Rutgers has been picked to finish third in the Big East this year

We're only about a month off of some college football kids, and Johnny for one is waaaay excited. After being picked to finish eighth last year in the Big East and still having a chance to tie for the league title in their last game, this year the Scarlet Knights are tabbed third in the Big East behind Louisville and USF.

The Rutgers 11 has a big hole to fill not just at wide receiver where Mohamed Sanu is gone but hey, Rutgers has a new head coach after Greg Schiano snuck off to the NFL. Kyle Flood will lead the Knights into this season where they open September 1st at Tulane down in the Big Easy.

Breaking News: Rutgers head football coach to leave to coach the Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- UPDATED

It would seem a late time for a head coaching change with recruiting still going on but a head coaching change in Piscataway it is. The timing really does leave the Scarlet Knights in a bind with signing day close at hand. We think Schiano was a fine Rutgers head coach but boy we just don't see how that parlays into success with the Yuckaneers.

No word on any new head coach at Rutgers as of yet...

Update 4:40 pm

Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out there Greggie. There's a right way and a wrong way to leave a job such as yours. You have chosen to STIFF Rutgers and the recruits you asked to trust you. Former Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano was SUPPOSED to meet with assistant coaches and recruits this morning, Dave Hooker with ESPN takes it from there:

As scheduled, five Rutgers assistant coaches showed up at the Ramsey, N.J., school, which showcases several highly rated prospects each year. The coaches were focused on securing current commitment Leonte Carroo, a three-star receiver, and Darius Hamilton, a four-star defensive end who is primarily considering the Scarlet Knights and Florida.

Schiano never showed up nor called anyone. He just left the kids and his assistants hanging. What a classless thing to do. Those kids by the way are still free to play anywhere they want to and some just might according to Hooker:

With six days before national signing day, Rutgers suddenly finds itself in an incredible time crush to secure its 2012 class. Who will be Rutgers' next coach, but perhaps almost as importantly, how many assistants will stay at the school? Even with a new head coach, those relationships could still pay dividends in recruiting. If Rutgers decides to go elsewhere to hire a coach, those assistants may be gone. An in-house hiring could ease the transition a bit, but it will be a challenge no matter what.

It's really baffling why Schiano chose to leave through a back door and keep walking. For all the good he's done for the program this was just a really poor final chapter.

Rutgers football gameday!

Making the pivot from Rutgers hoops to Rutgers pigskin, the Scarlet Knights play in the Pin Stripe Bowl at 3:30 at Yankee Stadium vs. Iowa State. It what should be considered a good season in Piscataway (good but not great) Greg Schiano's charges can put a nice bow on a nice season with a win over the Cyclones. Iowa State won't be a pushover, having upset Oklahoma State in Ames Iowa this season, but Rutgers should still roll today.

A few questions now arise here at the end of the 2011 season. Will QB Tom Savage rejoin the team next season? Will Mohamed Sanu return? Sanu was a unanimous first-team Big East selection after setting a school and conference record with 109 receptions. He had 1,144 yards and seven touchdowns, both second-most in the league. He'd be horribly missed.

So, Rutgers returns to the bowl world after a disappointing 4-8 campaign last season. Here's hoping they can beat a battle tested Cyclones team over at the house Jeter built.

Fearless Forecast:
Rutgers 27
Iowa State 20

Rutgers football gameday!

While no game played on any field of sport is a given or a sure thing, Rutgers should handle Army next week, right? Rutgers big playmakers should be able to handle the Black Knights of the Hudson common sense would say. But the Scarlet Knights don't play Army today they play South Florida so why the Army talk Johnny?

Here's why...

Rutgers season sits on a knifes-edge today in Piscataway against the Bulls. Rutgers is 5-3. Forget the conference record, the Big East crown isn't coming their way this year. 5-3 is the true number to concentrate on. Now, think Army next week and for dreamery imagination we think "Hmmmmm, 6-3 which could be 7-3 with a win against USF. A loss today at home would leave us with only a chance to get to 6-4 next week and some higher tier bowl scouts will stop following us."

There it is, if ever a game under coach Greg Schiano cried out for MAX effort, a wild crazed bunch of Rutgers players playing their absolute hardest this season for 60 minutes it's today. It doesn't jump out on the schedule early in the year where you say THERE, November 5th, THAT'S the big game this year but funny how sports works out.

The Scarlet Knights are on a two game skid. A painful both of those losses were winnable skid. A painful Rutgers did it to themselves skid. Here's how they win today.

South Florida can run the ball and hoo-wee man they can score points. Here's the thing, they couldn't seem to stop the run themselves in October. The Bulls have lost three straight and in two of those gave up huge chunks of yards on the ground. If Rutgers can compile 110-140 yards on the ground in any combination they can keep the USF offense off the field. On defense Schiano's defensive charges must keep USF's fine QB B.J. Daniels uncomfortable. We're not encouraging say Michigan State vs. Michigan knock you down and take your lunch money and collect 9 personal fouls style of play but yes, get in his face, knock him down, make him think about going back to pass in a BAD way. Like Reg Dunlop once told the Charlestown Chiefs, "Stick him in the ribs, let him know you're there."

This is a hard game on paper for Rutgers, it is. Extra effort and intensity are going to be paramount for 60 minutes.

Fearless forecast
Rutgers 32
USF 31

Rutgers football gameday!

Running. Ground game. Pound. 3 yards and a cloud of dust.

Get ready for it today in Piscataway. Rutgers is going to run. Navy pretty much does nothing BUT run. It's awful windy today here in the Garden State. Even more running. Rutgers has a freshman QB which will most likely mean, you guessed it, more running.

Rutgers kicks off today at 2 pm in Piscataway in a non-Big East game that should give Greg Schiano some time to work on a few things before heading into conference play the rest of the way. The Scarlet Knights come into play today with a 4-1 record while the Naval Academy sports a 2-3 ledger.

Rutgers must without doubt stop the Navy ground attack. It's that crazy triple option that can hurt you in a few ways. If the Midshipmen have success running early it will only fuel that attack. It seems when this style of offense is on it's unstoppable, when it's stopped up it can last the whole afternoon long.

Freshman Rutgers QB Gary Nova has had quite a time so far this season. Making pretty good decisions and posting very high QB ratings. They will need him to be sharp today especially is passing become more that a flight of fancy. We'd just as soon throw bubble screens to Mohamed Sanu all day and call THAT the passing attack. Long handoffs if you will. On a windy day trying to get to 5-1 why take chances?

Fearless forecast
Rutgers 31
Navy 21

Rutgers football gameday!

Rutgers is in upstate New York to play the Orange from Syracuse in the first Big East conference game (wait, Johnny didn't check the sports pages today, is the Big East still a functioning conference this week?) for both teams.

Simply today, can Rutgers run the ball? If they can't all the bad vibes of playing in the Carrierdome come home to roost: rowdy crowds, obnoxious fans, girls with mustaches, and 'Cuse QB Ryan Nassib having success passing.

Again, a winnable game for the Scarlet Knights even against a team they have a horrid all-time record against. Today we start to find out what Rutgers is this season, a middling .500 club or a late December bowl team.

Until they lose we'll pick the second choice, always the optimists.

Fearless forecast:
Rutgers 27
Syracuse 24

Rutgers football game day!

Mercifully the Rutgers football season will come to a sad conclusion today in Morgantown WV against the Mountaineers and their couch burning fans. The Scarlet Knights have never won in Morgantown and if that tradition holds today the Knights will fall to 4-8 overall and 1-6 in the Big East.

This season has been forgettable oddly for the memories it holds. A five game losing streak in conference play. The horrible injury to Eric LeGrand that left him paralyzed, a quarterback shuffle and a troubling lack of wins in Piscataway.

But play they will today and with nothing to lose we'll see one of two Rutgers teams today. One that utterly folds when punched in the nose after a turnover or a long touchdown against or a team with fire in their eyes and one willing and ready to leave it all on the field knowing contact drills won't be starting again for some time. Sadly we've seen nothing in the Rutgers team this season that indicates they'll play with fire in their eyes.

Let's get this season over one way or another with no serious injuries but the entire Rutgers team had better remember how miserable they have been in November and December this year and use that as a motivational tool this off-season.

Our prediction?

West Virginia 30
Rutgers 10

Rutgers football game day!

Well it comes down to this, today is Piscataway, around 3:30 we're going to see just where the Scarlet Knight's season is headed. (4-4, 1-2 Big East) will clash with suddenly resurgent Syracuse (6-3, 3-2) in a game Rutgers need desperately to win. Yes, it's been a tough season with the injury to and emotional toll of Eric LaGrand's paralysis. Today Rutgers needs to pass block like they haven't all season and control the pressure scheme of the Orange defense. That may be easier said than done with a freshman running the Rutgers offense in Chas Dodd. Chas, everything you have learned up until now must be on display today or you, the Scarlet Knights fan, can start doing the math. A loss today and Rutgers will have to pretty much win out to get to ANY bowl game this December. A daunting task for a freshman. It's our guess, unless Greg Schiano has somehow lost this team they'll respond with a huge effort today. Huge efforts don't always result in a win but here's hoping today.

Our guess? Tom Savage rallies the team in the 4th quarter, hits Mark Harrison with a late TD and it's the Rutgers defense that puts the hurt on Syracuse.

Prediction:
Rutgers 23
Syracuse 17

Rutgers football gameday!

The Scarlet Knights will kick off, albeit with heavy hearts, in Pittsburgh today as they line up against the Panthers. Pitt will have a very nice tribute to Rutgers' Eric LaGrand who was tragically paralyzed from the neck down last week vs. Army.

The temptation for Rutgers to say "win one for Eric" is strong but let johnny pass along a story from long ago. Johnny was on his high school team and as usual, the team had lost that Friday night. Johnny got a phone call early the next morning to learn one of his friends and teammates and a team captain had been killed by a drunk driver along with two other classmates. The team had an upcoming game vs. Byron, an undefeated team well on their way to the state playoffs in Michigan. Johnny's team was merely a speed bump in their path. After one of the most difficult weeks of practice mentally, including a funeral, the coaching staff told us something very very wise, which was rather unusual for them. They told us don't try and win one for Ed. Imagine the crushing feeling you'll have if you fall behind to this team and you'll think you're letting Ed down. They instead told us to play like Ed would have played. Play every down like you were Eddie V. Our team did that cold Byron night, played like Ed would have wanted. The final score that night is burned into Johnny's brain; Brandon 12 Byron 6.

Hopefully the Rutgers coaching staff will have a similar message to the Scarlet Knights today. Play hard like Eric LaGrand did. Play all afternoon like Eric LaGrand would have. Make no mistake, life does go on and this is an important game for Rutgers in league play. A great season is still possible but the road games next two weeks will tell that story.

Today we hope for a cathartic experience for the Rutgers team and Coach Greg Schiano.

Our call?
Rutgers 27
Pitt 24

The Jersey City Desk would like to send out the best wishes to paralyzed Rutgers football player Eric LeGrand

Eric Legrand was paralyzed from the neck down late in Rutgers 23-20 victory over Army this past weekend covering on a kickoff. Johnny and the staff here are huge college football fans and as much as we love the big hits we feel simply awful they can sometimes result in such a life altering injury. Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano who spent a couple nights in the hospital at LeGrand's side says he is in good spirits. Schiano also said nobody knows about the prognosis for LeGrand going forward, it's simply too early to tell.

Until we know more, for now, we can only send our best wishes to LeGrand and his family. We'll give the last word on this to Greg Schiano:

"He has a new set of challenges in front of him but there's no doubt in my mind Eric LeGrand is going to look those challenges in the eye like he has all the rest of them and overcome them.''

Johnny and the staff are back from vacation, what'd we miss?

So to ease back into things as we fire up the servers and turn the Wayback Machine back on we thought we'd let you vent or talk over recent events that happened while we were gone. Such as:

A suitable punishment, short of death for Rutgers peeping Tom and peeping Tomette Dharun Ravi and Molly Wei. Be creative, as they were, in disseminating Tyler Clementi's world before he jumped off the George Washington Bridge. The bidding opens at a year's worth of trash pick up along the Garden State Parkway in clown suits and could probably go all the way up to hanging them from jibbets (cages) over the Passaic River as bait for the Giant Space Cat head to devour.

Speaking of Rutgers, two straight losses have this season on a knife's edge. Are Greg Schiano's Scarlet Knights forever a 9-4 team or can they storm through the Big East and grab a rung on an upper echelon bowl game?

The Jersey City Artists Studio Tour continues today from noon to 6 pm. You can download maps to the artists studios here and here and here.

What about Jersey City's newest city councilman, Radames “Ray” Velazquez? Good choice? Bad choice? Give us a shout.

Good to be back Jersey City, good to be home.

Rutgers football gameday!

The patsie part of the Rutgers football schedule kicks in today with lightly regarded Howard coming to Piscataway. The game should be a great chance for the Scarlet Knights to regain some confidence, work out some kinks (especially defensively) and get back to level with their record. We can only hope that Coach Greg Schiano stays with freshman Tom Savage who gave a good accounting of himself Monday. He'll need some games like today against Howard and next week vs Florida International to warm up for tougher foes down the road.

Expect a big dose of running back Joe Martinek. We'd also like to see more of receiver Mohamed Sanu who looked so good on Labor Day.

We won't waste a lot of ink on this game, it should be a blowout. We'd certainly have more to say tonight if this is a close one or heaven forbid Rutgers blows this.

Our prediction:
Rutgers 44
Howard 7

Rutgers football gameday!

It is not often a team plays a conference game to start the season. It's even more rare that the conference game is such a huge game and will have such an impact on the season going forward. Such is the case with Rutgers at home today vs Big East rival Cincinnati. Cincinnati is picked by many to win the Big East, but with a win today, suddenly Rutgers and their vaunted defense leaps into the favorite position.

A lot of people are saying the key to the Scarlet Knight's season is how do they replace the offense provided by departed starters QB Mike Teel and WR Kenny Britt. The 3400 yards plus that Teel threw for along with his 25 TD's don't just replace themselves. For as great a receiver Britt was he only caught 7 of those 25. Johnny thinks the key is how well new QB's Dom Natale and Jabu Lovelace redistribute that offense. Do these passes go to tight ends? Are the running backs more involved in the passing game? Another thing that will need to improve is the running game. Sooner or later your running game has to win a couple games for you. It must control tempo some Saturdays and must be able to bleed the clock on other Saturdays. Rutgers, if they have sights on a Big East title will HAVE to run better than they did last season. No Kordell Young early this year, that hurts.

If the defense is as good as advertised things are looking good. Head Coach Greg Schiano's front seven is as good as it's ever been at Rutgers. LB Ryan D'Imperio will be expected to lead the charges all season long and will have a GREAT first test in Cincinnati QB Tony Pike. It'll be a great cat and mouse game this afternoon between those two. The defense may have to pick up the offense at points early this season, this would be one of those days. Not lot of offenses come out in mid-season form in week one unless you're USC playing San Jose St. Here's hoping Rutgers employs a HAM defense this year; Hostile-Agile-Mobile.

Rutgers has a dream schedule this year. They get Cincy, Pitt, South Florida, and West Virginia at home. The league road games against the bottom feeders in Syracuse, Louisville and UConn. If Rutgers wants to sit at the adult table this Thanksgiving, meaning being taken SERIOUSLY as a BCS team, they HAVE to make hay at home. There is no reason they can't run the table in Piscataway this year.

Now, Johnny knows the Star-Ledger wants you to follow the game over there and comment over there but the Jersey City Desk offers you the ability to do something here you can't do on nj.com, swear. Fell free to let 'er rip in comments. If the refs make a bad call, say it don't spray it. If Schiano makes a questionable play call, have at it. You'll not be censored here.

Johnny hates Cincnnati head Coach Brian Kelly. He was a real dickhead at Central Michigan University, something Johnny knows something about. He acted like a perfect ass in his dealings with other MAC coaches. Johnny can't imagine he's improved that much and become a human being. Reason enough to root against the Bearcats we think.

Prediction:
Rutgers 24
Cincinnati 20

Rutgers 29, North Carolina State 23!!!

A big bowl victory for head coach Greg Schiano and his Scarlet Knights today in the Papa John's Bowl in dump ass Alabama. Senior all world QB Mike Teel hit NFL prospect junior Kenny Britt with a 42 yard TD pass midway through the 4th quarter to put the Scarlet Knights up 26-24 and kicker San San Te nailed a 24 yard field goal with :41 seconds to play for the final margin of victory. The sports staff at the Jersey City Desk were MOST IMPRESSED with the last Rutgers drive that took 11 plays, in 7:43, eating up any and all chance NC State had to come back. Never has a field goal drive been so valuable. Rob Cervini and Tiquan Underwood also scored touchdowns for the good guys.

So Rutgers finishes up at 8-5 and head into the 2009 season on a swell 7 game winning streak. Full marks to the Scarlet Knights for not quitting on this season after they fell to 1-5. We'd expect in light of such, Rutgers would start the 2009 pre-season polls at #1 or #2. But that's just us. The polls will do the same if they know what's good for them.