The Time Out - one last discussion

[LeapinLou]

I've been thinking about the timeout and the bowl situation. This is what happened:

9-3 Illinois - Citrus
7-5 Michigan - Reliaquest
8-4 Iowa - Music City
7-5 Minnesota - Mayo
6-6 Nebraska - Pinstripe
7-5 Rutgers - Rate

Now what if the time out isn't called and Rutgers beats Illinois but everything else remains the same? I kept thinking that RU would get Citrus. But think about it. If Illinois and RU are both 8-4, then Citrus is not blocked from taking Michigan because there isn't a two game difference in record. So if we're being honest Citrus would have taken Michigan. At that point, would RU get the nod over Illinois and Iowa for Reliaquest? They probably take Iowa I'd think as Wisconsin was the only team blocked from that bowl. Then for whatever reason, Music City didn't seem very high on RU. So they take Illinois over us since they had the better resume despite losing to us. At that point, we're basically in the same situation we are today, where the Mayo bowl won't take us because they really want Virginia Tech and want to avoid a regular season repeat. That puts us right where we are today.

7-5 Michigan - Citrus
8-4 Iowa - Reliaquest
8-4 Illinois - Music City
7-5 Minnesota - Mayo
6-6 Nebraska - Pinstripe (RU blocked)
8-4 Rutgers - Rate

What do you guys think about this?

 

[RU at the shore]

I’m not ready to discuss it yet …

 

[RU Cheese]

I've been thinking about the timeout and the bowl situation. This is what happened:

9-3 Illinois - Citrus
7-5 Michigan - Reliaquest
8-4 Iowa - Music City
7-5 Minnesota - Mayo
6-6 Nebraska - Pinstripe
7-5 Rutgers - Rate

Now what if the time out isn't called and Rutgers beats Illinois but everything else remains the same? I kept thinking that RU would get Citrus. But think about it. If Illinois and RU are both 8-4, then Citrus is not blocked from taking Michigan because there isn't a two game difference in record. So if we're being honest Citrus would have taken Michigan. At that point, would RU get the nod over Illinois and Iowa for Reliaquest? They probably take Iowa I'd think as Wisconsin was the only team blocked from that bowl. Then for whatever reason, Music City didn't seem very high on RU. So they take Illinois over us since they had the better resume despite losing to us. At that point, we're basically in the same situation we are today, where the Mayo bowl won't take us because they really want Virginia Tech and want to avoid a regular season repeat. That puts us right where we are today.

7-5 Michigan - Citrus
8-4 Iowa - Reliaquest
8-4 Illinois - Music City
7-5 Minnesota - Mayo
6-6 Nebraska - Pinstripe (RU blocked)
8-4 Rutgers - Rate

What do you guys think about this?

You're searching for reasons to justify a coaching blunder and a terrible loss

 

[LeapinLou]

You're searching for reasons to justify a coaching blunder and a terrible loss

There is no justification from me. I love our coach but it will go down in history as one of the dumbest football strategy decisions I've ever seen. It was as bad as it gets. But as the pain is wearing off, I'm wondering how much impact it really had on our landing spot. I'd like to hear as many opinions as possible.

 

[RUPete]

Why, Lou, why?! Just kidding. I think you're right with your assessment.

 

[WhiteBus]

 

[megadrone]

Why, Lou, why?! Just kidding. I think you're right with your assessment.

But if you combine the Illinois loss with the UCLA loss (again did the timeout at the end of the half that didn't need to be called substantially change the trajectory of that game), you could be on to something. We don't call the timeout, UCLA lets time expire before the half, no TD scored, do we win by 4 instead of losing by 3?


Win those two games and we are 9-3.

 

[RUPete]

I don't know why, but that gif makes me laugh every time I see it, even though I have seen it a million times!

 

[RUPete]

But if you combine the Illinois loss with the UCLA loss (again did the timeout at the end of the half that didn't need to be called substantially change the trajectory of that game), you could be on to something. We don't call the timeout, UCLA lets time expire before the half, no TD scored, do we win by 4 instead of losing by 3?


Win those two games and we are 9-3.

Now, you're just trying to kill me over here. I thought I had made peace with everything...

 

[WhiteBus]

I don't know why, but that gif makes me laugh every time I see it, even though I have seen it a million times!

Same here!

 

[yesrutgers01]

Ahhh- but 8 wins and a chance for 9…even if it is the same bowl.,,

 

[newwavedave1]

What's done is done. Who cares what bowl we could have gone to. Get over it and enjoy going to the Rate Bowl to face a tough K-State squad.

 

[RUPete]

What's done is done. Who cares what bowl we could have gone to. Get over it and enjoy going to the Rate Bowl to face a tough K-State squad.

You missed the point of the OP. And you seem to lack a sense of humor about this.

 

[The RUT]

Wouldn’t 8-4 have put us in Charlotte most likely?

Or is our bowl a better bowl?

If we’re being totally honest with ourselves, these 6-6, 7-5, 8-4 bowls are all pretty much the same outside of location.

Its not really about bowl prestige anymore.

 

[cicero grimes]

Wouldn’t 8-4 have put us in Charlotte most likely?

Or is our bowl a better bowl?

If we’re being totally honest with ourselves, these 6-6, 7-5, 8-4 bowls are all pretty much the same outside of location.

Its not really about bowl prestige anymore.

The real drawback to the rate bowl is the date. If that bowl was the 28th or later I think Phoenix is a better destination than Charlotte.

The timeout still burns but what's done is done. Rutgers always seems to find new and interesting ways to lose.

 

[yesrutgers01]

The real drawback to the rate bowl is the date. If that bowl was the 28th or later I think Phoenix is a better destination than Charlotte.

The timeout still burns but what's done is done. Rutgers always seems to find new and interesting ways to lose.

The bowl and the timeout are two different things- what some people are missing- is that maybe the bowl game doesn't change but a win is a win. If there was no timeout- we are 5-4 in conf and 8-4 for the season and most likely getting vote.

An 8-4 season record is one of those milestones- 4/5 wins- pretty much same thing- 6/7 wins is the next milestone - 8 wins or better...there is no doubt by anyone that it was good and a statement.

 

[RUPete]

The bowl and the timeout are two different things- what some people are missing- is that maybe the bowl game doesn't change but a win is a win. If there was no timeout- we are 5-4 in conf and 8-4 for the season and most likely getting vote.

An 8-4 season record is one of those milestones- 4/5 wins- pretty much same thing- 6/7 wins is the next milestone - 8 wins or better...there is no doubt by anyone that it was good and a statement.

Excellent point.

 

[Goku]

I love Schiano. I'm so glad he's our coach. I was one of the few people on here who hated him for leaving for Tampa Bay. I'm glad he came back. I hope he's the coach for 10 more years, and I think he will get us one magic season in that 10-year span. If my kid ever played football, I would send him to be coached by Schiano....to be shaped as a young man and as a football player.

Schiano just makes these types of decisions. And he needs to learn things the hard way. I've accepted it. And I'm happy he's our coach

 

[LeapinLou]

OK I have 12 responses to my question:

@RUPete agrees with me.
@The RUT thinks at 8-4, the Mayo Bowl would have had to rethink taking VT so they could take RU.
10 people responded but didn't offer an opinion on my question

I think the best response goes to @yesrutgers01 The larger point is that 5-4 in conference and 8-4 would have pointed to a major step forward for the program. Really sucks that a lack of common sense by an otherwise great coach cost us that elusive winning conference record.

The "beating a dead horse" gif is indeed hilarious.

 

[NotInRHouse]

Wouldn’t 8-4 have put us in Charlotte most likely?

Or is our bowl a better bowl?

If we’re being totally honest with ourselves, these 6-6, 7-5, 8-4 bowls are all pretty much the same outside of location.

Its not really about bowl prestige anymore.

No- bc they always wanted VT (obviously, it's like Pinstripe wanting us) and didn't want the rematch (understandably).

 

[Local Shill]

There is no justification from me. I love our coach but it will go down in history as one of the dumbest football strategy decisions I've ever seen. It was as bad as it gets. But as the pain is wearing off, I'm wondering how much impact it really had on our landing spot. I'd like to hear as many opinions as possible.

I think you're spot on. Because Citrus Bowl reps were at the Illinois game and had nice things to say about Rutgers, people jumped to erroneous conclusions.

Now if we had beaten Illinois and Michigan finished 6-6, the pecking order might have changed a bit but I still don't think we'd sniff the Citrus.

 

[NotInRHouse]

I've been thinking about the timeout and the bowl situation. This is what happened:

9-3 Illinois - Citrus
7-5 Michigan - Reliaquest
8-4 Iowa - Music City
7-5 Minnesota - Mayo
6-6 Nebraska - Pinstripe
7-5 Rutgers - Rate

Now what if the time out isn't called and Rutgers beats Illinois but everything else remains the same? I kept thinking that RU would get Citrus. But think about it. If Illinois and RU are both 8-4, then Citrus is not blocked from taking Michigan because there isn't a two game difference in record. So if we're being honest Citrus would have taken Michigan. At that point, would RU get the nod over Illinois and Iowa for Reliaquest? They probably take Iowa I'd think as Wisconsin was the only team blocked from that bowl. Then for whatever reason, Music City didn't seem very high on RU. So they take Illinois over us since they had the better resume despite losing to us. At that point, we're basically in the same situation we are today, where the Mayo bowl won't take us because they really want Virginia Tech and want to avoid a regular season repeat. That puts us right where we are today.

7-5 Michigan - Citrus
8-4 Iowa - Reliaquest
8-4 Illinois - Music City
7-5 Minnesota - Mayo
6-6 Nebraska - Pinstripe (RU blocked)
8-4 Rutgers - Rate

What do you guys think about this?

I think this is correct. The extra win is always nice but the bowl picture doesn't change.

Which is why like I said, people comparing it to WVU in 06 or Ville in 12 were so far off base...it doesn't change how the season caps off.

It's a lot less dramatic than our fans made it out...which is not a shocker lol.

 

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

There is no justification from me. I love our coach but it will go down in history as one of the dumbest football strategy decisions I've ever seen. It was as bad as it gets. But as the pain is wearing off, I'm wondering how much impact it really had on our landing spot. I'd like to hear as many opinions as possible.

I don't understand the people giving you grief over this. They are theones beating the dead horse imho.

 

[RUBigFrank]

The bigger impact was the Michigan win - I agree we would still be in the Rate Bowl IF we had beaten the Illini.

 

[Scarlet16E]

The time out was not ideal, but it did not put points on the board. Illinois still had to score and our Defense blew it on the next play.

 

[RUTGERS95]

But if you combine the Illinois loss with the UCLA loss (again did the timeout at the end of the half that didn't need to be called substantially change the trajectory of that game), you could be on to something. We don't call the timeout, UCLA lets time expire before the half, no TD scored, do we win by 4 instead of losing by 3?


Win those two games and we are 9-3.

no one ever said greg was smart, many might even say he's average at coaching at best, some might say he's a good coach

no one ever said he's a great coach

we'll always underachieve with Greg which is why it's maddening with him as our coach. He does enough to get respectable but can't close the deal

 

[RUTGERS95]

The time out was not ideal, but it did not put points on the board. Illinois still had to score and our Defense blew it on the next play.

you should definitely refrain from posting

 

[JayDogSmooth]

I think this is correct. The extra win is always nice but the bowl picture doesn't change.

Which is why like I said, people comparing it to WVU in 06 or Ville in 12 were so far off base...it doesn't change how the season caps off.

It's a lot less dramatic than our fans made it out...which is not a shocker lol.

It’s not the bowl difference that I’m pissed at, it’s the fact that it doesn’t appear to have learned from his previous mistakes, and continues to go back to the well, even after coaching in the NFL and at Ohio State

That is a frustrating part

 

[winfield102]

RU had a chance to change the perception of the program or at least have people think about changing their perception of the program. We fumbled that opportunity this year. Are we ever going to see this type of schedule again?

I think fans were hoping we were beyond GS being directly responsible for losses.

 

[yesrutgers01]

RU had a chance to change the perception of the program or at least have people think about changing their perception of the program. We fumbled that opportunity this year. Are we ever going to see this type of schedule again?

I think fans were hoping we were beyond GS being directly responsible for losses.

It was such a weird schedule- almost every game was against a .500ish team. Maryland was the worst team on our P4 schedule at 4-8 and the best was Illinois at 9-3 everyone else fell between 5-7 wins.

 

[NotInRHouse]

It’s not the bowl difference that I’m pissed at, it’s the fact that it doesn’t appear to have learned from his previous mistakes, and continues to go back to the well, even after coaching in the NFL and at Ohio State

That is a frustrating part

What was an analogous situation there to this one?