Rutgers needed a jolt. Instead, Indiana delivered another reminder of just how far the Scarlet Knights still have to go.
Curt Cignetti’s No. 6 Hoosiers rolled into Piscataway and took control from the opening whistle, leaving Greg Schiano’s team with no answers in a 47-15 rout.
Indiana piled up 593 yards to Rutgers’ 294 and spent the night turning the game into a runaway. By the end of it, the loss did more than drop Rutgers to 1-4 - it shoved Schiano deeper into the pressure that has been building around his second stint.
That pressure is no surprise given how this chapter has gone. Schiano’s first run at Rutgers, from 2001-2011, was the one that made him a celebrated figure in Piscataway.
The peak came from 2006-09, when the Scarlet Knights put together four straight eight-win seasons. In 2006, Rutgers won 11 games, beat Kansas State in the Texas Bowl and finished No. 12 in the AP Poll.
After leaving for the NFL in 2011 and later working as Ohio State’s defensive coordinator from 2016-18, Schiano returned to Rutgers in 2020 hoping to recapture some of that old momentum. It hasn’t come close.
Since his return, Rutgers has won more than three Big Ten games only once, in 2024. The Scarlet Knights entered the 2026-27 campaign with low expectations, but the results have still fallen short.
The season opened with a loss to UMass as a three-touchdown favorite, and Rutgers has never really recovered. The only win so far has come against Howard.
Saturday’s blowout only sharpened the conversation. Now in Year 7 of his second stint, Schiano is 15-41 in Big Ten play since coming back in 2020. With the way Rutgers has looked this fall, that record is enough to put him squarely on the hot seat.
The schedule doesn’t offer much relief, either. Rutgers is heading into a bye week before a road trip to Maryland on Oct.
- That game suddenly looks important for more than one coach.
Maryland is 2-3, coming off a 54-3 loss to first-year UCLA head coach Bob Chesney two weeks ago, and Terrapin coach Mike Locksley is dealing with shaky job security of his own. For Schiano, though, the next chance to steady things already feels like a must-win.
In Other News...
Indianas Latest AP Ranking Just Sparked A New Disrespect Debate
Indianas climb in the polls hit another familiar snag this week, with the latest Associated Press ranking slotting the Hoosiers seventh even after a 32-point win over Rutgers and a 21-game winning streak that keeps rolling along. The contrast with the Coaches Poll was hard to miss, since Indiana stayed at fifth there, and it only added to the feeling around the program that its rsum is not being treated the same way as some of the other teams clustered near the top.
Alabamas rise to sixth after a dominant win over Mississippi State only sharpened the debate, especially for a Hoosiers team that has done just about everything asked of it on the field. For Indiana, the number beside its name has become its own weekly talking point, and the gap between what the team is doing and where it is being placed is starting to feel like part of the story every time the rankings come out. [Read more 🡒]
Curt Cignetti Revealed What Stood Out Behind Indianas Rutgers Win
Curt Cignetti had plenty to point to after Indianas 47-15 win over Rutgers, and the postgame conversation started with the defense. The Hoosiers were disruptive and steady on that side of the ball, giving the offense room to work while the running backs drew attention for their health status and the way the staff managed touches in the game. Cignetti also touched on special teams and the atmosphere around the matchup, making it clear this was one of those wins that revealed more than the final score.
Rutgers still made Indiana earn it for stretches, and Cignetti acknowledged both the Scarlet Knights competitiveness and what Greg Schiano has accomplished there. For Indiana, the larger takeaway was how the performance fit together across the board, from the defensive effort to the offensive approach and the way the team handled the games flow. There was enough encouragement in the result to carry forward, even with a few longer-term questions still worth watching. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Left Fans One Tough Choice After Rutgers Blowout
Indianas 47-15 rout of Rutgers at SHI Stadium gave the Hoosiers plenty to celebrate, but it also left fans with a familiar postgame problem: trying to sort through a long list of standout performances and decide which ones mattered most. The offense piled up big numbers and the defense kept Rutgers from ever finding its footing, which made the teams player-of-the-game conversation more crowded than usual.
Turbo Richards 204 rushing yards put him squarely in the spotlight, while Jamari Sharpes coverage work helped define the defensive side of the win. With both units making a strong case, Indiana is leaving the final call to its fans, who get to weigh in on who deserves the game ball after one of the seasons most convincing victories. [Read more 🡒]