Rutgers football at height of Big Ten relevancy

Say it with me now…..Rutgers is officially a relevant program in the Big Ten football conference. The good news is it there is a chance RU will become more prominent very soon.

Two weeks in a row, Rutgers was mentioned for being a factor in the college football rankings. RU was listed as a quality win for Michigan. They were also used by the committee chair to justify Ohio State staying at No. 1 for beating a top 20 RU defense.

It was reported that the Rutgers-Ohio State game was the fourth most watched last weekend. Obviously the top rated Buckeyes were the draw, but a national audience watched the Scarlet Knights give them a true battle.

Michigan is so desperate in their sign stealing scandal, they took a shot at implicating Rutgers in a way that lacks substance. 

Running back Kyle Monangai is leading the Big Ten in rushing. 

The Rutgers defense is ranked nationally in the top 20 in multiple categories. Defensive coordinator Joe Harasymiak has been linked as a potential candidate for the USC job by national media.

Having former players such as Isiah Pacheco, Gus Edwards and Christian Izien succeeding in the NFL helps Rutgers on a national scale as well. 

The Scarlet Knights have a huge opportunity this a Saturday at No. 23 Iowa. There is no better time for a signature win. The immediate would be playing the next week at Penn State with its own national ranking.   If Rutgers can strike while the iron is hot, the upward trajectory for the program will be accelerated.

I discuss all of this and more on the latest episode of The Scarlet Faithful podcast. Listen and watch below.