So Schiano ends up as Rutgers head coach.

[homes]

Not sure anyone can save Rutgers football program, but it was a good move. After they bungled the attempt at hiring him, he suddenly re-emerges and gets signed. I can sure see Delany calling Rutgers AD and reminding him all that the Big Ten has done for Rutgers and telling him to get his shit together and hire Schiano. It's important to Delany's legacy, he needs them to become at least slightly relevant; he doesn't want to go out the door with the pox that he placed on the Big Ten that is Rutgers.

 

[hawkdrummer1]

They need to get to a bowl game, that's the floor for any B1G program.

 

[Stanzi]

He's about their only hope. No one else would want that dumpster fire of a job.

 

[Hawkfnntn]

It'll be tough to get the stink off those boots... He might make the scores of some of their games closer but I don't think they'll be getting to bowl eligibility anytime soon..

 

[Chickenlounge]

It'll be interesting to see who he brings in for staff. Word is he already told basically the entire defensive staff to pack their stuff. Not sure about the offensive side of the ball (even though both their O and D were pretty offensive).

 

[uihawk82]

He did it once before except against weaker competition. But being in Big 10 football and on TV all the time maybe he can recruit Big caliber players and at least make them respectable. Right now Rutgers loses to PSU, OSU, Mich, and MSU each year. And now probably IU. that leaves beating Maryland as getting one win against an East opponent. There arent usually two patsies in the West each year they could play so they have a long way to go to get 3 big then wins in a year.

In other words it will be a long road to go but they need to be better.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

Rutgers was taking such a PR hit from the initial fallout that they almost had to cave a bit and hire him. Who else were they going to get that could pull that fan base back in? A coach can get players to buy in, at least in a short time, but they needed him to reconnect the fan base and to sell it to recruits.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

He did it once before except against weaker competition. But being in Big 10 football and on TV all the time maybe he can recruit Big caliber players and at least make them respectable. Right now Rutgers loses to PSU, OSU, Mich, and MSU each year. And now probably IU. that leaves beating Maryland as getting one win against an East opponent. There arent usually two patsies in the West each year they could play so they have a long way to go to get 3 big then wins in a year.

In other words it will be a long road to go but they need to be better.

Rutgers has been horrible recruiting New Jersey and that area. That will need to get better right away.

 

[Motigerhawk]

You would think Rutgers could be a dynamic developmental program. There has to be athletes all over their foot print they could get. 2 or 3 star guys of course. But it is possible. Esp. with the population base they have.

 

[okeefe4prez]

You would think Rutgers could be a dynamic developmental program. There has to be athletes all over their foot print they could get. 2 or 3 star guys of course. But it is possible. Esp. with the population base they have.

The population creates some stars. Like Jonathan Taylor. But Jersey is like Illinois around Chicago in that a lot of the guys are just soft. U of Illinois, Iowa, Northwestern, Purdue - all those teams have tried working with the guys around Chicago and while the huge population gives you a few studs (like AJ or Bulaga), there are a bunch of run of the mill guys who just don't have that "country tough" element about them. I guarantee you that if you took out the 4 and 5 stars and had a 2 and 3 star team from Chicagoland or New Jersey play against a team of 2 and 3 stars drawn from a comparable population area in the rural south or even places like Iowa, Kansas and Wisconsin, the "rural" team would kick ass 9 times out of 10. If there was a 5 year stretch of App State, Troy and Rutgers having identical star rankings and no attrition, I'd guess App State or Troy would have a materially better team than Rutgers at year 5.

 

[ChosenChildren]

He's a very good recruiter. Rutgers is going to be tremendously improved under Schiano. They are not going to be the pushover that they have been the past several years.

The Big Ten from top to bottom is getting tougher and tougher.

 

[smitharooney]

Rutgers needs to energize their fan base. I know it would cost them some money but they should consider going independent to play an easier schedule. Having an empty stadium because of a killer conference schedule is costing them more in the big picture.

 

[uihawk82]

Rutgers needs to energize their fan base. I know it would cost them some money but they should consider going independent to play an easier schedule. Having an empty stadium because of a killer conference schedule is costing them more in the big picture.

But they also get so much Big 10 TV money. As Dire STraits played it money for nothing

 

[okeefe4prez]

Rutgers needs to energize their fan base. I know it would cost them some money but they should consider going independent to play an easier schedule. Having an empty stadium because of a killer conference schedule is costing them more in the big picture.

No one in the tri-state area gives a shit about college sports. There will some lukewarm support for UConn, Syracuse or one of the City teams in March for hoops if they are good. But that's about it. It just isn't like the Midwest or the South. Rutgers has zero brand equity in football and it is impossible to build it because the people there just don't like college football. I guess if you can get ND into the Meadowlands to play, they would have a good crowd.

 

[ICHawk24]

Great hire for Rutgers. Even if they remain below the top of the East, Schiano should at least get them back to bowl game relevancy.

Replacing a turrible program with a decent program helps improve the B1G.

 

[HawkU]

Great hire for Rutgers. Even if they remain below the top of the East, Schiano should at least get them back to bowl game relevancy.

Replacing a turrible program with a decent program helps improve the B1G.

Nothing is getting replaced in conference if Rutgers improves. There are only so many wins available. If they rise up somebody has to slip back and take an L for Rutger's W.

 

[HawkeyeWalker]

They need to get to a bowl game, that's the floor for any B1G program.

You talking Rutgers, or nebby.

Cause, f nebby.

 

[ModebaSan]

All of the things I’m hearing sounds like the same things people were saying about Northwestern 15-20 years ago. There are a lot of high level recruits in that tri-state area if Schiano can just get them to stay home. Then you’re talking about a team that can be competitive. And I guarantee you he will also be recruiting all up and down the east coast. There are a lot of Jersey folks living all along the east coast and in the south. Rutgers is also a very good academic institution. They may be a dumpster fire right now, but I think that mainly stems from the administration they are currently working under. Schiano is a very well respected coach and an elite level recruiter. Don’t underestimate what he will be able to accomplish there. I think he will out perform what Mike Locksley is trying to do at Maryland. JMHO

 

[Denverhawk1]

So, doesn’t Iowa change from Penn State to Rutgers as its locked east opponent in a few years?

 

[racerhawk]

But they also get so much Big 10 TV money. As Dire STraits played it money for nothing

...and your chicks for free.