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ESPN released its final preseason rankings for all Big Ten teams. They have Ohio State placing first in the conference despite many believing that this year is Penn State’s year. Rutgers, on the other hand, landed at No.13 on the list, right above UCLA and right behind Minnesota.
ESPN did not provide any context as to why they put Rutgers at No.13 specifically; however, since these lists are meant to be a prediction as to where each team will end up by season’s end, there are a few possible reasons why Rutgers was put in this spot.
The first being that they are a drastically improved team from last year, this is one of the main reasons why they aren’t ranked lower. The biggest reason why they aren’t ranked higher is the schedule. Rutgers has one of the toughest schedules in all of college football next season. They play four teams that have a preseason ranking in the AP poll. They play last year’s national champion, Ohio State, last year’s Big Ten title winner, Oregon, and last year’s Big Ten title runner-up up Penn State. They also get to play Illinois, which has a preseason ranking, and Iowa, Minnesota, and Washington, all of whom went to a bowl game last year. Despite the team being improved, they are still expected to finish around the same spot because of who they have to play.
Another reason for the low rankings is the question marks on defense. Rutgers has a lot of moving parts on the defensive side of the ball that leave a lot of uncertainty that cannot be dissected until game time. New defensive coordinators, one young and the other with a questionable track record, an overhaul in the defensive back room, and questions about the second Linebacker slot lead to a lot of speculation on that side of the ball. Until these changes are shown on the field, it is hard to gauge how good the defense will be.
Source link : https://www.onthebanks.com/rutgers-football/45787/rutgers-lands-at-no-13-in-final-espn-big-ten-preseason-rankings
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Publish date : 2025-08-15 00:34:00
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