I don’t doubt that when you read the title of today’s discussion, you questioned when the Rutgers football program was ever on a “rise.” To that, I’d like to clarify that it wasn’t a particularly steep rise, but it was nonetheless visible, as the Scarlet Knights finished both 2023 and 2024 with bowl appearances and winning records.
Sadly, 2025 did not follow the trend, and saw them slip back down to a much-more-familiar outcome of 5-7.
Now if you’re anything like me, you pity underdog programs like Rutgers, and would love nothing more than to see them finally figure out how to hold their own. Luckily for the 2026 Knights, their schedule seems to have the same longing.
For starters, the non-conference lineup could not be easier, and I mean even by a Rutgers standard. UMass, Boston College, Howard—that’s it. The winningest of that trio last season? Howard, but even the Bison failed to field a winning team, going 5-7, which feels closer to 2-10 when graded competitively on an FBS curve. Simply put, I see no reason for a team that’s experienced what the Scarlet Knights have to not go perfect in those games.
Just like that, Rutgers is halfway bowling! Surely it can scrape together three more wins to hit that much-desired .500 mark! I share that enthusiasm, but I’ll do you one better: it would be a wasted opportunity if the Knights were to win that little from the B1G slate they have this year.
When continuing to go off of 2025 implications, the podium for toughest opponents Rutgers has consists of Indiana, USC and Michigan. What do they all have in common? They all have to go to Piscataway.
Does that alone mean any of them will fall to the Scarlet Knights? No way, but it only adds to the surplus of morale brought on by the mediocrity beyond them.
Maryland, Northwestern, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Iowa State—ahem, pardon me, Penn State—and Michigan State? Are we serious? That's the gauntlet we’re fearing could keep Rutgers down? There are no wins for the Knights in that bunch I’d write off as “easy,” but especially once you weigh homefield advantage and/or “trap game” potential, I’d be bummed if we didn’t get a pleasant surprise or two out of it.
With that said, I’m obviously not investing to see some scarlet greatness here, but if Rutgers can’t pull off its best season in years with this schedule, I don’t know when it’ll get another chance to in a Big Ten that's still evolving at such a rapid pace.
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