20 years in - Greg is who he is

[Knight Shift]

How's all the spending working out at FSU? They look atrocious. OU has resources and looks hapless and "wisely" doled out a nice big extension to Venables. Michigan has resources and their qb situation looks horrible. USC just doled out a bunch of money to Riley and has a loaded NIL roster and is 1-4 currently in the B10. I think 5-9 or 5-10 in the last 14-15 games. Auburn winless in the SEC currently and 2-5 and also with a poor qb situation.

NIL is always an easy scapegoat and much of it is unknown, ambiguous or flat out lies. Some players make big money and a lot don't or it's "in kind" that's not even something you get to keep. Spending guarantees you nothing and you can be just as bad or worse than if you hadn't spent as much. Generally, I see more profligate spending than I see judicious wise spending. Plus not every player is motivated by only that. It can be combination of things like playing time and everyone is different.

It's always, need more more more rather than how can you make it work/go with what you have. It's nice and helpful to have more more more but if you're not smart with it, it's just a big fat waste. Every school has a different wherewithal and that's just reality and a lot of good accomplishments can be achieved regardless of wherewithal. We see it with IU this year, Duke in recent times or Kansas. ISU and BYU and Pitt this year. Boise with a possible Heisman front runner who stayed and whose lone loss is 3 pts on the road last second to Oregon. Army/Navy even. TCU/Cincy in recent past. I've said this many times here, if anything I see the talent and opportunity are spread around college football more than ever and many schools have chances to do things they haven't done in a long time or ever. There will never be full parity but it's as good as its ever been.

Some stats about IU I posted in the other thread. They're having a great year. I don't believe all that passed us by stuff etc... It's a good season just like TCU/Cincy etc..doesn't mean it will last. That only time will tell and there will have to be retooling by Cignetti if he's still there as a lot of veterans are on the team. But they can enjoy the year for what it is right now. A lot of things are possible these days for all kinds of schools with varying resources that weren't in the past and doesn't take some monster war chest to do it.



From Big Noon yesterday and stories I've read.

Also said 90% of the roster are 0-3 stars out of high school.

44 players on the team were 0 stars out of high school

I read Rourke was only recruited by Vandy, BYU, WF when he entered the portal.

30 transfers taken (I thought it was 23), 13 from JMU.

Only 14 starters out of 40 stayed on the team. 37 players hit the portal. 3 returning starters and 14 transfers in their starting lineup against NW.

He brought in veteran players so next year, he'll have retooling to do if he's still there. But like I've said take it year to year and strike as hard as you can while the iron is hot because you don't know when the next opportunity will come. See TCU, Cincy etc..but those were great years for those schools.

Here's a solution. Rutgers needs a new AD.
I nominate myself and you as co-ADs. We will hire a HC who runs an air raid offense. Rutgers will be in the CFP in year 1 or 2. I get first dibs on any of the nice looking female coaches though. That's my only ask. 😉

That head coach will be @gef21
OL coach will be @koleszar
@ashokan will get an assistant position to be determined.
Do we have a volunteer for DC--how about @RUskoolie ?

 

[gef21]

Here's a solution. Rutgers needs a new AD.
I nominate myself and you as co-ADs. We will hire a HC who runs an air raid offense. Rutgers will be in the CFP in year 1 or 2. I get first dibs on any of the nice looking female coaches though. That's my only ask. 😉

That head coach will be @gef21
OL coach will be @koleszar
@ashokan will get an assistant position to be determined.
Do we have a volunteer for DC--how about @RUskoolie ?

I don't think I'd get to post here anymore then. Haha

 

[JayDogSmooth]

That’s most schools. You act like every school has Saban or even Smart. Thats their biggest cogs.

The two schools that were in the champ game last year, have they fallen back down to earth? Neither will sniff the playoffs let alone make the champ game. Michigan has big resources too, whathas it done for them this year. They can’t even field a satisfactory qb this year. Most places you just take it as a year to year thing.

Again, name me a school without considerable resources that is a consistent contender for championships

I’ll save you the time… There aren’t any

 

[JayDogSmooth]

That’s why it won’t happen here. It never was part of our culture. The athletics department is basically self funded the university doesn’t pump money into it. That culture won’t change and it’s seriously doubtful that donors are going to pump tens of millions yearly into paying football players. It is what it is, the scheduling gods blessed us with not playing the best teams this year. Here we are again hoping to get to 6-6

Pre NIL I would agree
With NIL now being legal, there is at least a shot, albeit what id consider a small one, of it happening.

 

[JayDogSmooth]

My question is: What is elite level? I agree with much of the other things you say.

As an FSU fan, you assume I think correctly they have more resources than most in the ACC. But look at the results as of late.

I think there is basically no real good excuse for RU not be a 7-9 win B1G team. I think we were on track before the crazy injury spree. And I think GS at least gets next year to fix that.

But is that elite?

People like to mention Indiana but I don't think we have a Mark Cuban buying a team of transfers. If there was we probably have 1 or 2 losses at most right now.

Elite for me (in regard to here On the Banks) means top 20-25 every year, with once every few years top 10-15 and making the playoffs

 

[Knight Shift]

I don't think I'd get to post here anymore then. Haha

No, it can't work that way. Part your "deal" will be you come here and we get to nitpick you to the bone. Like vultures on roadkill. Even on the wins, we will take issue with something and tear you apart.

Sigh. Been a very rough year and month personally, particularly the start of this month. And while I rarely look for Rutgers athletics for a pick me up, against my own code and advice to others, I let emotions "tell" me that Rutgers football would pick me up. Lesson re-learned. I'm actually doing better after yesterday's loss than the Wisconsin loss. I'm moving on and maybe moving out for good to watching from home. My usual tailgate stops are either gone or in the black lot, which feels like miles from the Yellow lot. The thrill is gone. And if/when they take the Yellow lot for the field house, that will probably be the final straw.

 

[rutgersguy1]

Again, name me a school without considerable resources that is a consistent contender for championships

I’ll save you the time… There aren’t any

And I said it's year to year for most schools including ones with bigger budgets, what's the bigger cog in a consistent championship contender is the coach more than the NIL money. The coach goes but the money is still there but the consistency is gone. It hasn't even taken a year for Alabama to show a bunch more cracks in half season vs the last 15 years.

You're acting like these consistent championship contenders grow on trees and they don't regardless of the money spent.

 

[jtung230]

Here's a solution. Rutgers needs a new AD.
I nominate myself and you as co-ADs. We will hire a HC who runs an air raid offense. Rutgers will be in the CFP in year 1 or 2. I get first dibs on any of the nice looking female coaches though. That's my only ask. 😉

That head coach will be @gef21
OL coach will be @koleszar
@ashokan will get an assistant position to be determined.
Do we have a volunteer for DC--how about @RUskoolie ?

Can I be in charge of the BBQ grill?

 

[JayDogSmooth]

And I said it's year to year for most schools including ones with bigger budgets, what's the bigger cog in a consistent championship contender is the coach more than the NIL money. The coach goes but the money is still there but the consistency is gone. It hasn't even taken a year for Alabama to show a bunch more cracks in half season vs the last 15 years.

You're acting like these consistent championship contenders grow on trees and they don't regardless of the money spent.

They don’t grow on trees, but with money anything as possible

Or organize the prime example, not a blue blood and still has not won the big one, but has competed at an elite level for the past 15 to 20 years all due to Phil Knight, and Nike

With NIL, we have the ability to get to that level. Prior to NIL, we did not.

 

[Knight Shift]

Can I be in charge of the BBQ grill?

My first order of business is to scrap the fieldhouse and install 1,000 Tesla EV charging stations in the Yellow lot. Elon Muskwill drop $20 Million in NIL money in exchange. I am not accepting a salary. I posted my only ask. This is a winning and realistic formula for success. I have lots of other concepts of a plan, that I will announce once I am named to the position. @rutgersguy1 can have all of the salary--I just want fringe benefits.

 

[gef21]

No, it can't work that way. Part your "deal" will be you come here and we get to nitpick you to the bone. Like vultures on roadkill. Even on the wins, we will take issue with something and tear you apart.

Sigh. Been a very rough year and month personally, particularly the start of this month. And while I rarely look for Rutgers athletics for a pick me up, against my own code and advice to others, I let emotions "tell" me that Rutgers football would pick me up. Lesson re-learned. I'm actually doing better after yesterday's loss than the Wisconsin loss. I'm moving on and maybe moving out for good to watching from home. My usual tailgate stops are either gone or in the black lot, which feels like miles from the Yellow lot. The thrill is gone. And if/when they take the Yellow lot for the field house, that will probably be the final straw.

I would make that deal.

My first high school stint, we turned a terrible program into a solid 8+ win a year team. We used to have Monday night film with the parents. Any parent could come, ask questions, there was food, and we would explain systems and what went wrong on certain plays. It honestly changed the parent coach dynamic. A lot of parents realized they had no idea what they were talking about. Haha

It's tough when the social world around sports is no longer the escape you want it to be.

If I take over this high school program you can come tailgate there.

 

[rutgersguy1]

They don’t grow on trees, but with money anything as possible

Or organize the prime example, not a blue blood and still has not won the big one, but has competed at an elite level for the past 15 to 20 years all due to Phil Knight, and Nike

With NIL, we have the ability to get to that level. Prior to NIL, we did not.

Think about that though, Phil Knight is worth 40 billion some odd (NKE stock is down recently lol) and he's poured tons of resources into Oregon and they still haven't won a championship yet and as soon as their coach left (Chip Kelly-Mark Helfrich an asterisk on a short lived continuation of Kelly, which is one tenure in a sense) despite the money and resources remaining they haven't gotten to the playoffs since.

It's looking good now and maybe this is their year but think about how long it's been, even with all the money Knight has poured into it.

And most people here aren't talking about RU being a championship contender, let alone a consistent one like you suggest. Most would be satisfied top 25 rankings at the end of the season here and there and if lucky in a given year maybe a playoff appearance. Those things don't take lots and lots of money and are happening for other schools without deep pockets.

RU getting to that level even with a Phil Knight isn't easy we see with Oregon all these years, they still haven't gotten the brass ring...maybe this year they will. And RU likely won't ever have a Phil Knight so it's not realistic in practice, just theoretical. What we see in practice is a lot of schools that spend money can just as easily flop badly as be successful and end up wasting a ton. What we also see in practice is schools without resources achieving good goals and big goals. Just about everyone isn't going to do that consistently at a high level. RU and a lot of schools are always going to have to figure out how to make it work with what they have and do more with less.

 

[yessir321]

Elite for me (in regard to here On the Banks) means top 20-25 every year, with once every few years top 10-15 and making the playoffs

That's unrealistic here man. That's Florida State type of goals. Obviously we'd all love it but consistent top 25 with the occasional top 10-15 and making the playoffs is a pipe dream. We've had 10 or more wins twice in 155 years.

I'd be thrilled if someone could come in and do what Greg did the first time around. Get us to a consistent 7-8 regular season win team, formidable foe who plays competitive football with the occasional special group that makes that 10+ win mark, maybe even make the playoff in our lifetime type of deal.

It's no secret how I feel about Greg 2.0 so no reason to pile on a wounded horse in my book

 

[mikemarc1]

Well written but he is not a great man!
Ask any family in happy valley or anyone in Tampa or Ohio State. His coaching was secondary on why he was fired from both jobs. Not a good man!

Huh?

 

[mikemarc1]

Again, name me a school without considerable resources that is a consistent contender for championships

I’ll save you the time… There aren’t any

Can we at least be a contender or at least loook like every once in a while??!

That’s the difference between us and other school recently.

Rutgers has the longest streak in FBS (or maybe P5) not being ranked, I believe the also have the least amount of wins v ranked opponents thru Greg’s 2nd tenure. (0).

Can we at least have a consistent good stretch of football? Maybe pick up a ranked win? Maybe reach the top 25 for a few weeks . Other teams with similar resources are doing that. We aren’t. This is coaching, folks.

 

[newell138]

Counter argument. Is it working for Bama, UGA, OSU, Oregon, Tenn, PSU, ND, LSU?

You could say no for Bama this year

 

[jtung230]

You could say no for Bama this year

Still a yes for Bama.

 

[newell138]

Still a yes for Bama.

2 losses is a disastrous season for them

 

[jtung230]

2 losses is a disastrous season for them

Beating UGA is a big offset

 

[rutgersguy1]

Beating UGA is a big offset

It is a big feather in their cap and I think gives them a chance even at 2 losses. Pick up a 3rd one and it’s probably it despite the UGA win.

Mizzou, LSU, Mercer (lol), OU and Auburn are what remain.

Next two weeks pose their biggest challenge, if they get by that then they have a shot.

 

[JayDogSmooth]

That's unrealistic here man. That's Florida State type of goals. Obviously we'd all love it but consistent top 25 with the occasional top 10-15 and making the playoffs is a pipe dream. We've had 10 or more wins twice in 155 years.

I'd be thrilled if someone could come in and do what Greg did the first time around. Get us to a consistent 7-8 regular season win team, formidable foe who plays competitive football with the occasional special group that makes that 10+ win mark, maybe even make the playoff in our lifetime type of deal.

It's no secret how I feel about Greg 2.0 so no reason to pile on a wounded horse in my book

I honestly think it is possible, we have so many natural built-in advantages that other schools don’t, and I look at a school like Oregon, who is nothing until Phil Knight arrived

Pre NIL didn’t think it was possible, but I honestly feel now that it is

 

[soundcrib]

How's all the spending working out at FSU? They look atrocious. OU has resources and looks hapless and "wisely" doled out a nice big extension to Venables. Michigan has resources and their qb situation looks horrible. USC just doled out a bunch of money to Riley and has a loaded NIL roster and is 1-4 currently in the B10. I think 5-9 or 5-10 in the last 14-15 games. Auburn winless in the SEC currently and 2-5 and also with a poor qb situation.

NIL is always an easy scapegoat and much of it is unknown, ambiguous or flat out lies. Some players make big money and a lot don't or it's "in kind" that's not even something you get to keep. Spending guarantees you nothing and you can be just as bad or worse than if you hadn't spent as much. Generally, I see more profligate spending than I see judicious wise spending. Plus not every player is motivated by only that. It can be combination of things like playing time and everyone is different.

It's always, need more more more rather than how can you make it work/go with what you have. It's nice and helpful to have more more more but if you're not smart with it, it's just a big fat waste. Every school has a different wherewithal and that's just reality and a lot of good accomplishments can be achieved regardless of wherewithal. We see it with IU this year, Duke in recent times or Kansas. ISU and BYU and Pitt this year. Boise with a possible Heisman front runner who stayed and whose lone loss is 3 pts on the road last second to Oregon. Army/Navy even. TCU/Cincy in recent past. I've said this many times here, if anything I see the talent and opportunity are spread around college football more than ever and many schools have chances to do things they haven't done in a long time or ever. There will never be full parity but it's as good as its ever been.

Some stats about IU I posted in the other thread. They're having a great year. I don't believe all that passed us by stuff etc... It's a good season just like TCU/Cincy etc..doesn't mean it will last. That only time will tell and there will have to be retooling by Cignetti if he's still there as a lot of veterans are on the team. But they can enjoy the year for what it is right now. A lot of things are possible these days for all kinds of schools with varying resources that weren't in the past and doesn't take some monster war chest to do it.



From Big Noon yesterday and stories I've read.

Also said 90% of the roster are 0-3 stars out of high school.

44 players on the team were 0 stars out of high school

I read Rourke was only recruited by Vandy, BYU, WF when he entered the portal.

30 transfers taken (I thought it was 23), 13 from JMU.

Only 14 starters out of 40 stayed on the team. 37 players hit the portal. 3 returning starters and 14 transfers in their starting lineup against NW.

He brought in veteran players so next year, he'll have retooling to do if he's still there. But like I've said take it year to year and strike as hard as you can while the iron is hot because you don't know when the next opportunity will come. See TCU, Cincy etc..but those were great years for those schools.

Those schools won’t tolerate bad coaching jobs with the same guy. They’ll at least try with another body with a headset. Doesn’t mean it works, but they’ll at least try.

 

[mdk01]

I honestly think it is possible, we have so many natural built-in advantages that other schools don’t, and I look at a school like Oregon, who is nothing until Phil Knight arrived

Pre NIL didn’t think it was possible, but I honestly feel now that it is

Knight brought BUCKS. Is your lasr sentence suggesting Rutgers can or will? Color me skeptical.

 

[rutgersguy1]

Those schools won’t tolerate bad coaching jobs with the same guy. They’ll at least try with another body with a headset. Doesn’t mean it works, but they’ll at least try.

Most schools aren’t A&M even if they have deep pockets. Don’t expect USC to move on from Riley as they owe him a ton still. Same goes for OU who just this past offseason bumped Venables contract for no reason. Auburn paid 21M to say goodbye to Malzahn (previously the highest buyout paid before Fisher) and then promptly followed that up with 15M to say goodbye to Harsin after a year or so. Like I said, lots of waste and it won’t be the exception as the contracts get bigger and longer. Profligacy not judiciousness.

 

[LotusAggressor]

Need bigger NIL donations. Raise the $$ get the good team! Simple as that

Bigger donations won't produce better offensive coaching or maximize the potential of all these better players that will miraculously appear. It's more likely that the talent will be squandered.

 

[JayDogSmooth]

Knight brought BUCKS. Is your lasr sentence suggesting Rutgers can or will? Color me skeptical.

Can
Doubtful we will
But with NIL, anything is possible

 

[Hondo77]

Here's a solution. Rutgers needs a new AD.
I nominate myself and you as co-ADs. We will hire a HC who runs an air raid offense. Rutgers will be in the CFP in year 1 or 2. I get first dibs on any of the nice looking female coaches though. That's my only ask. 😉

That head coach will be @gef21
OL coach will be @koleszar
@ashokan will get an assistant position to be determined.
Do we have a volunteer for DC--how about @RUskoolie ?

I nominate rutgersal for AD.

 

[jsol_05]

I agree. He'd be an ace of an AD here, but he's not a good football coach. Need someone who can not play Meathead Football on Saturdays.

No don’t think he would be a good AD because he would hire someone that he could control

 

[jtung230]

I agree. He'd be an ace of an AD here, but he's not a good football coach. Need someone who can not play Meathead Football on Saturdays.

We didn’t play meathead football against UCLA and lost. It’s about Ws. We played meathead football last year and beat everyone we were expected to beat. This year, passing stats is up but we are losing to a 1-5 team at home.

 

[Knight Shift]

We didn’t play meathead football against UCLA and lost. It’s about Ws. We played meathead football last year and beat everyone we were expected to beat. This year, passing stats is up but we are losing to a 1-5 team at home.

Agree with everything you said, but that 1-5 team narrative needs context. That reads like a Politi headline.
Lost to undefeated and now 7-0 ranked Indiana, 16th ranked LSU, #1 undefeated Oregon, #3 undefeated Penn State and Minnesota. The best almost any team would do against that slate would be 2-4.

 

[Plum Street]

Maybe just maybe schiano is the best we can do and will ever do . There is history backing that up. It may be time to accept that

 

[mdk01]

I nominate rutgersal for AD.

Memories of Bagdad Bob.

 

[DHajekRC84]

Maybe just maybe schiano is the best we can do and will ever do . There is history backing that up. It may be time to accept that

Again that is because all we have ever done (ex Terry Shea from mighty San Jose St) is hire assistants and coordinators since Burns. We have never brought in a real proven winning HC even from a lower level.

 

[jtung230]

Agree with everything you said, but that 1-5 team narrative needs context. That reads like a Politi headline.
Lost to undefeated and now 7-0 ranked Indiana, 16th ranked LSU, #1 undefeated Oregon, #3 undefeated Penn State and Minnesota. The best almost any team would do against that slate would be 2-4.

Sure, it’s a tough schedule. Let’s examine their one win. They beat Hawaii 16-13. That’s a bottom tier MW team by a FG.

 

[megadrone]

Again that is because all we have ever done (ex Terry Shea from mighty San Jose St) is hire assistants and coordinators since Burns. We have never brought in a real proven winning HC even from a lower level.

And Burns was hired in 1973 and I think he was Bateman's assistant. So we might have to go back farther than that.

At least Anderson and Graber had a couple of winning (or non-losing) years.

 

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

We can generally pass block because we are good at standing in the way of the defenders, but it is killing us in the running game because we simply stand in the way rather than push anyone back. Compare what happens to our dline as compared to the opposition - night and day. Sad that we can't find enough big men to field a competitive B1G roster.

This was exactly teh problem in 2009-2010. In 2009.. most teams did not see the achilles heel of such a blocking scheme. Our Zappaa did. He's post every week to allow the OL to fire out and hit people to run the ball.

In 2009 Syracuse's Doug Marone saw the problem.. he run-blitzed every down aiming for 5 yards behind center where he'd either get the back who just got teh ball or be in the face of the QB after he faked a handoff. They beat our butts and in 2010 it was like every opponent saw what Syracuse did to our offense and did the same.

But get this.. in 2010, when we played Syracuse.. suddenly.. for that game only.. we played a smash-mouth run game.. OL fired out. It was if we made an adjustment for one game only because they destroyed our scheme the previous year (unranked but receiving votes, Syracuse beat us 13-10 on a late FG in a very close game).

This was co-OC Ciarocca back then.

IMHO.. it takes an NFL QB and OL equal to or superior to the DL-LBs to do this zone blocking scheme. As soon as you have a DL who can always beat the opposite OL.. it falls apart. And if the QB is inaccurate.. if the timing with WRs is not perfect.. it falls apart. People can argue that this is what the NFL offenses do... but we do not have an NFL offense. The NFL has no limitation on practice hours and there is much more parity.. and look what happens when an NFL starter QB goes down.. unless the replacement is an older former starter or a next generation starter.. offenses fail.

We need to change the offense... AND/OR the offensive coordinator.

 

[TheKnightclub]

We didn’t play meathead football against UCLA and lost. It’s about Ws. We played meathead football last year and beat everyone we were expected to beat. This year, passing stats is up but we are losing to a 1-5 team

Rutgers scored a lot. I dont think a change in offensive philosophy would have covered for the defensive issues that allowed for 500 yards and 35 points.

Obviously a runcentric attack slows things down and the opponent will have less opportunity but the defense had to hold to get those wins last season.

 

[NickRU714]

We didn’t play meathead football against UCLA and lost. It’s about Ws. We played meathead football last year and beat everyone we were expected to beat. This year, passing stats is up but we are losing to a 1-5 team at home.

Not exactly. The offense is marginally "less meathead" this year.

Perhaps we shouldnt have been expected to beat 1-5 UCLA?
Something about talent and injuries according to many others.

Sounds like you are blaming HC Schiano if we are losing to teams we should be expected to beat (for example UCLA).


Rush/game
2023: 38.8 (#32)
2024: 37.5 (#41)

Pass/game
2023: 22.8 (#122)
2024: 28.5 (#86)

Plays/Game
2023: 62.6 (#125)
2024: 67.5 (#74)

 

[jtung230]

Rutgers scored a lot. I dont think a change in offensive philosophy would have covered for the defensive issues that allowed for 500 yards and 35 points.

Obviously a runcentric attack slows things down and the opponent will have less opportunity but the defense had to hold to get those wins last season.

35-19 in the 4th Q. Don’t let the final score fool you. UCLA play prevent and let us make respectable. When we actually could’ve made it into a game the O did nothing.

 

[jtung230]

Not exactly. The offense is marginally "less meathead" this year.

Perhaps we shouldnt have been expected to beat 1-5 UCLA?
Something about talent and injuries according to many others.

Sounds like you are blaming HC Schiano if we are losing to teams we should be expected to beat (for example UCLA).


Rush/game
2023: 38.8 (#32)
2024: 37.5 (#41)

Pass/game
2023: 22.8 (#122)
2024: 28.5 (#86)

Plays/Game
2023: 62.6 (#125)
2024: 67.5 (#74)

I blame the OC. I thought we were going to keep the power running game and add a complementary passing game. Instead, we are a pass 1st team and can’t run for a yard when need it.