Following a season where Rutgers finished with a winning record and beat Miami in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl, there is definitely heightened anticipation about the Scarlet Knights. This is reflected in the release of the ESPN FPI this week.
Rutgers is No. 45 in the ESPN FPI. The projected win total for Rutgers is 7.2, as set by ESPN (7.2-4.8). Last season, Rutgers &-6,2-6 Big Ten) finished No. 50 in the nation in the ESPN FPI final rankings.
In the Big Ten, they are ranked No. 11 in the ESPN FPI.
Seven wins in the regular season would be the most for Rutgers since 2014, their first in the Big Ten.
The projection for Rutgers reflects optimism in the turn-around done by head coach [autotag]Greg Schiano[/autotag] and the solid offseason where the Scarlet Knights retained much of their successful core from 2023.
Seven wins would reflect another strong step forward for the Scarlet Knights and would certainly build on the momentum that has been established. There would also be a significant impact in recruiting for Rutgers as well, with back-to-back winning seasons showing sustainability in Schiano’s development program model.
Of the top six programs in the ESPN FPI, the Big Ten has three teams:
- No. 2 Oregon (10.8-1.8)
- No. 4 Ohio State (10.2-2.2)
- No. 6 Penn State (10.1-2.3)
(The rankings reflect where the Big Ten programs rank in the ESPN FPI projections)
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No. 77 Indiana has the lowest ESPN FPI ranking of any Big Ten program.