I’m sticking to my guns here – Rutgers/Syracuse won’t be very close. Injuries hurt the Orange this year, but the end result probably wasn’t ever going to be much different. At least they have an excuse now. The Syracuse side seems to think that Rutgers and/or Schiano have it out for the Cuse, but I’m not really feeling that on our end. The recent SI fan poll seems to concur. UConn is the #1 Rutgers in-conference rival, and even that takes a back seat to OOC grudges.
The feeling is mutual, but the conference team I can’t stand the most is USF. In terms of a rivalry, it’s going to be hard to top the last two games. If you had mid-November in the annual USF NCAA violations lottery, it’s time to collect your prize. There’s just such a stark contrast between the two athletic departments in all aspects that I can’t think of a better villain in-conference. I used to admire how far they had come in so little time, but now all I have is scorn.
Coach Schiano’s stated policy is to never relent in the first half of any game, but I honestly don’t see the impetus for treating this game unlike any other. In fact, there might even be some potential for Army-style sleepwalking through the second and third quarters. Won’t matter in the end, though. Since the NCAA doesn’t actually recognize both FCS victories, a victory would put Rutgers at seven wins in my book.
Sure, point to Ray Rice and Scott Vallone, but overall the two both programs have very different talent footprints. It seems like the press just keeps trying to push and force this angle because it’s the path of least resistance, even though it’s more myth than reality, and the Rutgers side doesn’t care all that much. I mean, their kicker, Ryan Lichtenstein, trained with a former RU letterwinner who helped shock the Orange(men) back in ‘99.