Opinion: The season being shortened/suspended would benefit Rutgers Football

[Scarlet83]

Simple. TV. If there is a full slate of pro( NBA, NHL playoffs MLB ...etc) and college spring sports where do you fit in College Football in a logical way?? I repeat a logical way into the TV lineup. Does CBS Fox etc give up some sports to televise others and let competing networks pick up those and crowd the airwaves with too much content.
If we are still in the same spot in September as we are now it's beyond silly to think beyond that and about something as meaningless as sports.

C’mon. You have to be a little creative. There are so many sports channels. Every football game doesn’t need to be televised. Something is better than NOTHING.

And I never said we would be in the same spot in the fall that we are now. Sports and college football drive economic activity, brings people together and it’s a part of the fabric of America.

 

[51Knight]

You are overlooking that 3 critical grad transfers Schiano brought in also would be gone leaving holes at DT and S.

Those Ash recruits you are denigrating happen to be a starting WR, at least 2-3 starting LBs and an anticipated starting corner. There's little experience at LB behind those guys and little proven depth behind that corner.

The Schiano recruits still haven't played a snap of college football yet so to assume they will just immediately step in and replace some of these players without issue is silly given the back 7 of the defense will be heavily impacted if they don't play this year.

What I think you might be overlooking is that the same would happen to every other program we play against. Most of them have upperclassmen at starting positions that would age out just as we would. But given that their upperclassmen are largely better than our upperclassmen (based on previous season results), it would hurt them more than it would hurt us. And given that our incoming freshmen are likely to be better than theirs, it's a net win for us.

The question isn't whether the team overall would be better by adding in a big class of true freshmen and losing a bunch of seasoned seniors, it's whether or not adding a new freshmen class and losing the existing seniors hurts us more or less than it hurts our peers. And given the results on the field the last couple years plus the early returns on Greg's recruiting, it's pretty hard to think we wouldn't win out in that deal.

Also I don't intend to (and don't think I did, really) denigrate the current upperclassmen, most of who have stuck it out through everything and are loyal sons. I just think as an academic exercise it's hard to deny that cycling out the class of 2020 for a new class of freshmen recruited by Greg would hurt Rutgers less than it would hurt others. And, it would allow Greg to keep up the recruiting momentum for another year. Everyone knows that new coaches tend to get a little bump, but that often fades when the team starts racking up L's. It's easier to sell hope and a vision when you're not losing by 5 touchdowns. OP's point was that it would be good for Rutgers if Greg could continue to ride that wave without having to explain away some rough on-field performances. And I think that's correct.

It's all academic anyway. I'm reasonably sure there will be football in some capacity this year.

 

[Scarlet83]

The other argument is what would you do about the following season? Asking kids to play 2 full seasons in 11 months could have serious injury implications

Again, be a little creative. There would be no spring practice and none of the 3 spring scrimmages. Maybe the spring season is only 8 games, maybe less.

If you think it is not a possibility, I think you are being rigid on your thinking.

Nothing is plan A anymore, right?

 

[yessir321]

Again, be a little creative. There would be no spring practice and none of the 3 spring scrimmages. Maybe the spring season is only 8 games, maybe less.

If you think it is not a possibility, I think you are being rigid on your thinking.

Nothing is plan A anymore, right?

Not the case at all, I'm looking out for the health and well-being of our student athletes. Football is an extremely violent, physical sport and injuries occur often. There's a reason why in the NFL they give teams a bye week and college teams make their schedules in order to make sure they have bye's in the middle of the season, it's to ensure the health of their guys.

But let's just think about this for a minute, what kind of team do you think we will put on the field considering the current roster talent when we have a new coaching staff and we would be asking our team to go out and play in a completely new system with no spring practice? It would be a complete bloodbath and in all likelyhood another 2 win season. It's faaaaar better for Rutgers for the NCAA to forgo the season rather than attempt to cram in a season in the spring when teams have not had time to practice and prepare. What type of results do you think we will have when we are playing against the michigan's osu's and psu's of our conferance who by in large have the same coaching staffs and same systems that their players are familiar with?

I'mm all for a fall season, but if that can't happen you cannot put these players at risk by having 2 seasons in less than a full calander year, not to mention how ugly the on field results will be with a new staff with no practice time to prepare with a roster full of Ash's recruits.... yea no thanks!

 

[-RUFAN4LIFE-]

What I think you might be overlooking is that the same would happen to every other program we play against. Most of them have upperclassmen at starting positions that would age out just as we would. But given that their upperclassmen are largely better than our upperclassmen (based on previous season results), it would hurt them more than it would hurt us. And given that our incoming freshmen are likely to be better than theirs, it's a net win for us.

The question isn't whether the team overall would be better by adding in a big class of true freshmen and losing a bunch of seasoned seniors, it's whether or not adding a new freshmen class and losing the existing seniors hurts us more or less than it hurts our peers. And given the results on the field the last couple years plus the early returns on Greg's recruiting, it's pretty hard to think we wouldn't win out in that deal.

Also I don't intend to (and don't think I did, really) denigrate the current upperclassmen, most of who have stuck it out through everything and are loyal sons. I just think as an academic exercise it's hard to deny that cycling out the class of 2020 for a new class of freshmen recruited by Greg would hurt Rutgers less than it would hurt others. And, it would allow Greg to keep up the recruiting momentum for another year. Everyone knows that new coaches tend to get a little bump, but that often fades when the team starts racking up L's. It's easier to sell hope and a vision when you're not losing by 5 touchdowns. OP's point was that it would be good for Rutgers if Greg could continue to ride that wave without having to explain away some rough on-field performances. And I think that's correct.

It's all academic anyway. I'm reasonably sure there will be football in some capacity this year.

While I agree with much of what you wrote it's not about the seniors or the freshman. Those other teams have depth & experience at many positions that RU is still lacking. This is why not playing a season and losing the 2020 seniors hurts more than at other schools RU competes against in the B1G. RU needs a lot of those redshirt freshman and sophomores to get game experience to be better prepared for 2021.

 

[Wolv RU]

Not the case at all, I'm looking out for the health and well-being of our student athletes. Football is an extremely violent, physical sport and injuries occur often. There's a reason why in the NFL they give teams a bye week and college teams make their schedules in order to make sure they have bye's in the middle of the season, it's to ensure the health of their guys.

But let's just think about this for a minute, what kind of team do you think we will put on the field considering the current roster talent when we have a new coaching staff and we would be asking our team to go out and play in a completely new system with no spring practice? It would be a complete bloodbath and in all likelyhood another 2 win season. It's faaaaar better for Rutgers for the NCAA to forgo the season rather than attempt to cram in a season in the spring when teams have not had time to practice and prepare. What type of results do you think we will have when we are playing against the michigan's osu's and psu's of our conferance who by in large have the same coaching staffs and same systems that their players are familiar with?

I'mm all for a fall season, but if that can't happen you cannot put these players at risk by having 2 seasons in less than a full calander year, not to mention how ugly the on field results will be with a new staff with no practice time to prepare with a roster full of Ash's recruits.... yea no thanks!

I don't think it's optimal, and there are certainly a host of issues with playing in the spring. However, there has already been a lot of reporting on what no football will do to ADs. Football, no matter when or for how long, is going to be the choice if it is at all feasible.

As for the athletes, I personally think they want to play, but just like everything else, it is certainly optional. If a player doesn't feel safe or doesn't want to play for any reason, they can sit out. We saw that happen in 2019 for other reasons.

I do think one advantage of moving the season later would be to allow for plenty of ramp up time, so I don't think that will be an issue.

As for your general point that it could be beneficial for Rutgers, I'd suggest that it's beneficial in some ways but not in others. For example, players do gain knowledge of a coaching staff's system by playing a season in it. Gleeson, for example, may do some totally different things that will be executed much better in year 2 than in year 1.

On the other hand, if one thinks back to Ash, he probably would have been better off from a program momentum standpoint if 2016 was cancelled and if he just started fresh in 2017. In most instances though, I think a vision can still be sold so long as there aren't historic bad losses like Ash had.

 

[Scarlet83]

Not the case at all, I'm looking out for the health and well-being of our student athletes. Football is an extremely violent, physical sport and injuries occur often. There's a reason why in the NFL they give teams a bye week and college teams make their schedules in order to make sure they have bye's in the middle of the season, it's to ensure the health of their guys.

But let's just think about this for a minute, what kind of team do you think we will put on the field considering the current roster talent when we have a new coaching staff and we would be asking our team to go out and play in a completely new system with no spring practice? It would be a complete bloodbath and in all likelyhood another 2 win season. It's faaaaar better for Rutgers for the NCAA to forgo the season rather than attempt to cram in a season in the spring when teams have not had time to practice and prepare. What type of results do you think we will have when we are playing against the michigan's osu's and psu's of our conferance who by in large have the same coaching staffs and same systems that their players are familiar with?

I'mm all for a fall season, but if that can't happen you cannot put these players at risk by having 2 seasons in less than a full calander year, not to mention how ugly the on field results will be with a new staff with no practice time to prepare with a roster full of Ash's recruits.... yea no thanks!

Sure, that could be the way things go. But with some creativity, there is also the option of playing some type of season in the spring. Is it optimal? No. Is it better than NOTHING? I think so, and I would guess the players would want to play also.

 

[Wolv RU]

Forget the ADs. Logically how is the current TV contract holders handle it. Let's say ESPN drops College Basketball for football on Saturdays. At risk is every contract with every cable provider, every advertiser and their contracts with every conference in the country. Of course the ADs want it but your viewpoint that every AD is talking about it and agreeing is dramatically incorrect. The talk now from ADs is what is the drop dead date for cancelling the season and we are months away from that.

To think there is absolutely no chance of a spring 2021 season is, I think, not accurate right now.

https://sports.yahoo.com/momentum-builds-february-may-college-171051873.html

I would probably rather see a shortened fall season with league games only than a spring season, but if the fall doesn't happen, I think spring will.

 

[REDRICH65]

CFB will be played in Spring 21. College and pro BB have six other days of week and so does MLB and lacrosse. Now fans $$ will be the issue with everything playing at once.

 

[WhiteBus]

CFB will be played in Spring 21. College and pro BB have six other days of week and so does MLB and lacrosse. Now fans $$ will be the issue with everything playing at once.

And advertising $ which is a bigger part.

Again however, let me repeat. If this crap is still going on all summer and into the fall there is a lot bigger things to worry about. And sports would be the last thing people will pay money for.

 

[Joey Bags]

When you take all factors into account, if the season is cancelled or played in front of no fans we’re looking at the end of college sports as we know it for at least the next 3-5 years. The financial losses will be too substantial to carry on.

It doesn’t have to be this way, but this is an externality when you let costs spiral out of control.

 

[czxqa]

The point of my post is I don't expect the team to have much success on the field this year and other coaches won't be able to point to that as they are going after the same recruits.

I'm all for the grad transfers Greg brought in and I do expect the team to be better this year. I also hope we have a season this year. What this doesn't change though is the fact that we have "questionable at best" talent at QB. Granted we are bringing in new guys which is great however they need to learn a new system and get adjusted to the speed of the college game. Then all the sudden take away spring practices and what do you think will happen?

The other end of this is say we are going head to head with PSU or Michigan for a mutual recruit who has good interest in Rutgers and playing for Greg, but then all the sudden we get blown out by 30 by them, you don't think Franklin and Harbaugh would be all over those recruits ears if/when that happened?

Greg will get his fair share of quality recruits regardless, I'm not denying that. All I was suggesting was as a positive spin on a season that could very well not happen for Rutgers. Love in my heart to our players but the further this team looks from the Ash roster, the better for Rutgers on field success

To get back to the original premise, as you've done here, the program has momentum, and anything that interrupts or interferes with that momentum isn't desirable. By the same token, with all the changes here, losing spring practice hurts our program more than most. New coaches, new playbook, new players, and we've missed an entire spring camp. That said, there are 7 winnable games on the schedule as it stands right now, and the 3 most winnable are the ones that will be axed in an abbreviated schedule, which is looking more likely at this time. So I understand why the whole season being canceled may look better.
The thing is, though, I don't believe the recruiting momentum will carry on through an entire canceled season into the following year. I may well be wrong, but I think the 2021 class will be more swayed by improvement on the field in the form of better schemes, game planning, and results. When I say results, I don't necessarily mean win/loss totals, but being competitive in all games and eliminating blowouts. It's hard to take a team seriously when they get blown out several times a year. So it comes down to faith in a year of development even without spring practice versus faith in momentum absence of proof. I'm going to side with the coach. That's why we hired him, and he's done it before.

 

[yessir321]

To get back to the original premise, as you've done here, the program has momentum, and anything that interrupts or interferes with that momentum isn't desirable. By the same token, with all the changes here, losing spring practice hurts our program more than most. New coaches, new playbook, new players, and we've missed an entire spring camp. That said, there are 7 winnable games on the schedule as it stands right now, and the 3 most winnable are the ones that will be axed in an abbreviated schedule, which is looking more likely at this time. So I understand why the whole season being canceled may look better.
The thing is, though, I don't believe the recruiting momentum will carry on through an entire canceled season into the following year. I may well be wrong, but I think the 2021 class will be more swayed by improvement on the field in the form of better schemes, game planning, and results. When I say results, I don't necessarily mean win/loss totals, but being competitive in all games and eliminating blowouts. It's hard to take a team seriously when they get blown out several times a year. So it comes down to faith in a year of development even without spring practice versus faith in momentum absence of proof. I'm going to side with the coach. That's why we hired him, and he's done it before.

Honest question, with our current QB situation do you honestly believe we will eliminate the blowouts against the big boys of our conference this year who traditionally come in to jersey and take whatever recruits they want? Greg has done a great job of starting to build a fence around nj. When games start that’s when it becomes real in terms of keeping that momentum and keeping our commits. Look at Blanton for example, Michigan just offered him and is coming after him hard.

It will all work our one way or another. I truly believe there will be a season however if for some reason it doesn’t all I am saying is that I don’t think it would be the worst thing for our football program in terms of becoming competitive in our conference. I’m sorry but until I see any sort of competent play from our QB, I can’t blindly say ‘7 of our games are winnable’. I don’t think that’s realistic and I don’t believe enough roster turnover has occurred for us to eliminate the blowouts against at least 3 of the teams on our schedule

 

[yessir321]

When you take all factors into account, if the season is cancelled or played in front of no fans we’re looking at the end of college sports as we know it for at least the next 3-5 years. The financial losses will be too substantial to carry on.

It doesn’t have to be this way, but this is an externality when you let costs spiral out of control.

Good thing rutgers is one of the few P5 schools that still operates at a fiscal loss for their athletic department so by eliminating a season it will cut our losses as well as get us one year closer to full Big 10 money and into profitability.

It’s devestation financially to many of the ‘Blue Blood’ schools but for us, look at the potential positive! Not to mention if these other schools take a huge financial hit this year and we don’t, that could lessen the gap a bit more between us and them. Just a thought

 

[yessir321]

CFB will be played in Spring 21. College and pro BB have six other days of week and so does MLB and lacrosse. Now fans $$ will be the issue with everything playing at once.

It’s not going to happen in the spring. Schools aren’t prepared for it in terms of setting up all the logistics as well as their academic staff that works with athletes are not equip to handle every athlete competing in the same season.

not to mention how are all of you overlooking the potential devastating health affects of putting kids through 2 seasons with practices in less that 11 calender months? Football teams across the country would be overrun with injuries during the fall 2021 season but more than that you are putting unpaid student athletes at serious risk of long term health effects.

if the NCAA puts 2 seasons in less than a year just to recoup advertising losses, the lawsuits they will face from injured players will be astronomical. It’s going to be a fall season, or no season at all

 

[czxqa]

Honest question, with our current QB situation do you honestly believe we will eliminate the blowouts against the big boys of our conference this year who traditionally come in to jersey and take whatever recruits they want? Greg has done a great job of starting to build a fence around nj. When games start that’s when it becomes real in terms of keeping that momentum and keeping our commits. Look at Blanton for example, Michigan just offered him and is coming after him hard.

It will all work our one way or another. I truly believe there will be a season however if for some reason it doesn’t all I am saying is that I don’t think it would be the worst thing for our football program in terms of becoming competitive in our conference. I’m sorry but until I see any sort of competent play from our QB, I can’t blindly say ‘7 of our games are winnable’. I don’t think that’s realistic and I don’t believe enough roster turnover has occurred for us to eliminate the blowouts against at least 3 of the teams on our schedule

I honestly have a ton of confidence because for the first time ever, we've actually got a top notch coaching staff. This is something Rutgers has never had. The only guy Greg went after and didn't get was Anthony, and it was because he ended up with the Dolphins. Gleeson, Panagos, Fran, Augie, Aurich, this is a true high end B1G staff. For the first time ever. Will everything be great from day one? Of course not. But I really believe the level of play will be much better, and for proof I submit how much better the team performed after Nunz took over as head coach. Penn State didn't blow us out. We lost, but that game was winnable, and the kids played their hearts out. PSU had to earn that win.

I don't think we'll go bowling in a full season in the fall, but I think we'll be close and I also think the level of play will be such that we won't see 78-0 again. Missing spring practice will hurt, especially with a new staff, new schemes and the missed development that comes along with it. That will affect us more than programs with continuity, but on the flip side, it sure has helped recruiting.

 

[GSGS]

you're an idiot. Bro no one likes you on this board, you pick fights with everyone, your a cancer and now on ignore. Later Loser!

LOL, our local Faux Rutgers fan, real life Pedd Supporter, is back, and calling a legitimate and respected RU fan like RU4Real a loser.

For those of you who have short memories, check the 6th post from the bottom in the attached link. After I brought this to this board's attention, yessir321 went and deleted his "Rutgers completely sucks ..." post, but I had already quoted it on the attached thread to preserve it. Sorry loser!!!

Spanky - why hasn't this liar and fraud been banned yet from this board??? Pretty damn disgusting when he posts here pretending to have Rutgers best interests at heart.

https://iowa.forums.rivals.com/threads/you-wanted-us-to-show-up-after-the-game.288384/page-2