Ahead of Saturday’s clash at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, Rutgers Scarlet Knights head coach Greg Schiano addressed the assumption Penn State is one of his program’s rivals.

“To your question, as far as a rival goes – look, we’re not Penn State’s rival,” Schiano said Monday, via 247Sports.

“The reason is we haven’t given them a reason to make us their rival. When rivalries develop, it’s because there’s great contests on the field. There’s great recruiting battles.

“That’s why so many rivalries are regional, because you recruit the same kids, and you have great games, and it grows over time.

“I don’t think you can make a rival. I don’t think you can say, ‘Oh, that’s our rival.’ I don’t believe in that.

“So, if we play well enough over a number of years here in the game against Penn State, it would be a natural rival, bordering states, all that. But Rutgers has not given a reason yet for us to be Penn State’s rival. That’s up to us.”

Dating to 1918, the Scarlet Knights and Nittany Lions have met 30 times, with Penn State holding a 28-2 edge, including 13-straight victories.

Schiano is familiar with State College, having served as a graduate assistant for the Nittany Lions in 1990 and their defensive backs coach from 1991-95.

In his second stint as Rutgers’ head coach, he did not face Penn State his first time around. Prior to joining the Big Ten Conference in 2014, the last time the Scarlet Knights battled the Nittany Lions was 1995.

Saturday’s action will kick at 12 p.m. ET on FS1.