Bill Connelly: Maybe Rutgers won't be so bad... in 2018
Bill Connelly at SB Nation has started the B1G portion of his 2017 preview with Rutgers. After noting how swiftly the fall came (they went 8-5 in 2014 with a big win in their bowl game), he notes that Ash has been doing a reasonably good job recruiting and bringing in grad transfers to elevate the overall level of play in 2017. Also features some truly horrific advanced states from 2016.
But key point:
Believe it or not, Rutgers optimists do exist — I have met a couple of them — and if they tell you their team might not be awful this fall, don’t laugh them off. Granted, they might be awful again, but there’s reason to believe a bounce back is in the works.
The defense got a lot of experience last year thanks to injuries, and there’s a core of sophomore and junior play-makers who should produce a top-60 or so ranking this year, then something even better next year.
Meanwhile, the offense has the new blood and experience it was dying for last year.
A solid defense, paired with an offense that features Martin, Edwards, Bolin, Grant, Mitchell, and a decent line? That’s not a Big Ten East contender, but it’s not one of the worst teams in the country either. S&P+ projects Rutgers 92nd, and I’m thinking something more in the range of 80th.
National Rutgers day on this board?
I have not heard a peep about Rutgers in months, and all of a sudden we have had like 12 comments on them in a couple of threads.
Maybe there is a full moon tonight?
so we're not supposed to talk about football, hence all of the Rutger's talk...
Well done.
Hey, they won their first conference game in basketball, right?
We should only win 40-3 in 2018.
How many 1st downs though....
it's like a full moon, except that it's the color of used motor oil, and nobody pays attention to it.
God, that is horrendous.
...even when they're losing. Moral victories!!!!
I want to see the gif of the nerdy Spartan pep band girl making weird faces.
edit: "band" not "bad" - sorry.
You sure about that?
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they either give zero fucks, or whatever-the-fuck-she's-doing.
I genuinely feel bad for anyone who has to write about Rutgers as part of their job.
Bill C noted that that he'd just completed the Pac-12 preview with the top of the conference, USC and Washington (who Rutgers opens with at home) and that the contrast between those teams and 2016 Rutgers was essentially like seeing a different sport.
I don't feel bad for Politi. That guy is a hack.
Bill Connelly writes about every team in college football.
I'd take a job where I got paid to write about college football all year long.
I work with 2(!) of them. Granted, they worked out of the Parsippany office for MetLife, but...God bless their hearts
Rutgers' secret societies. They may dare to sacrifice stuffed animals in attempt to invoke the gods against us.
We must remain resolute and respond, "Say Greggy, honey, is [Rutgers] supposed to be this soft?!"
Let us share the jackpot from the Senator Blutarsky declaration, "No prisoners!" I'm pretty sure The Senator and all of Faber College, may god bless Fawn Leibowitz BTW, used to hold Piscataway in low regard too.
but 80th-90th as a P5 team is still very bad. That's where Purdue spends a lot of their time
It's sad that we talk about an "improving Rutgers" and an optimistic projection is still no better than a bottom half MAC team, which might be better than Kansas?
But 9 rushing touchdowns in 5 road games, is that really all that bad?
About 2 rushing touchdowns a game?? And then you would assume 1 or 2 more throwing TDs as well?
They were really bad because they couldn't stop anyone.
Michigan had nine TDs against Rutgers in the steamrolling last year. I had the same thought as you until I checked the box score.
Yeah, that sentence structure confused the hell out of me.
Moving up to 80th out of 120 teams is nothing to be proud of. You go from historically awful to just really awful. 80th is no bowl game and probably somewhere in the neighborhood of 3-9.
Aside from Janarion Grant, that entire program is hot garbage. I don't forsee a 78-bludgeoning this year, but I anticipate somewhere in the neighborhood of 59-0.
80th isn't that terrible. It's somewhere around where South Carolina, Arizona State, or Syracuse were last season. Since there are 40 bowl games, 80th is roughly fringe bowl territory, which would be a huge step up for Rutgers.
I guess you and I have different definitions of terrible.
They'd still be in the bottom third of all FBS teams. Granted, 80th would be a step up from where they were, and I think baby steps are all they can ask for at this point. But it's like graduating from "shit" and moving on to "crap." Either way, you're still bad.
Quick, Rutgers - Fence that garden!
Here's my contribution to Rutgers day talk:
For about 2 minutes, I thought this was going to be one of those crappy UM-Purdue games in the rain from 1995 or 1996.
Michigan may have started slow, but Rutgers ran/runs an offense from every generic high school. Fake hand off, QB slow ass read, plow into line.
I honestly had no clue what they were even trying to do.
And so much Higdon. So my internal hype that I need to take a cold shower after watching that.
yeah
I just bursted out in an audible laugh sitting in my office after looking at their total yards stat.
http://www.espn.com/college-football/matchup?gameId=400869636
One of their biggest running plays, which was like 10 yards, resulted in a fumble.