ESPN’s latest College Football Power Index has Rutgers sitting at No. 67 nationally, a spot that makes the Scarlet Knights the second-lowest rated team in the Big Ten. Their FPI rating comes in at -.2, with only Purdue ranked lower among league teams at No. 71.
That number is built from ESPN’s preseason formula, which leans heavily on what teams have already shown. As ESPN explained in a 2016 article, the system starts with offensive, defensive and special teams projections, then uses past performance and other preseason inputs to shape those ratings.
“Each team’s FPI rating is composed of a predicted offensive, defensive and special teams component. These ratings represent the number of points each unit is expected to contribute to the team’s net scoring margin on a neutral field against an average FBS opponent.
In the preseason, these components are made up entirely of data from previous seasons, such as returning starters, past performance, recruiting rankings and coaching tenure (more on the preseason component below). That information allows FPI to make predictions (and make determinations on the strength of a team’s opponents) beginning in Week 1, and then it declines in weight as the season progresses.
It is important to note that prior seasons’ information never completely disappears, because it has been proved to help with prediction accuracy even at the end of a season. Vegas similarly includes priors when setting its lines.”
The model has since been updated to account for the transfer portal, but Rutgers still enters with plenty of uncertainty baked in. That’s especially true on defense, where the Scarlet Knights were one of the worst units in the FBS a year ago. With a wave of transfers arriving and the entire defensive coaching staff overhauled, improvement feels like a real possibility.
There’s also more stability on offense than Rutgers has had in a while. Wide receiver KJ Duff, running back Antwan Raymond and offensive lineman Kwabena Asamoah are all back, giving the offense some established pieces to build around. Quarterback remains unsettled, but whoever wins that job will be stepping into what looks like one of the better situations a new Rutgers quarterback has had in quite some time.
In Other News...
Kaden Powers Could Be Holding The Key To Rutgers' Backcourt Ceiling
Kaden Powers spent his freshman season giving Rutgers a useful glimpse of what he could become, averaging 6.1 points and 1.8 rebounds while making 15 starts before his role shifted later in the year. Now, after an offseason focused on getting stronger, the guard has drawn notice in practice for looking more confident and carrying himself with a veteran-like presence, the kind of development that matters for a team trying to raise its backcourt floor.
Powers growth is especially important because Rutgers needs dependable guard play to support its ceiling in Big Ten play, and coach Steve Pikiell has seen enough in summer workouts to believe the sophomore is ready for a bigger responsibility. Whether he opens the season in the starting five or becomes one of the first options off the bench, Powers appears positioned to be a central part of how Rutgers sorts out its backcourt minutes. [Read more 🡒]
Rutgers Field Hockey Has Two Standouts On An International Stage
Rutgers field hockey has a pair of standouts getting valuable summer reps on an international stage, with Emily Nicholls and Anna Cogdell both suiting up for their U-21 national teams at a tournament running July 8-15 at the Lilleshall National Sports Centre in England. Nicholls is representing the USA, while Cogdell is playing for England, giving the Scarlet Knights two players with a chance to test themselves against top young talent from outside the college game.
The event brings together Belgium and India as well, with scheduled matches involving all four nations and a different kind of pressure than either player sees during the fall. Both Nicholls and Cogdell had already earned previous U-21 selections this year, and Rutgers will be watching closely as two of its key names continue building experience in a setting that can only sharpen what they bring back to campus. [Read more 🡒]