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If Rutgers goes undefeated in the non-conference, will the fans turn out for Iowa?

MichiganVictory

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Sep 23, 2007
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Not sure how to start this but I see Rutgers is improving under Greg Schiano but with the brutal schedule, they may not win many games.

If Rutgers is ever going to build a program they need to show they can get a signature win against a highly respectable team at home.

That's going to require the fans to come out and make an impact on the game and the teams involved.

I have felt up to this point Rutgers fans focus way too much on Michigan and Penn State, two programs that are at the top of the league most years. And they'll only be happy when they can compete with them every year. But the team needs to show you can at least be highly competitive against a team like Iowa (a great defense, not great offense) first and then start building.

So I'm asking, will the fans turn out for a game like this or will Rutgers continue to feel like neutral site games?
 
If RU is 3-0 going into that game there will be an increased level of excitement and at least a few more fans in the stands
No one knows how many more
 
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Sad thing is, after Rutgers got the invite to The Big10, the selling point from the ticket office was keep your season tickets or move to better locations now. The premise was the demand for tickets would go through the roof and it did seem like that would indeed happen, common sense would think that. Then of course Ash happened and the rest is history.🤬
 
Not sure how to start this but I see Rutgers is improving under Greg Schiano but with the brutal schedule, they may not win many games.

If Rutgers is ever going to build a program they need to show they can get a signature win against a highly respectable team at home.

That's going to require the fans to come out and make an impact on the game and the teams involved.

I have felt up to this point Rutgers fans focus way too much on Michigan and Penn State, two programs that are at the top of the league most years. And they'll only be happy when they can compete with them every year. But the team needs to show you can at least be highly competitive against a team like Iowa (a great defense, not great offense) first and then start building.

So I'm asking, will the fans turn out for a game like this or will Rutgers continue to feel like neutral site games?

Probably not.
 
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Not sure how to start this but I see Rutgers is improving under Greg Schiano but with the brutal schedule, they may not win many games.

If Rutgers is ever going to build a program they need to show they can get a signature win against a highly respectable team at home.

That's going to require the fans to come out and make an impact on the game and the teams involved.

I have felt up to this point Rutgers fans focus way too much on Michigan and Penn State, two programs that are at the top of the league most years. And they'll only be happy when they can compete with them every year. But the team needs to show you can at least be highly competitive against a team like Iowa (a great defense, not great offense) first and then start building.

So I'm asking, will the fans turn out for a game like this or will Rutgers continue to feel like neutral site games?
I think there's a lot of skepticism until the team wins something better than a few very weak OOC games. We've seen this before: 49 to 0 over Delaware! The offense looks good. Next week--10 points. Week after--0 points. Week after--Ohio State -28 points...
 
If Rutgers goes undefeated in the non-conference, will the fans turn out for Iowa?

You really didn't need to add anything else. Yes, if we start the season 3-0 we will definitely generate a bit of a buzz going into the Iowa game. So we should see an attendance bump. The key is our opening game, because BC is an old rival from our Big East days and before when we were an independent. If we beat them, that will definitely get noticed by casual fans and Rutgers alum, generating some interest and prompting some to consider catching a game.

You need to realize what we dealt with during the Chris Ash era (2016-2019), when we were getting blown out of our stadium to the point where people were leaving at halftime. Couple that with his arrogant personality that he should implement everything Ohio State and dispense with anything Rutgers (for example, he got rid of the Spring Awards named for Rutgers players who died on the field - here's an explanation: 2022 Rutgers Football Spring Awards announced), and it really turned off people to the program. Add in that Schiano's first year back was the pandemic year, and we have an uphill climb to reclaiming the attendance we used to have.
 
With nfl starting up soon and the Yankees and Mets doing well, RU is going to have to far exceed expectations to compete against that…
 
Not sure how to start this but I see Rutgers is improving under Greg Schiano but with the brutal schedule, they may not win many games.

If Rutgers is ever going to build a program they need to show they can get a signature win against a highly respectable team at home.

That's going to require the fans to come out and make an impact on the game and the teams involved.

I have felt up to this point Rutgers fans focus way too much on Michigan and Penn State, two programs that are at the top of the league most years. And they'll only be happy when they can compete with them every year. But the team needs to show you can at least be highly competitive against a team like Iowa (a great defense, not great offense) first and then start building.

So I'm asking, will the fans turn out for a game like this or will Rutgers continue to feel like neutral site games?
Is Rutgers improving on the field under Greg Schiano? Compared to Ash, I believe most current FCS/FBS coaches put in charge of the program would show some improvement over the last couple of years. Schiano 2.0 has been a bit of a disappointment outside one decent recruiting class led by a man who now coaches at Georgia. Greg needs to put a quality product on the field first and then the fans will come around, in big time sports it doesn't work the other way around.
 
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With nfl starting up soon and the Yankees and Mets doing well, RU is going to have to far exceed expectations to compete against that…
get a good local media buzz because of winning and I believe RU might be in a position to compete for fans.
I also believe besides not being a good program a lot of NJ college football fans were turned off RU FB because of the constant negativity about the program by the local media in their coverage .

Win they will come, lose and the NFL and MLB will heep the college fans more interested in them than RU .
 
Is Rutgers improving on the field under Greg Schiano? Compared to Ash, I believe most current FCS/FBS coaches put in charge of the program would show some improvement over the last couple of years. Schiano 2.0 has been a bit of a disappointment outside one decent recruiting class led by a man who now coaches at Georgia. Greg needs to put a quality product on the field first and then the fans will come around, in big time sports it doesn't work the other way around.
Nobody is a bigger fan of Coach Schiano than I. That said, I really can't argue with any of your points. Well said.
 
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Our fans are nuts when there is actualy something to cheer about. Look at basketball. The RAC is a hornets nest and we tear anyones head off that comes to play in there.

Football hasn't had a home B1G win in 5 years. So no, people won't be showing up much until we put out a product worthy of watching. I'll be there as usual and Iowa will be lucky if 2k fans are there. I remember 2016.
 
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Sad thing is, after Rutgers got the invite to The Big10, the selling point from the ticket office was keep your season tickets or move to better locations now. The premise was the demand for tickets would go through the roof and it did seem like that would indeed happen, common sense would think that. Then of course Ash happened and the rest is history.🤬

Such a thorough Rutgering.

Only RU could absolutely squander the best thing to happen to the program in a matter of two or three years. Think of what could have been if we simply carried some of the '05 - '12 momentum and level of play forward, actually building, rather than killing, the B1G initiation excitement.
 
Schiano not only knows how to coach, he knows how to market the program. The stadium is going to see an increase in attendance going forward. The talent level is getting deeper.Players are bigger stronger faster.
No one can when it’s going to click but its going to happen. When it does they will be talking about adding on to the stadium again.
I know we haven’t won a Big Ten game in a while but Schiano has only been here two years and one was a Covid debacle.
No fans, no home field advantage. Iowa is a solid program. I think it’s going to be an interesting matchup. Why wouldn’t true Rutgers fans want to go?
 
Such a thorough Rutgering.

Only RU could absolutely squander the best thing to happen to the program in a matter of two or three years. Think of what could have been if we simply carried some of the '05 - '12 momentum and level of play forward, actually building, rather than killing, the B1G initiation excitement.
Your absolutely right but no sense dwelling on it. I see improvement in every position group on the team. With one exception. The linebackers, they are very talented but young.
I think we will surprise a few teams this year.
 
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get a good local media buzz because of winning and I believe RU might be in a position to compete for fans.
I also believe besides not being a good program a lot of NJ college football fans were turned off RU FB because of the constant negativity about the program by the local media in their coverage .

Win they will come, lose and the NFL and MLB will heep the college fans more interested in them than RU .
I have no real data to back the following with, but the northeast seems far more pro-rabid than college. It’s hard to compete with the nfl anywhere, but in the Ny area it is hard to compete against the storied Yankees and also a Mets team that is also competing for an equally deep post season run.
 
I have no real data to back the following with, but the northeast seems far more pro-rabid than college. It’s hard to compete with the nfl anywhere, but in the Ny area it is hard to compete against the storied Yankees and also a Mets team that is also competing for an equally deep post season run.
Don't really need data to back up what you feel.
I think you're right on the money, but also feel in the State and City there are enough college fans to help have a great fanbase "if" RU can prove to be a real good program .
 
I have no real data to back the following with, but the northeast seems far more pro-rabid than college. It’s hard to compete with the nfl anywhere, but in the Ny area it is hard to compete against the storied Yankees and also a Mets team that is also competing for an equally deep post season run.
Fans are not going to decide Yankees /Mets vs. Rutgers. Those Teams will always draw great regardless. Have to build a bigger fan base in NJ/NY by winning and being a respectable program. We are far from that now. Also
the lap over of the
baseball season and the B1G conference schedule is minimal anyway.
 
Our fans are nuts when there is actualy something to cheer about. Look at basketball. The RAC is a hornets nest and we tear anyones head off that comes to play in there.

Football hasn't had a home B1G win in 5 years. So no, people won't be showing up much until we put out a product worthy of watching. I'll be there as usual and Iowa will be lucky if 2k fans are there. I remember 2016.
I agree with you to a certain extent, but I think at 3-0, there will be a bit of a bump. Sell out? No. Get the BC win, which will be tough, then you can establish some buzz.
 
NJ people are too health conscious to produce beefy offensive linemen. Schools don't give fatty food for lunch and mothers make kids eat lots of salad. This is the problem that no one has pointed out.
Until this changes, we are not going to be able to compete against beefy Midwestern offensive linemen.
They let them eat whatever they want and whenever they want. They have never eaten a salad or a veggie burger.
 
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gotta beat BC, that is a must win in my eyes. You want to start right, that is the whale
 
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BC and Rutgers had three common opponents last year.

Temple - BC win 28-3 (A)
RU win 61-14 (H)

Syracuse - BC lost 21-6 (A)
RU win 17-7 (A)

Wake Forest - BC lost 41-10 (H)
RU lost 38-10 (with no prep time) (N)

This game will be similar to last year's Syracuse. Very tough and hard fought. Keys are if we can control their offense and we can run the ball. Winnable OOC road game but a toss up.
 
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Beating Wagner and Temple will do nothing to improve attendance at later games. Losing to Temple would hurt attendance.

Beating BC would matter.
 
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This region is big on winners.

Schiano is progressing, but it’s a slow progression. People will show up when they’re confident we have a winner.

If we’re undefeated headed into Iowa you’ll see a full student section and 70% everywhere else.

I still maintain my belief that the B1G isn’t ready for a winning Rutgers program. This fan base is going to rattle most of the conference. I’ve gone to a lot of different stadiums and sport events, and I’m serious when I say none of them compare to Rutgers vs Louisville 2006. (This includes Stanley cups, World Series, OSU vs Michigan, etc).

During GS 1.0, he said you knew it wasn’t a matter of IF, but when. I still feel that way.
 
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