Coming into this season, Rutgers was named one of the dark horses of the Big Ten after a 7-6 season, including a Pinstripe Bowl victory over Miami. The Scarlet Knights schedule has them avoiding Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Oregon, and Iowa.
This favorable schedule, along with a 2-0 start, has ESPN writers Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach both projecting Rutgers into a bowl game in 2024. While Bonagura has the Scarlet Knights in the Birmingham Bowl against Kentucky, Schlabach has the team in Duke’s Mayo Bowl against NC State.
Kyle Monangai is a huge reason Rutgers has the potential to be a dangerous team this year. The senior was the Big Ten’s leading rusher last season and is off to a great start so far with two 150+ yard rushing performances.
The Scarlet Knights have scored over 40 points in their two games against Howard and Akron. Greg Schiano’s defense has also done what they’re supposed to do against these lesser opponents, holding the two teams to a combined 24 points while forcing a turnover in each game.
However, Rutgers has a big test coming up this weekend as they head to Blacksburg to take on Virginia Tech. The Hokies come into 2024 with some of the highest returning production in the ACC, so it will be interesting to see how the Scarlet Knights handle a team of a higher caliber.