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Greg Schiano made quite an impact in his first year back in Piscataway.
Not many teams in college football experienced the type of improvement Rutgers enjoyed from 2019 to 2020. After losing 21 straight games in the B1G, the Scarlet Knights ripped off three conference victories. With multiple one-possession losses, there was even a chance this team could’ve been over .500 last fall.
There’s still a talent gap between Rutgers and some of the other elite-level programs in the B1G. If we learned anything last fall, though, it’s that Schiano won’t let the Scarlet Knights go down without a fight. It’s what is going to make this team incredibly fun to watch.
It’s going to be interesting to see what kind of progress Rutgers makes in Schiano’s second year. I’ve got five bold predictions for the Scarlet Knights in 2021:
1. Aron Cruickshank goes back-to-back as B1G Returner of the Year
There may not be a more explosive, or more feared, return man in the B1G that Cruickshank. He returned two kickoffs for touchdowns at Wisconsin in 2019 and added two more to his total in his first year at Rutgers last fall. Cruickshank is averaging better than 25 yards per return for his career.
Yeah, Rutgers has a pretty good weapon in special teams.
Nobody in the B1G is better on kickoff returns than Cruickshank. That’ll continue to be the case in 2021. The only question about the return man is whether or not he’ll elevate his game as a pass-catcher. If he flashes that same potential on the offensive side of the ball, he might be one of the best all-around players in the B1G.
2. The defense ranks in the Top 5 of the B1G in points/yards allowed
Everyone can agree that Rutgers’ defense looked a lot better in Schiano’s first season. Statistically, there wasn’t a huge difference in scoring defense and yards allowed actually got worse. It might be a pretty big leap to suggest that the Scarlet Knights will go from one of the worst statistical defenses to one of the best, but there’s a lot of reason to believe it could happen.
Schiano had a full spring and fall camp to implement his defense, a luxury he didn’t have a year ago. Plus, several of the key contributors from last year’s team are returning. B1G-leading tackler Olakunle Fatukasi is the highlight of the defense, but Tyshon Fogg and Tyreek Maddox-Williams make up a solid linebacker corps. Christian Izien, Avery Young and Tre Avery are rising stars in the secondary and Mike Tverdov, Julius Turner and CJ Onyechi can cause problems on the defensive line.
Expect this defense to look a lot better in 2021.
3. Rutgers upsets a ranked opponent
Rutgers is no longer the guaranteed win on everyone’s schedule. It might seem crazy to say that after such a dismal four-year run under Chris Ash, but three of the team’s six losses came by one possession. It might not be the most talented team in the B1G, but the Scarlet Knights have certainly bought in to Schiano’s “CHOP” mentality.
That’s why I think this team makes a splash in 2021 by knocking off a ranked opponent. There’s going to be a team that doesn’t take a game quite as seriously as it should and Rutgers is too competitive to just roll the helmets onto the field.
Rutgers has opportunities against No. 4 Ohio State, No. 12 Wisconsin, No. 17 Indiana and No. 19 Penn State based on the preseason Associated Press Poll. It wouldn’t be crazy if Michigan or Northwestern work their way into the Top 25, either. The opportunities are there, and the Scarlet Knights will crash someone’s party.
4. Isaih Pacheco finally hits 1,000 yards on the ground
For the past three seasons, Pacheco has been the heart and soul of Rutgers offense. He’s been a workhorse and unquestionably the best player, but it still hasn’t resulted in a 1,000-yard season for the running back. That will change this year.
Pacheco has had a solid career in Piscataway considering Rutgers’ shortcomings. In three seasons, he’s rushed for 1,795 yards and 13 touchdowns on 396 carries. The Scarlet Knights finally have some pieces on the offensive line to open up gaps and Pacheco is more than capable of using his speed and power to pick up chunks of yardage. He’ll be finally hit that 1,000-yard mark.
5. Bowl eligible for the first time since 2014
An improved team and a favorable schedule will result in Rutgers going back to the postseason. I don’t think that should be interpreted as crazy, either.
Rutgers starts the season with nonconference games against Temple, Syracuse and Delaware. There’s a real possibility Schiano’s team starts off 3-0 before a road trip to Michigan. That means the Scarlet Knights would need just three victories in the B1G to get to bowl eligibility — a feat they accomplished in 2020.
With the experience on the roster, Schiano’s culture sinking in and a not-so-scary schedule, I expect to see Rutgers breaking out the bowling shoes at the end of November.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB