Rutgers football gameday!

To see how big an effort RU put in last week vs then #4 Michigan State look to Ann Arbor around 6:45pm. After MSU beat Oregon they got hype. Then Oregon got crushed by Utah who had already beaten Michigan's Wolverines. Suddenly the perception was MSU's win over Oregon wasn't so big after all. Then Sparty had some winning if not winning really ugly games in back to back weeks. A real bad win vs Purdue raised eyebrows around the country. So as far as perception goes, did the Scarlet Knights tussle to the bitter end in Piscataway vs a top flight team or an average team playing a road game. Again, if MSU wins today RU's effort looks bigger than life. If not, well, maybe too much is being read into the Knight's progress.

Perceptions aside, Rutgers plays a must win game today at John Cougar Mellencamp Stadium in Bloomington Indiana. Today is homecoming in Bloomington which means the time honored tradition at IU where every fan on their way in is given a locally grown turnip. Ah, good times in the midwest.

But Johnny digresses...

Must win game yes. Playing Indiana means points are going to be scored. IU scores a lot and gives up even more. First thought, RU can't let this game be played in the 40's. High 20's to mid-30's is plenty of points and gives Rutgers a better chance of winning. The defense slowed down MSU last week and did a very nice job of disrupting first down runs and were great in coverage (and the game was won by MSU receivers holding onto highly contested balls). RU is gonna have to have that same effort for all 60 minutes again today. We think they can. The Hoosiers are last in the B1G at getting their QB sacked which means those close calls vs Connor Cook last week might get home this week. The schemes were good and the players carried them out last week. Just keep doing it.

Offensively the Scarlet Knights did a great job vs Sparty. Leonte Caroo must have another game of his life and give the defense time to catch their breath. Big pickups on third down are needed. RU needs to kill clock so by committee at RB the magic number is 120. Run for 120 and beat IU in time of possession and good things are quite possible.

The coach is back and the team is playing hard right now, unless Bobby Knight shows up and throws a chair and trips an RU running back on his way to the end zone we see an upset.

Fearless Forecast
Rutgers 30
Indiana 27