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Rutgers beat writer predicts every game for Scarlet Knights
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Most would agree that things are looking brighter for Rutgers as Chris Ash enters his second season in Piscataway. Whether or not that translates to more wins, however, is still a concern.
Though the Scarlet Knights have more talent than a year ago, playing in the B1G East really limits the number of possible wins for the 2017 season. It’s entirely possible Rutgers is leaps-and-bounds ahead of where it was in 2016 but it may not be reflected in the final record.
NJ.com’s Ryan Dunleavy, a beat writer covering Rutgers football, predicted every game for the Scarlet Knights in 2017. And he does believe that the improvements made will result in more victories.
Dunleavy has the Knights finishing with a 4-8 mark on the year, with two conference wins coming over Purdue and Illinois. But would that be enough to show progress in Piscataway? Dunleavy explains:
How do you define progress?
For some, doubling the win total from year-to-year, earning two Big Ten wins and keeping some losses close will be enough to show that Ash has things headed in the right direction during a long rebuild. For others, it won’t.
Perhaps the best thing Rutgers can get out of the season is the development of its heralded 2017 freshmen, especially quarterback Johnathan Lewis. The 2018 schedule is front-loaded with winnable games.
Considering how bad things were a year ago, especially in losses to Penn State, Ohio State and Michigan, showing a more competitive edge and doubling the win total should be a pretty good sign that Ash has things headed in the right direction.
Rutgers opens the season on Sept. 1 against Washington.
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