Before we turn our full attention to bowls, we're taking a look back on the 2014 regular season for each team. Up next: Rutgers.

Overview: The Scarlet Knights received a lukewarm reception into the Big Ten, and most outsiders projected them to finish last in the East. Well, Rutgers didn't wait long to start proving doubters wrong. It was the first B1G team to play this season -- on Thursday, Aug. 28 -- and upset pass-happy Washington State, 41-38. By the midpoint of the season, Rutgers stood at 5-1 and was the surprise of the conference. Fans rushed the field after beating Michigan, and RU was just one play away from turning that 13-10 loss to Penn State into a win. Kyle Flood was even our coach of the year at that point. But, as the competition grew harder, it became clear that Rutgers just wasn't at the same talent level as the Big Ten's best. It fell to the top teams -- Ohio State, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Michigan State -- by a combined score of 180-44. Still, it wasn't all bad news. Buzz was high on campus as Rutgers set an attendance record against Penn State, boasted three sellouts and saw its overall crowd increase by 8.8 percent compared to last season. The Knights also ended the regular season on a high note by rallying from a 25-point deficit to defeat Maryland, 41-38. It was the biggest comeback in school history.

Offensive MVP: WR Leonte Carroo. Give quarterback Gary Nova a lot of credit, but this honor has to go to the wideout who more than tripled the production of the No. 2 receiving target. Carroo finished with 53 catches for 1,043 yards and 10 TDs; Rutgers' next-leading receiver had 25 catches for 312 yards and no TDs. Carroo was a speedy playmaker, who routinely transformed short passes into long gains. Nearly 20 percent of his receptions ended up as touchdowns, and he was one of just two B1G wideouts to finish with 1,000 yards. (Michigan State's Tony Lippett was the other.)

Defensive MVP: DT Darius Hamilton. He wasn't a star on the stat sheet, but he was certainly a bright spot on the field. He clogged his holes, allowed his teammates to scoop up the tackles and stepped up when his team needed it most. Against Maryland, for example, he single-handedly made a key stop on third-and-1 with less than 2 minutes left -- and then helped make sure there was no running room on fourth-and-1 to force a turnover on downs. Hamilton finished with 43 tackles, 9.5 tackles-for-loss and five sacks.