FiveDimes recently released over/under regular season win totals for college football teams.
Here is an early season look at the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in the Big 10.
Over/under
FiveDimes has Rutgers at five regular season wins. Last year, the Scarlet Knights were 7-5 in the regular season. The line features a better return on the under at +105, while the over is at -145.
The upside
Leonte Carroo is a NFL-ready wide receiver who stayed for his senior season. That should help the development of a new quarterback, who must replace four-year starter Gary Nova.
The competition to replace Nova will come down to Chris Laviano and LSU transfer Hayden Rettig. They will learn the offense under a new offensive coordinator.
Ralph Friedgen stepped down as offensive coordinator after one season and now Ben McDaniels will take over the duties. It doesn’t appear the offense will change, and the offense last year ranked seventh in the Big 10 in total offense last year.
Defensively, the Scarlet Knights will have to replace six starters from last year, but will welcome back Darius Hamilton on the defensive line as likely the best player on the defense.
To get to six wins, the Scarlet Knights should get off to a good start in the non-conference season. The Scarlet Knights will host Norfolk State, Washington State and Kansas in three of the first four games.
The downside
Rutgers will likely struggle this season. The team must replace six starters on a defense that ranked near the bottom of almost all statistical categories last season in the nation.
Offensively, the team hasn’t been too productive, and it should have a difficult time again this season. A new quarterback will take time to break in, and the schedule doesn’t feature too many games where there will be opportunities for the team to work through mistakes.
Last year, Rutgers faced the Big 10’s top four teams, and surrendered 180 combined points. Those same four teams – Michigan State, Ohio State, Wisconsin and Nebraska – are back on the schedule, and this time the Scarlet Knights will host the Spartans, Buckeyes and Cornhuskers.
The only problem is that winnable games against Army, Michigan, Indiana and Penn State are on the road.
The verdict
The schedule doesn’t look good for Rutgers.
The Scarlet Knights likely will only be heavily favored against Kansas and Norfolk State, and they will likely be heavy underdogs in five, possibly seven games.
Rutgers surprised many onlookers last year with seven regular season wins in its first year in the Big 10. However, that was with a four-year starter at quarterback.
This season is different. Rutgers must replace several starters and the schedule is just too tough to think the Scarlet Knights will win six games. Be confidence when taking the under.
