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

[yessir321]

Now hear me out because I know there will be a lot of people ready to jump all over me for this. I will be the first to admit that I have been pleasantly surprised with how quickly Greg has seemed to turn around the excitement and recruiting around the program. I expected a better recruiting class but the number of quality recruits committing early has been tremendous. One thing I remember is 4 years ago Chris Ash had similar success his first recruiting cycle (from a rankings perspective), then all the sudden when games started being played the results on the field followed and we all know what happened, soon Rutgers became recruits last choice or only P5 offer and that's what we settled for.
Now please understand I DO NOT believe Schiano will let that happen and I believes he's worlds better than Ash at leading a program however Greg's strong suit has never been game day coaching, he's a tremendous leader, mentor and evaluator of talent which leads me to my hypothesis.

I don't think anyone will disagree that the team will struggle on the field with this years roster, certainly we will be better than the prior few years but I'm not expecting anything over 4 wins... Poor results on the field have a direct connection to recruiting. By shortening or even eliminating the season it will allow Greg to continue this nothing but positive momentum on the recruiting trail and yes I do believe our 2022 recruiting class will be better as a result. At he same time it also gives an extra season to get his guys in so when we do hit the field theoretically in 2022 we will have that much more equal talent with our Big 10 competitors....

I will be the first to say that I hope there's a season this year, I hope everything returns to normal yesterday, I hate what's going on in the world, I'm just trying to think about other things and different scenario's. Feel free to roast me or discuss, I thought it would be an interesting topic

 

[RU4Real]

You should really go back into hiding.

 

[wicker]

So if RU never played another game it would be a powerhouse the likes of which have never been seen. Stop competition, hope it's a nice off season. Then Rutgers is now getting every recruit. Pretty impressive, kid. It's eliminates losing lots

 

[PSU_Nut]

A shortened season would likely hurt Rutgers more than help them. Simply because it would likely be a 8 game conference games only schedule. That would like eliminate most of the winnable games on the schedule. Winnable games like Temple, Syracuse, Monmouth, and Purdue would be eliminated. Rutgers needs to win more than a 1 or 2 games to build momentum.

 

[yessir321]

You should really go back into hiding.

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!

 

[yessir321]

So if RU never played another game it would be a powerhouse the likes of which have never been seen. Stop competition, hope it's a nice off season. Then Rutgers is now getting every recruit. Pretty impressive, kid. It's eliminates losing lots

not what I said at all. My thoughts are really about just building up the talent on the roster. With an extra year of Schiano's recruits yes, the team will be substantially better

 

[RU4Real]

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!

Aww... snowflake is sad because he gets called out on his bullshit.

Sad, sad snowflake. So sad.

 

[DJ Spanky]

No. Stupid premise.

 

[ecojew]

A shortened season would likely hurt Rutgers more than help them. Simply because it would likely be a 8 game conference games only schedule. That would like eliminate most of the winnable games on the schedule. Winnable games like Temple, Syracuse, Monmouth, and Purdue would be eliminated. Rutgers needs to win more than a 1 or 2 games to build momentum.

Agree. If we must cancel four games, let's cancel the last four, LOL. That would give us a shot at a better record.

 

[Doctor Worm]

I agree with OP. Cancelling the season and picking it up with Spring practice 2021 is probably best for the program at this point.

An outcome no one wants of course, regardless of what's best for the program.

 

[Big boy stan]

Your idea reminds me of the situation for the Pittsburgh Penguins 20 years ago. In the early 2000s they were the worst team in hockey which got them top draft pick which resulted in goalie Fleury (#1 in 2003) and Malkin (#2 in 2004). Normally this would have led to an improved team but the NHL went on lockout in 2004/05 so the draft order stated the same and they got Crosby (#2 in 2005). Two years later won their first of 3 cups.

BTW, just to be clear, I am a Penguins hater and the above makes me call them cheaters BUT if it were to work out for RU, I would be OK with it.

 

[czxqa]

I agree with OP. Cancelling the season and picking it up with Spring practice 2021 is probably best for the program at this point.

An outcome no one wants of course, regardless of what's best for the program.

A cancelled season would be financially devastating to so many athletic departments that it will be an absolute last alternative only taken if forced.

 

[yessir321]

A cancelled season would be financially devastating to so many athletic departments that it will be an absolute last alternative only taken if forced.

Well would it really for us though? Not joking around the athletic department has operated at a deficit for years now and we all know it should improve as we get closer to a full share of big ten revenue. This would not only get us one year closer to a full big ten share but also continue the nothing but positive momentum. Just a though. Hope it doesn’t come to it

 

[Knightmoves]

Well would it really for us though? Not joking around the athletic department has operated at a deficit for years now and we all know it should improve as we get closer to a full share of big ten revenue. This would not only get us one year closer to a full big ten share but also continue the nothing but positive momentum. Just a though. Hope it doesn’t come to it

This is loser talk.

Players and teams want to play. That’s the way it will always be in sports.

 

[RUwoz]

I agree with the idea that we have more momentum going into NSD if we don’t play, but as others have pointed out the financial loss is not worth it

 

[yessir321]

I agree with the idea that we have more momentum going into NSD if we don’t play, but as others have pointed out the financial loss is not worth it

We are operating at a deficit in the athletic dept until we get a full big ten share. It actually would be far worse for the ‘big boys’ of our conference who rake in money from athletics.

I don’t want to come across as I’m hoping it happens bc that’s the furthest thing from the case

 

[read option]

We need this year to weed out the upperclassmen who don’t belong and the underclassmen who should be getting the playing time. This year’s Frosh and Sophs are the ones who have us Bowling in 2022.

 

[templeowlscfpsoon]

You're not wrong. Of course, we all want a full season because we love watching football. But from a recruiting standpoint and keeping the program moving full-steam ahead, a shortended season really can only help

 

[Scarlet Haze]

A shortened season would not be good for us, Other teams have the same coaching staff and game plan as last year. We have almost all new coaches and entirely new schemes that no one has been able to practice with. Further our coaches don't really know for sure what talent we have/have not as they have not worked with the players yet. That puts us at a very clear disadvantage, which we are already in because spring practice is gone. We definitely need practice more than other teams do.

 

[-RUFAN4LIFE-]

Any premise built on the basis that RU not playing games or playing fewer games helps recruiting is foolish and completely devoid of the fact that Schiano used it as a tool to recruit better athletes his first go around.

Further this is typical beta male talk. Schiano would laugh you out of the stadium at the mere suggestion.

 

[Plum Street]

If the season is cancelled, how can you not think this helps rutgers? It gives more time for schiano to upgrade the ash t.

 

[WhiteBus]

I agree with OP. Cancelling the season and picking it up with Spring practice 2021 is probably best for the program at this point.

An outcome no one wants of course, regardless of what's best for the program.

There will be no spring football! Period.

 

[ScarletDave]

If we have to shorten the season, I guess we can skip the Ohio State game. It’s a sacrifice but desperate times. If they end up being able to play the extra game later, we can always see if UConn or umass is available on short notice.

 

[srru86]

The boys need reps.

 

[sherrane]

If the season is cancelled, how can you not think this helps rutgers? It gives more time for schiano to upgrade the ash t.

I don't see how you can think it helps unless you believe RU will have an Ash-like season this year. 4-8 is better than not playing because you see tangent results / improvement. Not playing is probably better than a 1-11 or 2-10 season because that may raise doubts in the minds of recruits.

 

[Proud NJ Sports Fan]

Your idea reminds me of the situation for the Pittsburgh Penguins 20 years ago. In the early 2000s they were the worst team in hockey which got them top draft pick which resulted in goalie Fleury (#1 in 2003) and Malkin (#2 in 2004). Normally this would have led to an improved team but the NHL went on lockout in 2004/05 so the draft order stated the same and they got Crosby (#2 in 2005). Two years later won their first of 3 cups.

BTW, just to be clear, I am a Penguins hater and the above makes me call them cheaters BUT if it were to work out for RU, I would be OK with it.

Crosby was the first pick of the draft

 

[Scarlet83]

A cancelled season would be financially devastating to so many athletic departments that it will be an absolute last alternative only taken if forced.

If football season can it be played in the fall, while there will be numerous logical details and TV that have to be worked out, why not schedule football and fall sports for spring 2011? Not optimal, but way better than completely canceling an entire fall sports season.

And normal spring sports ( LAX mostly) game schedules and practices would have to adjust to accommodate, but I would think this could be done.

 

[WhiteBus]

If football season can it be played in the fall, while there will be numerous logical details and TV that have to be worked out, why not schedule football and fall sports for spring 2011? Not optimal, but way better than completely canceling an entire fall sports season.

And normal spring sports ( LAX mostly) game schedules and practices would have to adjust to accommodate, but I would think this could be done.

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.

 

[yessir321]

If football season can it be played in the fall, while there will be numerous logical details and TV that have to be worked out, why not schedule football and fall sports for spring 2011? Not optimal, but way better than completely canceling an entire fall sports season.

And normal spring sports ( LAX mostly) game schedules and practices would have to adjust to accommodate, but I would think this could be done.

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

 

[Plum Street]

I don't see how you can think it helps unless you believe RU will have an Ash-like season this year. 4-8 is better than not playing because you see tangent results / improvement. Not playing is probably better than a 1-11 or 2-10 season because that may raise doubts in the minds of recruits.

It helps because schiano can recruit off of vision as opposed to results . The bottom line is that the roster needs be turned over: the more schiano guys playing the better

 

[-RUFAN4LIFE-]

I don't see how you can think it helps unless you believe RU will have an Ash-like season this year. 4-8 is better than not playing because you see tangent results / improvement. Not playing is probably better than a 1-11 or 2-10 season because that may raise doubts in the minds of recruits.

It helps because schiano can recruit off of vision as opposed to results . The bottom line is that the roster needs be turned over: the more schiano guys playing the better

You are both correct. They need to play to show recruits where the team is at. It could be 4-8, 2-10 or something else better or worse. Recruits will not be in doubt because Schiano can provide a vision of where the program is going. Additionally, he can point to his first stint as to how they became successful because he got better recruits to buy in and come to RU.

 

[51Knight]

Nobody wants the season to be cancelled, but I think OP is right that if it was it would probably benefit RU. It would let one more cycle of Ash recruits cycle out and another much higher level of Schiano recruits cycle in. It would be a net upgrade of talent relative to our competition.

I disagree on a shortened season being better for us though, because it would probably mean lopping off the OOC games (which we're more likely to win) and only playing the hardest part of our schedule. Getting hammered in those games without a few W's to hang his hat on would hurt the "Greg will bring RU back to prominence" narrative that is working well right now, and fuel the "Same old Rutgers" narrative. A shortened season with less practice time would also favor teams that have a lot of consistency in terms of coaching and personnel compared to last season. I actually think a shortened season is probably the worst case scenario on paper.

All of this is besides the point because we all want the world to open back up and we want a full season of football. But if that doesn't happen a fully cancelled season would be beneficial for RU and a shortened season would be even worse for us than others.

 

[-RUFAN4LIFE-]

Nobody wants the season to be cancelled, but I think OP is right that if it was it would probably benefit RU. It would let one more cycle of Ash recruits cycle out and another much higher level of Schiano recruits cycle in. It would be a net upgrade of talent relative to our competition.

I disagree on a shortened season being better for us though, because it would probably mean lopping off the OOC games (which we're more likely to win) and only playing the hardest part of our schedule. Getting hammered in those games without a few W's to hang his hat on would hurt the "Greg will bring RU back to prominence" narrative that is working well right now, and fuel the "Same old Rutgers" narrative. A shortened season with less practice time would also favor teams that have a lot of consistency in terms of coaching and personnel compared to last season. I actually think a shortened season is probably the worst case scenario on paper.

All of this is besides the point because we all want the world to open back up and we want a full season of football. But if that doesn't happen a fully cancelled season would be beneficial for RU and a shortened season would be even worse for us than others.

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.

 

[sherrane]

It helps because schiano can recruit off of vision as opposed to results . The bottom line is that the roster needs be turned over: the more schiano guys playing the better

But he would be far more successful recruiting off success. Recruiting solely on vision will eventually have diminishing returns. Also, the NCAA would likely grant players an additional year of eligibility due to the cancelled season. You will lose players you don't want to as well as players who can be replaced.

 

[Plum Street]

But he would be far more successful recruiting off success. Recruiting solely on vision will eventually have diminishing returns. Also, the NCAA would likely grant players an additional year of eligibility due to the cancelled season. You will lose players you don't want to as well as players who can be replaced.

Well, yes if we were to have success . The talent on the team is dreadful . I hope we play a season though

 

[Wolv RU]

A cancelled season would be financially devastating to so many athletic departments that it will be an absolute last alternative only taken if forced.

Soccer is about to restart in Germany with no fans. Even if it doesn't work perfectly, lessons will be learned and other professional sports elsewhere will follow.

It seems highly unlikely there will be no college football this academic year. It may not start on time, and it may not involve a full schedule, but it will likely happen.

People saying everything will be cancelled are looking too narrowly in time. Things change every week. Remember when we were going to need hundreds of thousands of ventilators? Seems like ages ago.

https://www.latimes.com/sports/socc...ndesliga-plan-empty-stadiums-salvage-tv-money

 

[yessir321]

But he would be far more successful recruiting off success. Recruiting solely on vision will eventually have diminishing returns. Also, the NCAA would likely grant players an additional year of eligibility due to the cancelled season. You will lose players you don't want to as well as players who can be replaced.

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

 

[Wolv RU]

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.

It has been pretty widely reported that ADs have playing from roughly February to April 2021 as a viable backup option, so obviously they don't think it is impossible.

College football is arguably the second most popular sport in the U.S. If games are played, TV will find a way to show them. Of course the scheduling won't work out perfectly, but if the options are (1) no season or (2) season with schedule that conflicts with other stuff, they're going to select (2).

 

[WhiteBus]

It has been pretty widely reported that ADs have playing from roughly February to April 2021 as a viable backup option, so obviously they don't think it is impossible.

College football is arguably the second most popular sport in the U.S. If games are played, TV will find a way to show them. Of course the scheduling won't work out perfectly, but if the options are (1) no season or (2) season with schedule that conflicts with other stuff, they're going to select (2).

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.

 

[yessir321]

It has been pretty widely reported that ADs have playing from roughly February to April 2021 as a viable backup option, so obviously they don't think it is impossible.

College football is arguably the second most popular sport in the U.S. If games are played, TV will find a way to show them. Of course the scheduling won't work out perfectly, but if the options are (1) no season or (2) season with schedule that conflicts with other stuff, they're going to select (2).

It's not going to happen. It would be one thing if these kids were professional athletes and were getting paid to play. to have 2 full seasons within 11 months of eachother would devastate the health of just about every college program. It's not fair to these kids to ask them to put that kind of physical strain on their bodies when they are not getting paid for it.