As spring practice approaches, we're taking a snapshot of the state of each Big Ten program. We're looking at recent performance, won-loss trends, coaching, current personnel and future personnel.
Read more from this series here.
Up next are the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
2014 record: 8-5 (3-5 Big Ten)
Three-year record: 23-16
Coaching situation: Kyle Flood enters his fourth season as head coach this year armed with more job security. He was widely believed to be on the hot seat going into 2014, but he received a two-year contract extension lasting until 2018 in early September. By defying expectations in Rutgers' first season in the Big Ten, Flood solidified his own situation.
Roster situation: The Scarlet Knights lost their starting quarterback (Gary Nova) to graduation, and for the fifth consecutive time, they got only one year out of their offensive coordinator (Ralph Friedgen, in this latest case). But the return to school by star receiver Leonte Carroo boosted the team's outlook. Flood has said he wants to get bigger on both lines in order to compete with the Big Ten's best.
Recruiting situation: Rutgers had a rough 2014 recruiting season that was marred by a flurry of decommitments, some of which mght have been due to questions about Flood's future. There was less drama in this year's class, which ESPN ranked eighth in the Big Ten. The Scarlet Knights benefit from a rich recruiting area in New Jersey, though the competition for prospects there is fierce, especially given the Big Ten's eastward push.
Trajectory: Up. Most people expected Rutgers to struggle in its first year in the Big Ten, as the step up from the American Athletic Conference was a large one. But the Scarlet Knights held their own against mid-tier conference teams, beating Michigan and fellow newbie Maryland and nearly knocking off Penn State. It was a different story against the league's cream of the crop, as losses to Ohio State, Michigan State, Wisconsin and Nebraska weren't even competitive. But Rutgers won a bowl game in impressive fashion and learned what it needs to do to get to the next level in the Big Ten. The league included the Scarlet Knights in its latest expansion because of the program's vast potential, and you don't have to squint to see some of that potential being fulfilled.