New York, but letting Rutgers in wouldn't turn NYC into a Big Ten town.
Likelihood of interest: Rutgers is one of the more profitable Big East football programs with 2007-08 revenue of $50 million. I presume the academic pull would be strong, but I can imagine some reticence about the idea of New Jersey's state university joining such a distinctly midwestern institution.

Syracuse University

Football: The Orange have been down for several years, but they are a traditional football power. Historically, if not recently, the football program would be a reasonable addition to the Big Ten.
Basketball: Under the leadership of Jim Boeheim, Syracuse has been one of the most successful programs of the last 25 years, winning the 2003 NCAA title and finishing second twice (wouldn't the "Keith Smart, Keith Smart!" chant be fun?). Of course, Syracuse was a charter member of the Big East and is highly identified with that conference.
US News Ranking: 58, pretty average for the Big Ten.
AAU member?: Yes.
Fit: Syracuse would constitute an expansion far northeast of ithe current footprint. While one can argue whether western New york and western Pennsylvania have more in common with the midwest or the east coast, my less-than-knowledgeable impression is that as a university, Syracuse is very tied in to New York City and draws much of its student body from metro New York despite the geographic distance. Syracuse is as far east as Baltimore. Still, Penn State was an eastern power before joining the Big Ten, so Syracuse doesn't seem like much of a departure. Academically, although a private school and a bit smaller than most Big Ten schools, SU would fit just fine.
Likelihood of interest: I really don't know. In terms of revenue, it would seem to be a solid move for Syracuse. On the other hand, Syracuse is one of the more tradition-rich football programs in the Big East. It's possible to picture Syracuse dominating the Big East in football. The Big Ten? Not so much. Basketball, it seems to me, would be the major stumbling block. My guess is that Jim Boeheim wields a lot of influence at Syracuse, and my further guess is that he wouldn't be interested in such a major idenity shift for his program.

University of Maryland

Football: A solid but not overwhelming history in the ACC. Maryland has had a BCS appearance in the last ten years.
Basketball: Maryland is a basketball school in a basketball conference, and has won the NCAA Tournament in the last ten years.
US News Ranking: 53, solidly in the middle of the Big Ten.
AAU member?: Yes.
Fit: Certainly, Maryland's academics and athletics are up to snuff. Of course, like Syracuse, adding Maryland would be a major move eastward. On the other hand, Maryland is located in the suburbs of the major media market of Washington DC, and as far as I can tell as an outsider, seems to be more a part of the region's consciousness than Rutgers is in New York City. If Maryland were interested, I would think they would be a reasonably strong candidate.
Likelihood of interest: It strikes me as unlikely that Maryland would be interested. Despite recent strides in football, Maryland is a basketball school, and currently is one of the better programs in college basketball's most prestigious conference. My guess is that fan and alumni resistance would be strong.

West Virginia University

Football: The Mountaineers are an above average football program with a nearly .600 winning percentage and five top ten finishes in the last 22 seasons. WVU would be a worthy addition in football.
Basketball: The alma mater of Jerry West has a long and decent NCAA Tournament history and has qualified for the Sweet 16 three times in the last five years. WVU is no powerhouse, but has a solid basketball program.
US News Ranking: Tier 3. That's pretty bad for a state's flagship public university (all Big Ten schools are in Tier 1, roughly the top 100).
AAU member?: No.
Fit: I suspect that for Big Ten presidents, academics might be the dealbreaker. In academic prestige, WVU has more in common with Cincinnati and Louisville than with Big Ten schools. Also, WVU adds no major media markets. It's a shame, because I don't think WVU would be a bad fit athletically.
Likelihood of interest: I presume, with no real knowledge of the institution, that there would be interest. Obviously, part of that interest would be based on revenue and prestige, but as a state, West Virginia strikes me as something of a region of its own. It's not really southern, eastern, or midwestern, and certainly isn't tied to the east coast the way Rutgers and Syracuse are. I presume WVU would be game if the Big Ten were.

University of Kentucky

Football: UK has a solid program, but the Wildcats are an afterthought in the extremely competitive SEC East. As IU fans will recall from the longtime football series between IU and UK, the Wildcats have impressive fan support for a team with a below average record.
Basketball: Obviously, the Wildcats are one of the most accomplished programs in the history of college basketball. This addition would dramatically increase the prestige of the Big Ten. Imagine: IU-UK, MSU-UK, Purdue-UK, Ohio State-UK, Illinois-UK, every year, usually twice a year.
US News Ranking: 128. Lower than all current Big Ten schools, but not dramatically so.
AAU member?: No.
Fit: Obviously, basketball would be awesome. Football? Well, Kentucky has good fan support, but generally is considered a have-not. I'm not sure how the revenue picture would look. Kentucky would add the Lexington market and would enhance the Big Ten's presence in the Louisville and Cincinnati markets.
Likelihood of interest: I really don't know. Kentucky strikes me as a state that despite its central geography really treasures its southern identity. Leaving a southern conference to join a midwestern conference might clash with that. Academically, it seems to me it would be a great move for a school that is not currently Big Ten caliber but is within striking distance. In football, UK would be leaving a long history in the SEC, but might be convinced that it has a better chance of competing in the Big Ten. In basketball, UK has owned the SEC, but of its three biggest rivals (Louisville, Indiana, and Tennessee) two are non-conference. It's an intriguing question.

University of Louisville

Football: The Cardinals had a brief moment in the spotlight earlier this decade, but aren't a traditional football power by any stretch.
Basketball: The Cardinals have won two NCAA titles and are a top 10 basketball program historically, or top 15 at least.
US News Ranking: Tier 3 (all current Big Ten schools are Tier 1).
AAU member?: No.
Fit: Louisville would be a decent fit athletically and geographically, but my guess is that academics would be a dealbreaker.
Likelihood of interest: I presume that the opportunity to move into a more lucrative conference, particularly for football, would be attractive. Louisville's history in the Big East is relatively short, and the Metro/Great Midwest/Conference USA were constantly adding and losing members. This wouldn't be like Kentucky leaving the SEC after generations of membership, for instance. My guess is that UL would move, but it's academic.

University of Missouri

Football: An average program historically but currently on the upswing.
Basketball: Thanks to Maryland's recent tournament success, Missouri probably now owns the dubious distinction of "best basketball program without a Final Four appearance." Still, Mizzou has a solid basketball program.
US News Ranking: 102. Below all Big Ten schools but not dramatically so.
AAU member?: Yes.
Fit: Missouri would be an expansion of the conference's borders but into a midwestern portion of the country. bordered by Illinois and Iowa Missouri has good programs in both major sports, is the flagship university in its state, and would add the Kansas City media market and would solidify the Big Ten's presence in the St. Louis market. Again, I don't have a good enough handle on the numbers to know how they would work.
Likelihood of interest: Well, check out this thread on Rock M Nation. Some Mizzou fans are in favor, others are adamantly against the move. Mizzou has a long history in the Big 12 and its predecessors, but also some discontent with the current (in their view) Texas-dominated Big 12. The Big 12 has a less even revenue distribution formula than the Big Ten. I suspect that academics might carry the day if Mizzou were invited.

University of Nebraska

Football: While the last few years haven't been kind to the Huskers, they are an elite program.
Basketball: Nothing special, but neither was Penn State basketball.
US News Ranking: 96, slightly below the tail end of the Big Ten.
AAU member?: Yes.
Fit: Nebraska borders the Big Ten by virtue of a short border with Iowa, and would be quite a western expansion. Nebraska adds no major media markets, but particularly in football, the Huskers are the only show in town. Academically, NU is good enough.
Likelihood of interest: I really have no idea. Given the significance of Nebraska football, the long history in the Big 8/Big 12, and the fact that a Nebraska program playing to its potentional should own the Big Ten North, my guess is that there would be little interest.

Well, those are the candidates, both within and adjacent to the footprint. What do you think? Who do you prefer? Did I miss anyone? I welcome all comments.

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Thursday (12/10/09) Edition

WVUIE97 — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:46:59 -0000

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU's best place for sports links, information and a few distractions from the daily grind. Today we're being brought to you by Skol, in honor of today's Miss Throwdown.

The men rolled last night and Huggs wasn't happy. Raise your hand if you're surprised. They've got one more game, Saturday, before finals break and then the schedule takes off. This is gonna be a fun ride this year, so enjoy it. Keep the tips, suggestions and requests coming. It all starts here...

What's On Tap:

Miami (OH) RedHawks vs. Cincinnati Bearcats - ESPN
Tonight on the Deuce at 8:30. Cinci is giving 14.5.

Syracuse Orange vs. Florida Gators -ESPN
Tonight on ESPN at 9. Syracuse is giving 2.5.

Around the League (and Beyond):

Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly seeking demands from Notre Dame? - Cincinnati Enquirer

Louisville football can soar again, Charlie Strong declares - Courier-Journal

Wall leads No. 4 Kentucky over No. 14 UConn 64-61 - SI.com

Villanova 97, Saint Joseph's 89 - SI.com

Rutgers men overcome loss of Greg Echenique, slow start to beat Monmouth, 66-52 - Star Ledger

Orange Scouting Report: Syracuse vs. Florida - syracuse.com

Dixon's slow return from injury still boosts undermanned Panthers - PPG

Video of Interest:

Soccer Gallery of the Week Part II:

via coedmagazine.files.wordpress.com

Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown is another gorgeous supermodel from Brazil. She's done work for Vicky's and the SI Swimsuit Edition. Here's Ana Beatriz Barros.

via www.thelifeofluxury.com

Skol image via thesmartgirls.files.wordpress.com

Rutgers Bitten by Gators, Boynton

ibleedscarlet — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 02:09:48 -0000

More photos » by Tim Larsen - AP

16 days ago: Rutgers' Austin Johnson (21) tries to shoot between Florida's Kenny Boynton (1) and Erik Murphy, right, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Atlantic City, N.J. on Saturday, Nov. 28, 2009. (AP Photo/Tim Larsen)

Browse more photos »

After 20 full minutes of play in the final game of the Legends Classic in Atlantic City, Rutgers was thinking Championship. Then Kenny Boynton took over.

Boynton, a freshman guard took it to the Scarlet Knights in the 2nd half of Florida's 73-58 victory over Rutgers in the Championship game of the Legends Classic at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. Boynton had a game high 19 points, as Florida jumped off to it's best start (6-0) since the 2006-2007 season.

Rutgers was led in scoring by Mike Rosario who had 14 points (he was also named to the All-Tournament Team), but struggled in the 2nd half as the Gators pulled away. Though Rosario led the team in points, it was Hamady Ndiaye who led the team on the floor, as the senior played inspired basketball swatting anything in his range and throwing down monster dunks which allowed Rutgers to hang around in the 2nd half.

This was my first time seeing Rutgers this season in person, and I came away impressed. After beating UMass on Friday night, my expectation was that they would get run out of the gym by a stronger and more athletic UF team. But to my pleasant surprise, Rutgers actually played with, and at times, outplayed the Gators in the first half. Though they trailed by 5 at the half, most of that deficit could be attributed to the hot shooting of the Gators from beyond the 3 point line, and some fortunate bounces that went the Gators way.

As expected, the Gators pulled away in the 2nd half. Florida is a more complete and talented team than Rutgers, and they wore down the Scarlet Knights down low in the final period. When Rutgers tried to defend inside, Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker knocked down open jumpers, and when they defended on the perimeter, Florida dumped it down low to Vernon Macklin who provided some rim-shaking highlights.

I was very impressed with Hamady Ndiaye who provided highlights with his high intensity defensive style, and Ndiaye could be seen talking to the younger Knights and giving them the confidence that they need. He truly was the best Scarlet Knight player on the court Saturday night, despite the fact that he only played 17 minutes.

Rosario started off hot, scoring 11 first half points, but was bottled up by the aggressive zone defense that Florida employed in the 2nd half. He was visibly frustrated and forced many shots that weren't there down the stretch. Rosario needs to trust his teammates a bit more and give Patrick Jackson and Johnathon Mitchell more opportunities by drawing double teams. Center Gregory Echenique was largely ineffective recording 0 points in 21 minutes, and providing porous defense. There was a span in the 2nd half where Florida dumped the ball down low 3 or 4 consecutive times and Macklin was able to exploit Echenique for easy Florida points. For some reason he has shown an inability to catch the ball down low, and is becoming a liability down in the post.

Though they weren't able to pull the big upset, I was pleased with what I saw from Rutgers. The team played hard till the end against a superior team, and for a while looked like they had a chance. If they continue to play like they did against Florida, Rutgers should be able to win more than a few games in the Big East.

Rutgers next plays on Thursday night against Princeton at the RAC.

Gator Basketball vs. Rutgers

mlmintampa — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 22:00:15 -0000

Awwww, helllll yeahhhh boyeeee! Like all of you, I was very excited when Michigan State managed to miss two shots to tie and the Gators pulled off the 77-74 upset win. But, the Gators (5-0) have to finish and defeat Rutgers this evening in Atlantic City.

Rutgers (3-1) defeated UMass Friday night, their best win of the season after losing to a 2-3 Vermont team at home. The Scarlet Knights are your typical Big East team in that they don't shoot three pointers (only 23 made this season) and are poor at the line (60%). Florida most definitely has the talent to win and they will have to do that in order to prove what all of us said last night; "Oh, this is a top-25 team."

Gator Basketball vs. Michigan State

mlmintampa — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 20:00:19 -0000

Tonight is a huge test for the Gators (4-0) as they face No. 2 Michigan State (4-0) in Atlantic City. Facing No. 2 is always a big deal, even early in the season. But the Gators have had to deal with the critique that they have been soft the last two seasons, lacking the toughness of the Oh Fours, Lee Humphrey and even Matt Walsh (you forget he played his last season with skin literally falling off his foot). The Spartans are anything but soft. Returning three starters from last season's National Runner-up, State won games by force alone, not jump shots and set plays. In their second game against Gonzaga, the Spartans rallied from a 10-point second half deficit to win 75-71. Contrast that with UF allowing a 22-point second half lead drop to 5-points, before they recovered and won by 16.

Win or lose, tonight's game does not have that great of an effect on the season. It is enough for the Gators to play a team that will punch them in the face and not let up. For Florida to improve, they have to learn how to play with rough teams like Michigan State. That's a benefit of Florida's games against Syracuse, Xavier and UMass or Rutgers on Saturday. This is a resume builder for March.

Open Thread: Louisville vs. Rutgers

Mike Rutherford — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 15:55:10 -0000

The biggest thing on the line this morning? A perfect Card Chronicle prediction season. Granted, I've only picked against the favorite one time, but still...perfect season.

I've got the Scarlet Knights, 21-17.

Go seniors.

GO CARDS.

DT Taj Alexander Commits to Rutgers

ibleedscarlet — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:51:50 -0000

Taj Alexander will walk through the Old Queens Gate next year....

Rutgers received it's 12th commitment next year's recruiting class, when 6-5 280 pound Taj Alexander verballed to the Scarlet Knights.

Alexander is from Downington East High School in Pennslyvania, and has played primarily defense this season. Alexander does have experience on the offensive side of the ball as a tackle, and it has not yet been determined where Coach Schiano and the Rutgers Staff would like to see Taj line-up.

Alexander had also garnered attention from Big East rivals WVU, UConn, and Pitt.

Welcome aboard Taj!

Rutgers falls to Vermont

ibleedscarlet — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:32:32 -0000

More photos » by Tim Larsen - AP

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If Saturday's football loss wasn't bad enough for Rutgers fan, things got worse this afternoon as the Rutgers men's basketball team fell to Vermont 77-71.

Rutgers lead for much of the game and held a 6 point lead at the half. A late Catamount charge stunned the Knights, who shot 50% for the game, but committed 20 turnovers. The loss knocks the Scarlet Knights to 2-1 on the season.

Rutgers was led in scoring by Mike Rosario who had 22 points, and knocked down 4 three-pointers.

The Scarlet Knights will next play in the Legends Classic in Atlantic City on Friday night against UMass in the semifinals. Pending the outcome of that game the Knights will then play either Michigan State or Florida on Saturday at Boardwalk Hall.

Knightmare at the Dome

ibleedscarlet — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:59:26 -0000

More photos » by Heather Ainsworth - AP

23 days ago: Syracuse's E.J. Carter tackles Rutgers' Tom Savage during an NCAA college football game in Syracuse, N.Y., Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009. Syracuse won 31-13. (AP Photo/Heather Ainsworth)

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These five words from Rutgers Head Coach Greg Schiano sum up yesterday's loss to Syracuse pretty effectively:

"We weren't ready to play"

Rutgers got completely embarrassed and outplayed yesterday in almost all facets of the game as Syracuse cruised to a 31-13 victory over the Knights in the Carrier Dome. It was complete domination, just look at the stats:

Rutgers gave up 23 first downs, while recording only 11
Rutgers was outgained 424 to 130
Rutgers gave up 211 passing yards on 17/22 passing
Rutgers forced 0 turnovers
Syracuse held the ball double the amount of the Knights (40:01-19:59)

The offensive line was horrible again (worse than they were against Cincinnati in the opener if that's possible), and Tom Savage was sacked 9times. He was pressured much more than that. Savage was exposed as a true freshman yesterday as Doug Marrone and the Syracuse defense confused him with blitz's from all over the field. Savage was unable to recognize where the pressure was coming from and is probably black and blue this morning because of it. Not to let the offensive line off the hook, but Savage needs to learn to roll away from the pressure and throw the ball away. Experienced quarterbacks learn to throw the ball at the feet of their receivers rather than take a 10-15 yard sack. Last week against 2 of the premier ends in the country (Selvie and Pierre-Paul), Savage remained upright and relatively clean the entire game. The unheralded 'Cuse defensive line got in his face from the beginning and never gave him a chance to look downfield and take advantage of the weak Orange secondary. The Syracuse defense had a plan, and never went away from it. Rutgers was unable to adjust.

College football is a funny sport. Sometimes teams that are outmatched on paper put it all together for one game to pull the monumental shocker. Rutgers was playing it's best football of the season and marched into a buzzsaw yesterday. The Orange looked like the Orange of old, while Rutgers was clearly unprepared, falling behind 14-0 for the 3rd consecutive year. But this isn't the offensive days of Ray Rice/Mike Teel/Kenny Britt where Rutgers could respond quickly. This team is not built for that, and it showed yesterday. Besides the big play from Sanu to Brown (who now owns the school's all-time receiving TD record), there was nothing there offensively. Syracuse knew what was coming and shut the Knights down time after time.

There are too many things to harp against Rutgers on in this game. But it's just not worth delving into. If you're a Rutgers fan you know what happened yesterday and it make you sick. Hats off to Syracuse, they outplayed Rutgers and earned a victory on the field, and most likely off. This game will remain in the minds of potential recruits in the metropolitan area for the next year, or at least until they meet again. Thank goodness this game was only on ESPN360, and did not provide the wide audience to see Rutgers embarrassed again.

I don't know where this team goes from here. Schiano's statement worries me. How can you not be ready to play? Against your rival? With a 10 win season staring you in the face? With a New Years Bowl game in sight? This is the 1st game I can remember in a long time where Rutgers was the overwhelming favorite and was upset. Schiano's lost the toss-up games before, but characteristically he's won the games he's supposed to win.

This is NOT a Top 25 team, and they probably won't sniff the Top 25 for the rest of the season. At times they may play like it, but a true Top 25 team plays like it every week, no matter who they play. Rutgers needs to rebound on a short week. Rutgers will travel to Louisville for Friday morning's game against Louisville, and no longer looks like the defensive juggernaut they were against USF.

Rutgers and Coach Schiano had better watchout. If he doesn't have this team ready to play on Friday, what once seemed like an attainable 10-2 season could quickly turn to 7-5.

Poll

Will Rutgers bounce back and beat Louisville on Friday?

Yes

30 votes

No

26 votes

56 votes | Poll has closed

Rutgers Keys to the Games

ibleedscarlet — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:04:08 -0000

I see a big day today for Tom Savage....

We're just a few hours from kickoff at the Carrier Dome for today's Rutgers-Syracuse game. Rutgers is a 10 point road favorite (which seems a bit low to me). Let's take a quick look at what Rutgers must focus on to win today's game:

1. Take it to the air: Syracuse allows over 250 yards per game through the air. In a dome where wind and weather won't play a factor, this is Tom Savage's opportunity to shine. Rutgers receivers should be able to burn past the 'Cuse secondary and give Savage a chance to hit the big gainer. Like he has all year, #7 should take what he can get underneath, but I have the feeling were going to see the "statistical breakout" game for Savage, as Syrcause will load up the box to take the run game away.

2. Be ballhogs on defense: The Rutgers defense finally seems to be back to philosophy that any ball on the ground or in the air is their's for the taking. Rutgers leads the nation in turnover margin, and Greg Paulus has already thrown the ball away 14 times. Paulus only averages 24 pass attempts per game, but that's plenty for a Rutgers team that has shown the propensity to take a misfired pass the other way for 6. Rutgers needs to focus on the run and take away running back Delone Carter, who has scored 9 times on the ground this season. Force Paulus to beat you through the air, which he won't, and add to that interception total.

3. Put Syracuse away early: Don't let Syracuse hang around. Rutgers is clearly the better team, and needs to bring the same intensitiy to the Carrier Dome as they did against South Florida. Rutgers would be wise to take advantage of their possessions early and build a 3 touchdown lead by the half. With a short,and abnormal week ahead with the Thanksgiving holiday and the 11 AM kickoff in Louisville, I'm sure Greg Schinao would love to let his starters rest for much of the second half/4th quarter.

It's a long road back to respectability for Syracuse, but I like where they are headed under head coach Doug Marrone. Rutgers is just a much better team at this point, and should be able to impose their will on the Orange. I like Rutgers in a rout.

Rutgers 38 Syracuse 10

SB Nation - Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Big Ten exapansion talk...again?

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Thursday (12/10/09) Edition

What You May Have Missed:

News of Note (FB):

News of Note (BB):

What's On Tap:

Around the League (and Beyond):

Video of Interest:

Soccer Gallery of the Week Part II:

Miss Throwdown:

Rutgers Bitten by Gators, Boynton

Gator Basketball vs. Rutgers

Gator Basketball vs. Michigan State

Open Thread: Louisville vs. Rutgers

DT Taj Alexander Commits to Rutgers

Rutgers falls to Vermont

Knightmare at the Dome

Will Rutgers bounce back and beat Louisville on Friday?

Yes

No

Rutgers Keys to the Games