The Knights Watchman

Rutgers’ 49-16 dismantling of USF today was a resounding statement from a team that is clearly out to prove to itself that it is as good as advertised when the season began. Most preseason predictions had Rutgers at the tail end of the Top 25. Premature? Of course they were. The Scarlet Knights only needed to replace the best running back in school history and a handful of quality starters from both sides of the ball. At the same time, the University of South Florida Bulls were picked even higher than Rutgers in most of the preseason polls. The team’s seasons have become mirror opposites. While RU started 1-5, the Bulls rolled to a 5-0 record becoming for a short time the toast of the state of Florida. Since then, the Bulls have gone 1-4. Now they sit at a fairly respectable 6-4 but really not in a position to do much damage as far as qualifying for a major bowl. The Bulls are 1-4 in the Big East, so even finishing with 8 or 9 wins is unlikely to get them the type of bid that would ha...

It's been a few days since the thorough dismantling of Syracuse, but that doesn't make it any less sweet. Aside from the two big plays, Hogue's run and the blocked punt, there really wasn't much reason to cheer if you are a Syracuse fan. Greg Schiano outcoached Robinson, once again making him look ridiculous in the process. I know a lot of RU fans can't wait to see Robinson get fired because of the disparaging and dismissive comments he's made about Rutgers in the past. But I hope the Orange keep Robinson and give him an extension. I figure that as long as he's there it means more wins on and off the field for Rutgers. Congratulations to Kordell Young on being named Big East Offensive Player of the Week. That's a nice honor for someone who has worked so hard to get himself back into shape after knee surgery. Jamaal Westerman also had a dominating game for Rutgers on the defensive line. Today it was announced that Westerman has made the midseason li...

The time is nigh for the Rutgers-Syracuse showdown on Saturday. As is his usual course of action, Schiano downplayed the significance of the match-up. At the weekly press conference he alluded to the idea that the players and coaches prepared the same way for this game, with the exception of having a buy week, as they have for every other game this season. Yet we all know the stakes are higher when the Orangemen come to town. First off, a Rutgers win continues to allow the Scarlet to out recruit Syracuse in New York and New Jersey. It’s no secret that the rise of Rutgers over the last few years has coincided and come at the expense of the Orange. Schiano also stated that there is no added incentive for him to beat Greg Robinson, regardless of the disrespect Robinson has shown toward the Rutgers program in the past. I have a feeling that on camera it’s one thing but on Saturday the RU coaching staff will aim to ram it down Syracuse’s throat. This game will pretty much determine the e...

Congratulations to Mike Teel on being named the National Collegiate Offensive Player of the Week. After his amazing performance against Pitt, he surely deserved the honor. I believe with that one game he's cemented his status as the Scarlet Knights starting QB for the remainder of the season. Quite simply, no one else on the roster is currently capable of that kind of performance. Their are QBs on the roster talented enough to play that well, but factoring in the experience and understanding of the playbook, Teel gives RU the best chance to win. I've been tough on Teel all year because it seemed as though he wasn't playing up to his capabilities and in the process holding the team back from winning games that they could have. With one performance, he and the team as a whole have elevated themselves to a position where this season could still turn out to be a success. It's a huge win to defeat a ranked team on the road. Schiano seems to have Wannstedt's number ...