Previewing the 2014 season for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights:
2013 record: 6-7 (3-5 American Athletic Conference)
Key losses: WR Brandon Coleman, QB Chas Dodd, WR Quron Pratt, DT Isaac Holmes, DE Marcus Thompson, S Jeremy Deering, DE/LB Jamal Merrell
Key returnees: RB Paul James, DT Darius Hamilton, LB Steve Longa, QB Gary Nova, WR Leonte Carroo, TE Tyler Kroft
Instant impact newcomer: Offensive coordinator Ralph Friedgen was out of football for three years before Rutgers came calling. The former longtime head coach at Maryland is known as a quarterback guru, and the Scarlet Knights are counting on him to help fix the passing game and improve senior quarterback Nova's decision-making.
Projected starters
Offense: QB: Gary Nova, Sr., 6-2, 220; RB: Paul James, Jr., 6-0, 205; FB: Michael Burton, Sr., 6-0, 230; WR: Leonte Carroo, Jr., 6-1, 205; WR: Andre Patton, Soph., 6-4, 200; TE: Tyler Kroft, Jr., 6-6, 240; LT: Keith Lumpkin, Jr., 6-8, 310; LG: Kaleb Johnson, Sr., 6-4, 300; C: Betim Bujari, Sr., 6-4, 295; RG: Chris Muller, Soph., 6-6, 300; RT: Taj Alexander, Sr., 6-4, 290
Defense: DE: David Milewski, Sr., 6-4, 245; DT: Darius Hamilton, Jr., 6-4, 255; DT: Kenneth Kirksey, Sr., 6-1, 275; DE: Djwany Mera, Jr., 6-4, 260; LB: Steve Longa, Soph., 6-1, 225; LB: Kevin Snyder, Sr., 6-3, 235; LB: Quentin Gause, Jr., 6-1, 220; CB: Nadir Barnwell, Soph., 5-11, 185; FS: Johnathan Aiken, Sr., 5-11, 190; SS: Lorenzo Waters, Sr., 6-0, 195; CB: Anthony Cioffi, Soph., 6-0, 185
Special teams: K: Kyle Federico, Jr.; P Joseph Roth, Jr.
Biggest question mark: How ready is Rutgers for the Big Ten after never winning an outright conference title in the Big East or American Athletic conferences? The Scarlet Knights have a difficult schedule, with crossover opponents Nebraska and Wisconsin, rugged East Division competition and nonconference games at Washington State and at Navy. They have been a strong defensive team in recent years, particularly against the run. But will the philosophy of smaller but quick defensive linemen work against the brute force of many Big Ten squads?
Most important game: Penn State, Sept. 13. It's the first Big Ten game ever for the Scarlet Knights, arriving in Week 3 at home in what should be a special atmosphere in Piscataway. Rutgers hopes to make the Nittany Lions game a true rivalry and, more importantly, cool James Franklin's jets on the recruiting front. Winning this one -- or at the very least staying competitive -- could set the tone for the entire year and maybe the next few seasons.
Upset special: Sept. 27 vs. Tulane. This home game follows a tough two-game stretch against Penn State and on the road at Navy, a team that often discombobulates opponents with its option attack and cut blocking. The Tulane game also precedes a stretch that sees Rutgers face Michigan, Ohio State, Nebraska and Wisconsin. The Scarlet Knights could already have nagging aches and pains by the time the Green Wave arrive in town.
Key stat: Rutgers' pass defense in 2013 was the worst in school history, as the Scarlet Knights gave up 4,056 passing yards and 31 touchdowns. That's not good news with an opener against Mike Leach's Washington State looming and quarterbacks such as Christian Hackenberg, Connor Cook, Nate Sudfeld and Braxton Miller on the schedule.
What they're wearing: The Scarlet Knights haven't unveiled any new looks yet but have announced that they intend to wear all-black uniforms for the Oct. 4 game against Michigan at home.
Team's top Twitter follows: The team's official account (@RFootball) is chock-full of excellent updates. The Star-Ledger's indefatigable stable of writers (@NJ_RutgersFB) is constantly churning out Scarlet Knights stories. Coach Kyle Flood (@KyleFloodRU) offers occasional insights into the program as well.
They said it: "I would describe us as a tough, physical football team. Going to a new league opens up new opportunities for us. We've played a lot of different teams from a lot of different conferences, a lot of different caliber of teams. We'll be prepared for when the season starts." -- senior fullback Michael Burton
ESPN Stats & Information projection: 4.81 wins
Wiseguys over/under: Four wins
Big Ten blog projection: Four wins. Sorry, Scarlet Knights fans, but we think your first year in the Big Ten is going to be a rough one. Rutgers has been an annual bowl team in the past decade but not much better than a fringe one. And with that daunting schedule, it's hard to envision many paths back to the postseason. Flood's team should be significant underdogs against Washington State, Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan State, Nebraska and Wisconsin. Maryland, Indiana and Navy won't be easy games either. Maybe Rutgers surprises everybody in Year 1, but the odds are heavily against it.