It’s been a rough few years for Rutgers in the B1G. The last time the Scarlet Knights won a B1G game was during the 2017 season, just to give you an idea of how tough things have been.

Rutgers is going through a coaching change this season, welcoming Greg Schiano back to Piscataway to replace Chris Ash, who was terminated midway through the 2019 season. There’s certainly a lot more excitement about the program now, but it’s going to take some time to turn things around.

Without much spring practice and an extended break between the end of the 2019 season and the start of the 2020 season, things could be rough again for Rutgers in 2020 — even if the Scarlet Knights do actually show improvement on the field.

Schiano has done a nice job recruiting through the NCAA transfer portal, adding several players with B1G experience to the roster. That should be helpful from a talent standpoint, but limited work with teammates and the coaching staff may cause some early season hiccups.

ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) doesn’t paint a pretty picture for Rutgers in 2020. Of the seven games with a projection, the Scarlet Knights are an underdog in each. Here’s how the FPI is predicting each game:

  • Oct. 24: at Michigan State — 39.9% chance of victory
  • Oct. 31: vs. Indiana –18.6% chance of victory
  • Nov. 7: at Ohio State — 1.6% chance of victory
  • Nov. 14: vs. Illinois — 41.6% chance of victory
  • Nov. 21: vs. Michigan — 16.4% chance of victory
  • Nov. 28: at Purdue — 31.1% chance of victory
  • Dec. 5: vs. Penn State — 6.2% chance of victory
  • Dec. 12: at Maryland — N/A