Feldman: Rutgers Plays Third Softest Non Conference Schedule

Fox Sports columnist Bruce Feldman's ranked the ten worst non conference schedules among Power 5 teams in his Top 10 column this week and Rutgers checked in at third on the list. They were actually tied with North Carolina State and Mississippi State for having the worst out of conference slate among the big boys according to the formula Feldman used, but they were given the tie breaker over those two since they at least scheduled two Power 5 teams.

Rutgers place on this list is quite frankly well deserved. The Scarlet Knights four non conference games feature a bad FCS program in Norfolk State, the worst program in the Big 12, Kansas, lowly Washington State and Army, who has been one of the worst FBS programs for quite some time. I can confidently say before the season begins that I do not think any of those opponents will even make it to a bowl game this year.

 Rutgers has long been criticized by the media and even some of their own fans for playing too soft of a non conference schedule, but that's just what on the rise and/or middling programs have to do. You schedule easy games and they help you make bowl games and build momentum for the future. It's not a good look and it's boring and unsatisfying beating weak opponents, but such is life. Unfortunately the bowl system rewards scheduling soft and winning and not scheduling hard and maybe losing.  Take note that all three teams atop Feldman's list play in killer divisions. Everyone is chasing that six win plateau.

In Rutgers defense, they have been at least trying to schedule tougher non conference opponents, it just hasn't worked out. Arkansas looked like a top 10 team when a home and home series was scheduled with them, but then Bobby Petrino fell off his motorcycle and all hell broke loose for the Razorbacks. The Knights were able to top bad Hogs teams in both contests, as they were reeling under and interim coach and struggling in Brett Bielema's first season in Fayetteville. Penn State and Maryland were both set to be non conference opponents this season, but Rutgers of course wound up in the same conference as them. During Tim Pernetti's tenure as AD, he tried to add Notre Dame and Oklahoma to the schedule, but a deal could not be reached with either historic program since they both wanted to play Rutgers' "home" game in the Meadowlands rather than Piscataway.

Washington, UCLA and Miami are all scheduled to play home and home series against Rutgers in future seasons and that's a good start. Those are three solidly above averages programs and make for interesting opponents who will be a challenge for the Knights. Hopefully Rutgers continues to establish itself more as a legitimate program and put themselves in position to be able to schedule tougher non conference opponents in order to compete for national rankings and New Years games, not just appearances in crap bowls.