Norhtwestern football – Syndication Server

One mortal lock, everybody knows the rules: Dave Portnoy makes his Northwestern at Rutgers pick

Barstool Sports’ Dave Portnoy is picking Rutgers football to win on Sunday.

The last time Dave Portnoy picked Rutgers in a season opener, it worked out pretty well for him. For Sunday’s season opener against Big Ten rival Northwestern, Portnoy picked Rutgers.

Portnoy, the founder of Barstool Sports and the best reviewer of pizza (and watermelon), has been complimentary of Rutgers in the past. This includes last fall where he praised Rutgers and the Big Ten program’s facilities.

Portnoy was asked for his “mortal lock” college football pick of the week by Dan Katz, better known as ‘Big Cat’ by Stoolies. Portnoy was locked-in on his pick.

“I’m going to go with Rutgers, Rutgers -6.5. Sometimes, don’t think just throw. To me, I don’t know what the actual talent level differential is on the field,” Portnoy said.

“But you have one program, Schiano, who has bought in and they’re going to be ready to roll versus another program that is destroyed. So I’m going to go with Rutgers. Only -6.5 and maybe win by 40.”

Northwestern has had a tumultuous offseason, including the firing of head coach Pat Fitzgerald amidst allegations of hazing within the program. Replacing Fitzgerald is David Braun, who serves as the interim head coach of Northwestern.

The line from Prtnoy of Rutgers winning by 40 points is certainly an exaggeration. In 2021, Rutgers lost 21-7 at Northwestern in the last meeting between these two Big Ten programs.

Despite their 1-11 record last year, Northwestern is still a strong team. Last year, after beating Nebraska in Ireland, the Wildcats lost their next three games by a combined 18 points. Five of their losses were by eight or fewer points.

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Greg Schiano has had 14 season openers with Rutgers football. He says this year will be different

Greg Schiano says he is locked in ahead of Sunday’s season opener against Northwestern.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Fourteen times before, Greg Schiano has run out the tunnel as head coach of the Rutgers football team. But nothing, Schiano said, can compare to what he is feeling this year.

In fact Schiano, usually a bit understated, said that this year he is more locked in than ever before.

This is the fourth year of Schiano’s second stint at Rutgers, a program that he is not just the face of but its very embodiment. And while last season’s 4-8 record was disappointing, there is no doubt that the program is improving and growing.

The roster is as deep as it has been since 2014, their first year in the Big Ten. That was, coincidentally, the last time Rutgers had a winning season.

“I’ve never been more focused than I am today. Never been more excited than I am today about this team. We have had some great teams here, some good teams, and some not so good teams,” Schiano said this week.

“I love coaching this team and our staff and being back here at Rutgers, in New Jersey, my home state. I always tell players, don’t wish away time. Use every second that you have to prepare –prepare and then prepare through the event. So I’m trying to abide by my own advice. But I’m really excited to get it started and to do it at home, as the only Big Ten game in the country, that’s fun.”

Sunday’s opener at SHI Stadium against Northwestern (12:00 PM ET, CBS) is certainly a unique kickoff time for a college football game. For Schiano, however, it is an opportunity to put his team squarely in the public’s eye.

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With being a nationally televised game, Schiano knows this is a chance to showcase his rebuild against a Big Ten opponent.

“I love playing at home obviously. Love playing at SHI Stadium. Love our fans. I’m sure they will bring a huge home-field advantage this week. Can’t wait. Can’t wait to get back there with them. I’ve been here a long time, a lot of years. I’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly. But we have some very loyal fans,” Schiano said.

“And we’re going to provide what they are looking for. I believe that over time, it’s a steady growth and we are going to continue to grow, and like I’ve said before, we are going to get it back to where it needs to be and beyond but it’s a journey, and we’re all on that journey together, our fans, our team, the university, the state.”

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Greg Schiano on the challenges and uncertainty of Rutgers facing Northwestern in the season opener

Rutgers football head coach Greg Schiano believes that Sunday is a big test for his team.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — In many ways, Rutgers football head coach Greg Schiano sees similarities between his Rutgers football team and Sunday’s opponent. Schiano believes that despite a 1-11 record last year, Northwestern is a very good, solid program.

Schiano spoke to the media ahead of Sunday’s season opener at SHI Stadium against Northwestern.

It has been a turbulent offseason for Northwestern with the university firing long-time head coach Pat Fitzgerald. The firing came after allegations of hazing and a racist culture, surfaced in early July. The Northwestern head coach had originally been suspended for two weeks following an investigation into hazing allegations but was ultimately fired in mid-July.

With the season opener fast approaching, Schiano believes Sunday’s game at SHI Stadium will be a big test for his Rutgers team.

“They had — if you look at their results, I know you look, say, it’s 1-11, but when you really dig deep, turnovers are what killed them,” Schiano said.

“When they didn’t turn the ball over they are a very good football team, not much unlike us. If we can keep from turning the ball over, we’ve got a chance.”

Now, David Braun is the interim head coach. Brought onto the staff to be the defensive coordinator this offseason, Braun has never been a head coach.

The firing of Fitzgerald was tremendous for Northwestern. A former standout linebacker at the school, Fitzgerald has been the program’s head coach since 2006. During those 17 seasons, Fitzgerald had 110 wins and 101 losses, owning a 5-5 record in bowl games.

Coach Braun is running the defense and if you look at what they have done in his past, he has climbed the ranks and done it the right way at every stop and he’s worked for friends of mine who speak really, really highly of him.

“So he was brought in there initially to fix the defense and then he got some more put on his plate obviously and then special teams, the same fellow that was running it who does an excellent job, he’s still running the special teams. From a schematic standpoint, I think it’s going to be more of the same,” Schiano said.

“Everybody tweaks and does things, and I know with coach Braun coming from a different school, he’s got to adapt his system to their personnel, but as a coach, there’s certain things that are your go-to things and I’m sure we’ll see those.”

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