It finally happened. After negotiations looked like a reunion between Rutgers and Greg Schiano wasn’t going to happen, the two sides made it work. Schiano is back with the program that made him rise to fame. The problem is the challenge is much tougher this time. Rutgers isn’t in the Big East anymore and the Big 10 is too challenging for Schiano to turn them around.
When Rutgers won 11 games in 2006, they were in the Big East. The Conference was made up of teams like Louisville, West Virginia, and Syracuse. I should clarify. Those were the good teams in the Conference. You also had teams like Pitt, South Florida, and UConn. We’re talking about the Big 10 now. Not just the Big 10 but the Big 10 East is crazy. We’re talking about Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, Michigan State, and Indiana. Rutgers isn’t beating those teams. It’s Rutgers and Maryland at the bottom of that division.
Maybe Greg Schiano can turn things around. Maybe he can make Rutgers again. It’s not possible for him to surpass Ohio State and the big boys in the Big 10. This isn’t the Big East anymore. The Big 10 East will chew you up for breakfast and spit you out. This is exactly what has happened to Rutgers since they joined the conference.
I’m not saying Schiano can’t make them better. There’s a lot of recruits in New Jersey. If he can start to win those recruiting battles, maybe he can make some noise. I just think we should manage expectations here. It’s not because he can’t make them better. It’s because the Big 10 is outrageous. Good luck competiting, Jim Harbaugh is getting crushed and he’s won everywhere he’s been.
