UPDATE 2: Tie game! 25-25, 10:13 left in the game.
News flash: Rutgers is good.
UPDATE 3: IT’S GOOD!!!!!!!
Rutgers 28, Louisville 25, 13 seconds left!!!!
UPDATE 4: WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!
Most entertaining game I’ve seen all year.
Rutgers is for real. How do you deny this team a shot at the national championship if they go undefeated? They’ve gotta win in Morgantown on December 3… but if they do that… how can you deny them? If you were prepared to give West Virginia or Louisville a shot, then CLEARLY Rutgers deserves it too.
I grew up in New Jersey. Heck, I grew up in Piscataway and went to RU.
The idea that the day would come when the Scarlet Knights would be playing the #3 team in the country the way they are tonight was inconceivable in 1986.
That was freaking awesome. Way to go Rutgers. I hope they finish the season undefeated. Schiano is doing fantastic things to that program. Good for them.
If Rutgers gets past WVU and otherwise runs the table, then it would be an absolute travesty to keep them out of the championship game. They’re talented, well coached, and running like a well-oiled machine. The defense is pretty well stifling once it gets warmed up, and the O-line doesn’t have to do much (and they did much more) to open holes for Ray Rice, who’s something pretty doggone special.
They are good. If they’re undefeated in a BCS conference, then to put in a one loss Cal, USC, Florida, Auburn, or Texas is an abomination.
God you bandwagoners sound like idiots. The big east is garbage. Louisville just got exposed. Rutgers is still garbage. Rutgers’ biggest win before this was a 5 point win over UNC. UNC has zero wins over a division 1A school and they stayed within 5 points of Rutgers. It was a fun win but being undefeated is meaningless if you never play anyone. OSU would beat this team by 30.
Wow JT you are an absolute moron. Big East is garbage with a couple of one loss and a no-loss team who have all played incredibly well? Oh right the Louisville/WV game was crap cause of all the offensive yards and high score, no matter that it was comparable stats wise to last years national championship game.
Hmm, i’m gonna take a guess, you are an SEC fan right?
Then let OSU beat them by 30. You can call it being a bandwagoner if you want but the argument I want made is this. If a BCS conference team is undefeated then they should play in the Championship game ahead of ANY 1-loss team. The freakin BCS is run by these conferences. They should want this game to be between two of their undefeated teams.
Nobody’s gonna make you root for RU, JT, but to misrepresent the Knights’ “biggest win before this” as the snoozer against UNC is just stupid. RU has beaten five 1A teams now with winning records. Pitt, USF & Navy are clearly the toughest opponents Rutgers had faced before tonight.
If RU can beat WVU (not to mention a dangerous Cincy team next week & another against Syracuse), I don’t see why they wouldn’t deserve very strong consideration for the title game.
I never said Rutgers wasn’t good. I just said they don’t deserve a title shot. You just named off their biggest wins as South Florida, Pitt and Navy. Think about that for a second. Teams should be rewarded for scheduling tough out of conference games. UNC, Illinois, Ohio, and Howard, and Navy are not tough out of conference games. And not I’m not an SEC fan. I’m just not willing to reward a team for playing no one.
Look, Rutgers deserves credit for beating a tough team. And they deserve consideration for the national title, but this game DOES NOT prove that they’re a great team. They have one great win (this one), which is more than a lot of teams can say, but the Big East is clearly weak this year and they would get destroyed by anyone the met in any BCS bowl.
Davie,
I’m afraid I don’t follow your logic. The Big East is good because they have zero or one losses and they have played well? They have played well against each other. None of the three top teams have any meaningful out of conference wins to show. It is quite possible they are inferior to all the one-loss teams in the nation and some of the two-loss teams in the SEC. Of course, because none of them have played meaningful out of conference games, they could be better than these teams I mentioned, but we don’t know, and we are free to hold the suspicion that they are actually a fraud. How is the score in the national championship game in any way apposite to the score of these Big East games? You could try to argue in the hypothetical that the Big East teams could be competitive with Florida, Texas, and Notre Dame. But because of these three teams’ own scheduling, you simply can’t prove it. Best to resort to calling other posters morons.
Rutgers put on a great game tonite. I’d say they shouldn’t even be considered to play in the national championship game with their ridiculous schedule, but let’s put them at #3 and tell everyone they DO deserve it, and it won’t matter after West Virginia beats them in a couple weeks.
So let’s move on to talking about why USC is the real #1 1-loss team in the country.
Sandyvag,
USC might well be the best one-loss team in the country. It’s pretty useless to speculate right now, because they get the chance to prove it by finishing their final stretch with four straight wins over quality opponents, two of them in the top 15. After that, most reasonable pollsters would have every reason to rank them as the top one-loss team.
Above Rutgers, in my opinion. I just don’t foresee RU being above #5 in the next poll. I again point to their weak non-conference schedule and what is considered, and I believe rightfully so, a weak conference.
A legitimate team to play for a championship needs to be able to have a good running game, and have a good defense that can stop the run, if Rutgers runs the table they should play in the NC. The Big East is not trash anymore and has three top 10-15 teams they deserve a shot at a title if a team goes unbeaten. I wouldnt say that Ohio State would just roll over them, and for all this to happen they have to go on the road and beat West Va in Morganstown which isnt easy.
For crying out loud, I am an SEC fan, and I think that if Rutgers goes undefeated that they should play for the title.
I’m not saying that I think that Rutgers would go undefeated in a full season SEC/BigTen/Big 12/Pac-10 schedule, as I’m not sure that they would. Yes, I think their schedule is softer than other teams, and on any given gameday, they would probably lose more than 50% of the time to USC/Texas/Florida/ND or whoever else.
Doesn’t mean that they don’t deserve a shot to prove the critics wrong, though. Run the table, play for the title. If they misstep against WVU or someone else, then no dice.
Well put, Jay. It’s hard to tell how someone would do without actually playing them in a game, so I’m all for an undefeated Rutgers v. aOSU in the title game.
JT, I wasn’t making an argument about RU having a tough schedule, just pointing out it’s disingenuous to say their game against UNC was previously their toughest of the year.
Teams should be rewarded for scheduling tough out of conference games. I agree, fully. After the next few weeks play out, if RU wins out they would, as I said earlier, deserve very strong consideration for a title game berth. USC, Cal, Texas, OSU/Mich loser, Florida, Auburn, Arkansas & Notre Dame will all get chances to prove themselves over this time, too.
I’d just like to point out that the Big East champion beat the SEC champion on a “neutral” field (in SEC country) in the Sugar Bowl last year. That same Big East champion basically returned all its same players this year. They then lost to Louisville… who lost to Rutgers. Tell me again how this conference is “trash”? That’s pure prejudice, sound and fury signifying nothing. The ACC is this year’s “trash” conference — and when Rutgers goes undefeated, doesn’t go to the title game, gets invited to the Orange Bowl and beats ACC champion Wake Forest, you haters will say they still haven’t proven anything, because the ACC is trash. Well hey, I have any idea, let’s GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO PROVE YOU RIGHT OR WRONG. You know I’m a USC and Notre Dame fan, but if either of those teams get into the title game ahead of undefeated Rutgers, it’ll be a travesty. The Big East actually has a great record against other BCS competition, which is why the computers are generally ranking them one of the top 2 or 3 conferences in the country. Just because you’re prejudiced against the Big East doesn’t mean you’re right.
Andrew, I think the difference is that Boise State is not in a BCS conference. I think the presumption is that any BCS team is going to have a stronger schedule than any non-BCS team. Boise State truly will never have a chance unless a tournament is implemented.
Any team in a non-BCS conference will have a hard time making a case. All of their non-conference games will probably have to be against top 10 teams and they will have to win all of their conference games convincingly. The independant teams have a better chance than a non-BCS conference team. They are not restricted to their conference foes and can schedule tougher opponents. Notre Dame does this better than any other independant. I think this is why they are a BCS team. If their schedule ever dropped off that status might be reconsidered.
However, if Ohio State and Boise State are the only undefeated teams this year I would vote them 1-2 just to protest the lack of a playoff.
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November 9th, 2006 at 8:11:17 pm
Must be a Bon Jovi concert later..
November 9th, 2006 at 10:33:53 pm
18 straight points!! Rutgers ties it up!!
November 9th, 2006 at 10:42:06 pm
Rutgers is good…….
I grew up in New Jersey. Heck, I grew up in Piscataway and went to RU.
The idea that the day would come when the Scarlet Knights would be playing the #3 team in the country the way they are tonight was inconceivable in 1986.
Win or lose, this is a fantastic night.
November 9th, 2006 at 11:02:30 pm
thank goodness for that offsides. Rutgers takes the lead with :13 left!!!
November 9th, 2006 at 11:06:33 pm
[…] years, we beat the #3 team in the country baby. Brendan Loy says it best: Rutgers is good. [link] The URI to TrackBac […]
November 9th, 2006 at 11:06:57 pm
Rutgers 28 Louisville 25
Yea Baby !
November 9th, 2006 at 11:07:01 pm
They should pull a Wisconsin to finish the game and just go offsides on the kickoff and then kick again. Heh.
November 9th, 2006 at 11:08:00 pm
Of course, for that to work, you can’t let the Louisville guy get to almost midfield.
November 9th, 2006 at 11:11:21 pm
That was freaking awesome. Way to go Rutgers. I hope they finish the season undefeated. Schiano is doing fantastic things to that program. Good for them.
November 9th, 2006 at 11:12:27 pm
Yeah BABY!!!! WOOOHOOO! R-U! RAH! RAH! I think Tony Soprano told Louisville to knock it off at half time. :)
November 9th, 2006 at 11:14:01 pm
Rutgers in the National Championship ?
My head is spinning for more than one reason…..
My wife is an Ohio State Alum.
Would it be safe to root for my alma mater ? ;)
November 9th, 2006 at 11:20:24 pm
If Rutgers gets past WVU and otherwise runs the table, then it would be an absolute travesty to keep them out of the championship game. They’re talented, well coached, and running like a well-oiled machine. The defense is pretty well stifling once it gets warmed up, and the O-line doesn’t have to do much (and they did much more) to open holes for Ray Rice, who’s something pretty doggone special.
They are good. If they’re undefeated in a BCS conference, then to put in a one loss Cal, USC, Florida, Auburn, or Texas is an abomination.
Helluva game, though.
November 9th, 2006 at 11:59:33 pm
God you bandwagoners sound like idiots. The big east is garbage. Louisville just got exposed. Rutgers is still garbage. Rutgers’ biggest win before this was a 5 point win over UNC. UNC has zero wins over a division 1A school and they stayed within 5 points of Rutgers. It was a fun win but being undefeated is meaningless if you never play anyone. OSU would beat this team by 30.
November 10th, 2006 at 12:16:19 am
Wow JT you are an absolute moron. Big East is garbage with a couple of one loss and a no-loss team who have all played incredibly well? Oh right the Louisville/WV game was crap cause of all the offensive yards and high score, no matter that it was comparable stats wise to last years national championship game.
Hmm, i’m gonna take a guess, you are an SEC fan right?
November 10th, 2006 at 12:22:11 am
“OSU would beat this team by 30.”
Then let OSU beat them by 30. You can call it being a bandwagoner if you want but the argument I want made is this. If a BCS conference team is undefeated then they should play in the Championship game ahead of ANY 1-loss team. The freakin BCS is run by these conferences. They should want this game to be between two of their undefeated teams.
November 10th, 2006 at 12:26:34 am
Nobody’s gonna make you root for RU, JT, but to misrepresent the Knights’ “biggest win before this” as the snoozer against UNC is just stupid. RU has beaten five 1A teams now with winning records. Pitt, USF & Navy are clearly the toughest opponents Rutgers had faced before tonight.
If RU can beat WVU (not to mention a dangerous Cincy team next week & another against Syracuse), I don’t see why they wouldn’t deserve very strong consideration for the title game.
November 10th, 2006 at 12:34:11 am
This is entertaining: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=baker/061109
November 10th, 2006 at 12:43:32 am
I never said Rutgers wasn’t good. I just said they don’t deserve a title shot. You just named off their biggest wins as South Florida, Pitt and Navy. Think about that for a second. Teams should be rewarded for scheduling tough out of conference games. UNC, Illinois, Ohio, and Howard, and Navy are not tough out of conference games. And not I’m not an SEC fan. I’m just not willing to reward a team for playing no one.
November 10th, 2006 at 12:47:56 am
Look, Rutgers deserves credit for beating a tough team. And they deserve consideration for the national title, but this game DOES NOT prove that they’re a great team. They have one great win (this one), which is more than a lot of teams can say, but the Big East is clearly weak this year and they would get destroyed by anyone the met in any BCS bowl.
This proves the need for a playoff system.
November 10th, 2006 at 1:10:29 am
Davie,
I’m afraid I don’t follow your logic. The Big East is good because they have zero or one losses and they have played well? They have played well against each other. None of the three top teams have any meaningful out of conference wins to show. It is quite possible they are inferior to all the one-loss teams in the nation and some of the two-loss teams in the SEC. Of course, because none of them have played meaningful out of conference games, they could be better than these teams I mentioned, but we don’t know, and we are free to hold the suspicion that they are actually a fraud. How is the score in the national championship game in any way apposite to the score of these Big East games? You could try to argue in the hypothetical that the Big East teams could be competitive with Florida, Texas, and Notre Dame. But because of these three teams’ own scheduling, you simply can’t prove it. Best to resort to calling other posters morons.
November 10th, 2006 at 1:30:46 am
Rutgers put on a great game tonite. I’d say they shouldn’t even be considered to play in the national championship game with their ridiculous schedule, but let’s put them at #3 and tell everyone they DO deserve it, and it won’t matter after West Virginia beats them in a couple weeks.
So let’s move on to talking about why USC is the real #1 1-loss team in the country.
November 10th, 2006 at 2:06:32 am
Sandyvag,
USC might well be the best one-loss team in the country. It’s pretty useless to speculate right now, because they get the chance to prove it by finishing their final stretch with four straight wins over quality opponents, two of them in the top 15. After that, most reasonable pollsters would have every reason to rank them as the top one-loss team.
Above Rutgers, in my opinion. I just don’t foresee RU being above #5 in the next poll. I again point to their weak non-conference schedule and what is considered, and I believe rightfully so, a weak conference.
November 10th, 2006 at 10:18:57 am
A legitimate team to play for a championship needs to be able to have a good running game, and have a good defense that can stop the run, if Rutgers runs the table they should play in the NC. The Big East is not trash anymore and has three top 10-15 teams they deserve a shot at a title if a team goes unbeaten. I wouldnt say that Ohio State would just roll over them, and for all this to happen they have to go on the road and beat West Va in Morganstown which isnt easy.
November 10th, 2006 at 10:27:10 am
For crying out loud, I am an SEC fan, and I think that if Rutgers goes undefeated that they should play for the title.
I’m not saying that I think that Rutgers would go undefeated in a full season SEC/BigTen/Big 12/Pac-10 schedule, as I’m not sure that they would. Yes, I think their schedule is softer than other teams, and on any given gameday, they would probably lose more than 50% of the time to USC/Texas/Florida/ND or whoever else.
Doesn’t mean that they don’t deserve a shot to prove the critics wrong, though. Run the table, play for the title. If they misstep against WVU or someone else, then no dice.
November 10th, 2006 at 10:36:06 am
Well put, Jay. It’s hard to tell how someone would do without actually playing them in a game, so I’m all for an undefeated Rutgers v. aOSU in the title game.
November 10th, 2006 at 11:58:46 am
JT, I wasn’t making an argument about RU having a tough schedule, just pointing out it’s disingenuous to say their game against UNC was previously their toughest of the year.
Teams should be rewarded for scheduling tough out of conference games. I agree, fully. After the next few weeks play out, if RU wins out they would, as I said earlier, deserve very strong consideration for a title game berth. USC, Cal, Texas, OSU/Mich loser, Florida, Auburn, Arkansas & Notre Dame will all get chances to prove themselves over this time, too.
November 10th, 2006 at 7:04:27 pm
I’d just like to point out that the Big East champion beat the SEC champion on a “neutral” field (in SEC country) in the Sugar Bowl last year. That same Big East champion basically returned all its same players this year. They then lost to Louisville… who lost to Rutgers. Tell me again how this conference is “trash”? That’s pure prejudice, sound and fury signifying nothing. The ACC is this year’s “trash” conference — and when Rutgers goes undefeated, doesn’t go to the title game, gets invited to the Orange Bowl and beats ACC champion Wake Forest, you haters will say they still haven’t proven anything, because the ACC is trash. Well hey, I have any idea, let’s GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO PROVE YOU RIGHT OR WRONG. You know I’m a USC and Notre Dame fan, but if either of those teams get into the title game ahead of undefeated Rutgers, it’ll be a travesty. The Big East actually has a great record against other BCS competition, which is why the computers are generally ranking them one of the top 2 or 3 conferences in the country. Just because you’re prejudiced against the Big East doesn’t mean you’re right.
November 10th, 2006 at 8:43:48 pm
Well hey, I have any idea, let’s GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO PROVE YOU RIGHT OR WRONG.
Okay so if Boise State goes undefeated and is only the second undefeated team left, should they get to play Ohio State/Michigan for the title?
November 11th, 2006 at 12:20:30 am
Andrew, I think the difference is that Boise State is not in a BCS conference. I think the presumption is that any BCS team is going to have a stronger schedule than any non-BCS team. Boise State truly will never have a chance unless a tournament is implemented.
Any team in a non-BCS conference will have a hard time making a case. All of their non-conference games will probably have to be against top 10 teams and they will have to win all of their conference games convincingly. The independant teams have a better chance than a non-BCS conference team. They are not restricted to their conference foes and can schedule tougher opponents. Notre Dame does this better than any other independant. I think this is why they are a BCS team. If their schedule ever dropped off that status might be reconsidered.
However, if Ohio State and Boise State are the only undefeated teams this year I would vote them 1-2 just to protest the lack of a playoff.