Rutgers heads into Saturday’s trip to Camp Randall Stadium with plenty on the line, even if the bigger picture of its season is already bleak. The Scarlet Knights are 2-6 overall and 1-4 in the Big Ten, and they’re trying to stop a two-game skid while chasing something they’ve never had before: a win over Wisconsin.
That’s the backdrop for Greg Schiano’s team as it gets set to face the Badgers, who come in at 5-3 and 3-2. Rutgers is 0-6 all-time against Wisconsin and 0-3 under Schiano, with the last two meetings in Piscataway turning into one-sided losses by a combined score of 94-10. The lone trip to Madison under Schiano was more competitive, with Rutgers falling 24-13 in 2023.
The matchup has also drawn a clear read from the NJ.com Rutgers Rant crew, which weighed in on the spread for Saturday’s game, with Wisconsin listed as a 16.5-point favorite and the over/under set at 46.5.
Steve Politi sees the ingredients for a much tighter game than the history suggests, even while acknowledging how badly his own picks have gone this season. He wrote that he’s choosing to go against his instincts, since everything about the series points toward another Wisconsin blowout. Still, he expects Rutgers’ offense and AJ Surace to get going in Madison, with the defense ultimately unable to stop a late Badgers drive.
Politi also pointed back to the last meeting between the teams, when Rutgers entered with some confidence after a close road loss at Nebraska and was favored against a Wisconsin squad that was still searching in Luke Fickell’s second season. That game went the other way in a hurry, with Wisconsin rolling to a 42-7 win in Piscataway. His view now is that the two programs have moved in opposite directions since then, with Wisconsin improving and Rutgers sliding, which leads him to expect another dominant Badgers performance.
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Rutgers Now Faces A Nebraska Offense In Sudden Turmoil
Rutgers is catching Nebraska at an awkward moment, with the Cornhuskers trying to steady an offense that has suddenly lost its footing. Matt Rhule made the move after the loss to Illinois, and the timing matters for a Scarlet Knights defense preparing for a unit that looked far different in September than it does now.
Nebraska had opened the season 5-0, but four straight losses have turned the conversation in Lincoln from momentum to damage control. Glenn Thomas now steps into the play-calling role, and Rutgers will have to sort through what changes, if anything, in an offense that is suddenly in transition. [Read more 🡒]
Rutgers Must Solve A Sudden Offensive Problem Without A Key Veteran
Rutgers is suddenly dealing with a thinner offensive picture at a bad time, with guard Kwabena Asamoah set to miss the rest of the season after surgery for a high ankle sprain. The veteran lineman has also exhausted his eligibility, and while he is expected to recover fully and begin preparing for the NFL Draft, his absence leaves a hole in the line that will have to be filled immediately.
The timing only adds to the challenge for the Scarlet Knights, who are already preparing for the next game without wide receiver KJ Duff because of a lower-body injury. Starting quarterback Dylan Lonergan will also miss the game, putting even more pressure on Rutgers to piece together a workable plan on offense and find answers fast. [Read more 🡒]
Rutgers Faces A Style Fight Wisconsin Might Not Let Them Control
Rutgers is heading into its Nov. 7 matchup with Wisconsin with the kind of game plan that usually sounds simple in theory and gets complicated fast in practice. The Scarlet Knights have spent plenty of time this season trying to find offensive rhythm, and this one comes with the added challenge of a Wisconsin defense built to make opponents earn every inch. Around the Rutgers beat, the conversation has centered on how the Knights can keep the game from turning into the kind of slog the Badgers prefer.
There is also a wrinkle on the other side that changes the feel of the matchup, even if it does not change Rutgers task much. Wisconsin will be leaning on a true freshman at quarterback, and that puts even more emphasis on field position, discipline and avoiding the sort of mistakes that can swing a tightly controlled Big Ten game. For Rutgers, the question is whether it can force the style of game it wants, or whether Wisconsins defense and broader approach will leave the Scarlet Knights chasing the tempo from the opening series. [Read more 🡒]