We're 1 of 6!!!

Knight Shift

Heisman
May 19, 2011
88,468
86,467
113
Declining a bowl with a 5-7 record does not count.

Nowhere to go but up from here. Which happens first, and when?

1. Women's NCAA Tournament Bid
2. Men's NCAA Tournament Bid
3. Rutgers makes a New Year's Day Bowl Game or CFP.


Salty UConn fan, of course wrong:

 
Last edited:

LotusAggressor_rivals

All-American
Oct 11, 2003
16,002
7,757
113
Declining a bowl with a 5-7 record does not count.

Nowhere to go but up from here. Which happens first, and when?

1. Women's NCAA Tournament Bid
2. Men's NCAA Tournament Bid
3. Rutgers makes a New Year's Day Bowl Game or CFP.


Salty UConn fan, of course wrong:


I think that the Women's NCAA Tournament bid happens first. Redus is apparently a great recruiter. If the money is there and he hires the right assistants, he can turn that around in maybe 2 seasons.

Men's Basketball will make an NCAA Tournament before Football gets into the CFP or a New Year's Day Bowl game. The question is whether it will be with the current coach. If Pike stays, it may be awhile, considering that he had what turned out to be 2 NBA players on his roster, one of which will eventually be an All-Star (Harper) and couldn't win enough to finish the season over .500.

Schiano 2.0 is approaching a decade and he's never had a winning conference record. I'd be very surprised if he takes RU to a NYD bowl or the CFP.
 

Knight Shift

Heisman
May 19, 2011
88,468
86,467
113
I think that the Women's NCAA Tournament bid happens first. Redus is apparently a great recruiter. If the money is there and he hires the right assistants, he can turn that around in maybe 2 seasons.

Men's Basketball will make an NCAA Tournament before Football gets into the CFP or a New Year's Day Bowl game. The question is whether it will be with the current coach. If Pike stays, it may be awhile, considering that he had what turned out to be 2 NBA players on his roster, one of which will eventually be an All-Star (Harper) and couldn't win enough to finish the season over .500.

Schiano 2.0 is approaching a decade and he's never had a winning conference record. I'd be very surprised if he takes RU to a NYD bowl or the CFP.
2027 looks like the best shot for football.
Only "great" teams on schedule are Ohio State and Indiana. Michigan may be a work in progress.
Michigan State, Nebraska, Maryland, Northwestern and UCLA are other opponents.

Of course that assumes that none of the above "lesser" opponents get better, and assuming our new QB is a star.

Will we in our lifetime get the trifecta of all three teams in the tourneys and Rutgers in the CFP or NY Day bowl in the SAME year?

 

kupuna133

All-American
Jul 13, 2015
6,785
7,537
113
2027 looks like the best shot for football.
Only "great" teams on schedule are Ohio State and Indiana. Michigan may be a work in progress.
Michigan State, Nebraska, Maryland, Northwestern and UCLA are other opponents.

Of course that assumes that none of the above "lesser" opponents get better, and assuming our new QB is a star.

Will we in our lifetime get the trifecta of all three teams in the tourneys and Rutgers in the CFP or NY Day bowl in the SAME year?

And yet the bookies put the O/U AT 4.5.
Edit. Didn’t see 2027 versus 2026. But if what is predicted of 4.5 wins for 2026. Can’t see 2027 having a much higher ceiling.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Knight Shift

LotusAggressor_rivals

All-American
Oct 11, 2003
16,002
7,757
113
2027 looks like the best shot for football.
Only "great" teams on schedule are Ohio State and Indiana. Michigan may be a work in progress.
Michigan State, Nebraska, Maryland, Northwestern and UCLA are other opponents.

Of course that assumes that none of the above "lesser" opponents get better, and assuming our new QB is a star.

Will we in our lifetime get the trifecta of all three teams in the tourneys and Rutgers in the CFP or NY Day bowl in the SAME year?

Well, we've been there before. In 2024, there was no Ohio State, Michigan, or Penn State on the schedule and RU still lost 5 games. That team should have been at least 9-3.
 

yesrutgers01

Heisman
Nov 9, 2008
122,317
38,079
113
i'm just laughing about how this UConn fan posts how we left just to be doormats in "other" conferences...never mentioning that those conferences did not want UConn and how B1G is "just" another conference.

Now- to KS's question.

That is a tough question of which may happen first. We only now have a new Prez/AD- they are sort of in a short lameduck situation and only new found money.

We do not know how well GS and Pike can manage the portal with their new money. This is going to be the key for those 2 programs. And- there is no way of knowing who may be the next Indiana

As for the WBB - just no idea at all.

But, if GS can figure out the portal and actually pull off a valid bowl game in 2026 - 2027 could be a year to do some damage. For Pike- I just don't know. I know this drives KS crazy but the guy did have 2 NBA stars on his team and he couldnt even have a .500 record
 

Knight Shift

Heisman
May 19, 2011
88,468
86,467
113
Well, we've been there before. In 2024, there was no Ohio State, Michigan, or Penn State on the schedule and RU still lost 5 games. That team should have been at least 9-3.
Injuries.
As for last year with Pikiell and Harper/Bailey- they played a total of 15 games together. Never got a big man/rim protector because we had no NIL money and our AD was hob-knobbing in yoga sessions with the gymnastics team.

With Rutgers and winning, it's like Rosanna Rosanna Danna said:

 

bigmatt718

Heisman
Mar 11, 2013
15,640
21,880
113
Declining a bowl with a 5-7 record does not count.

Nowhere to go but up from here. Which happens first, and when?

1. Women's NCAA Tournament Bid
2. Men's NCAA Tournament Bid
3. Rutgers makes a New Year's Day Bowl Game or CFP.


Salty UConn fan, of course wrong:


UConn fans are just salty that they're homeless in football and always will be.
 

bigmatt718

Heisman
Mar 11, 2013
15,640
21,880
113
i'm just laughing about how this UConn fan posts how we left just to be doormats in "other" conferences...never mentioning that those conferences did not want UConn and how B1G is "just" another conference.

Now- to KS's question.

That is a tough question of which may happen first. We only now have a new Prez/AD- they are sort of in a short lameduck situation and only new found money.

We do not know how well GS and Pike can manage the portal with their new money. This is going to be the key for those 2 programs. And- there is no way of knowing who may be the next Indiana

As for the WBB - just no idea at all.

But, if GS can figure out the portal and actually pull off a valid bowl game in 2026 - 2027 could be a year to do some damage. For Pike- I just don't know. I know this drives KS crazy but the guy did have 2 NBA stars on his team and he couldnt even have a .500 record
UConn is relevant 1 month a year and the other 11 months no one even knows it exists which is why the B1G would never let them in.
 

RU#1fan

Heisman
Mar 7, 2003
23,535
12,239
113
2027 looks like the best shot for football.
Only "great" teams on schedule are Ohio State and Indiana. Michigan may be a work in progress.
Michigan State, Nebraska, Maryland, Northwestern and UCLA are other opponents.

Of course that assumes that none of the above "lesser" opponents get better, and assuming our new QB is a star.

Will we in our lifetime get the trifecta of all three teams in the tourneys and Rutgers in the CFP or NY Day bowl in the SAME year?

Please ..if we don’t make a Bowl in 2026 it’s never happening under Schiano 2.0. The schedule is not exactly murder’s row in either ‘26 or ‘27. The Portal results were a disaster this year with our ranking near the bottom on P4 programs. Not sure it make any difference under 2.0
 

LETSGORU91

Senior
Jul 9, 2025
404
402
63
Injuries.
As for last year with Pikiell and Harper/Bailey- they played a total of 15 games together. Never got a big man/rim protector because we had no NIL money and our AD was hob-knobbing in yoga sessions with the gymnastics team.

With Rutgers and winning, it's like Rosanna Rosanna Danna said:

Most dont want to acknowledge or realize that fact. Plus of those 15 games played together, I believe either/or had returned from a bad ankle sprain and dealt with the flu/mono in many of those played together. Find other things about the team if people want, but using "two top 5 picks" reason is for the misinformed.
 

LotusAggressor_rivals

All-American
Oct 11, 2003
16,002
7,757
113
i'm just laughing about how this UConn fan posts how we left just to be doormats in "other" conferences...never mentioning that those conferences did not want UConn and how B1G is "just" another conference.

Now- to KS's question.

That is a tough question of which may happen first. We only now have a new Prez/AD- they are sort of in a short lameduck situation and only new found money.

We do not know how well GS and Pike can manage the portal with their new money. This is going to be the key for those 2 programs. And- there is no way of knowing who may be the next Indiana

As for the WBB - just no idea at all.

But, if GS can figure out the portal and actually pull off a valid bowl game in 2026 - 2027 could be a year to do some damage. For Pike- I just don't know. I know this drives KS crazy but the guy did have 2 NBA stars on his team and he couldnt even have a .500 record

Injuries.
As for last year with Pikiell and Harper/Bailey- they played a total of 15 games together. Never got a big man/rim protector because we had no NIL money and our AD was hob-knobbing in yoga sessions with the gymnastics team.

With Rutgers and winning, it's like Rosanna Rosanna Danna said:

If it's not one thing, it's another.
 

NickRU714

Heisman
Aug 18, 2009
13,975
12,767
113
2027 looks like the best shot for football.
Only "great" teams on schedule are Ohio State and Indiana. Michigan may be a work in progress.
Michigan State, Nebraska, Maryland, Northwestern and UCLA are other opponents.

Of course that assumes that none of the above "lesser" opponents get better, and assuming our new QB is a star.

Will we in our lifetime get the trifecta of all three teams in the tourneys and Rutgers in the CFP or NY Day bowl in the SAME year?


We just went through this in 2024.
8 wins was supposed to be a disaster and CFP was a potential.

No OSU, UM, PSU, Iowa or Oregon on the schedule.
We played 1 team who ended the season ranked.
1 team who finished in the Top 6 of the Big Ten.

Finished 7-5 (4-5) before losing the bowl game.
 

yesrutgers01

Heisman
Nov 9, 2008
122,317
38,079
113
We just went through this in 2024.
8 wins was supposed to be a disaster and CFP was a potential.

No OSU, UM, PSU, Iowa or Oregon on the schedule.
We played 1 team who ended the season ranked.
1 team who finished in the Top 6 of the Big Ten.

Finished 7-5 (4-5) before losing the bowl game.
in whos world was 8-4 a disaster??? WTF
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bagarocks and rume

Knight Shift

Heisman
May 19, 2011
88,468
86,467
113
Most dont want to acknowledge or realize that fact. Plus of those 15 games played together, I believe either/or had returned from a bad ankle sprain and dealt with the flu/mono in many of those played together. Find other things about the team if people want, but using "two top 5 picks" reason is for the misinformed.
I thought I was the only one that thought this. Such a stupid narrative.
 

Knight Shift

Heisman
May 19, 2011
88,468
86,467
113
We just went through this in 2024.
8 wins was supposed to be a disaster and CFP was a potential.

No OSU, UM, PSU, Iowa or Oregon on the schedule.
We played 1 team who ended the season ranked.
1 team who finished in the Top 6 of the Big Ten.

Finished 7-5 (4-5) before losing the bowl game.
But, but, but, but we had Illinois game won and we should not have lost to UCLA, so technically we were "almost" 9-3!!!!
 

Retired711

Heisman
Nov 20, 2001
19,954
10,112
58
Let's be fair: getting to the NCAA tournament in men's or women's basketball is a lot easier than going to a New Year's Day bowl -- there are many more spots in basketball tournaments than in New Year's Day bowls. That said, I have lost faith in GS as someone who can bring us anything better than 7-5. Maybe no one can, but he has established that he can't.
 

yesrutgers01

Heisman
Nov 9, 2008
122,317
38,079
113
People making fun of UConn failed to realize that they have won 26 NCAA national titles across all sports and we have a total of 0.
Well- we know that 18 of them were from basketball- they have womens field hockey success (big surprise for Ct) and a couple of mens soccer.

Still couldn't get the B1G to sniff their asses. So- we can make as much fun as we want of them. We make fun of them because, well, we can.
 

Retired711

Heisman
Nov 20, 2001
19,954
10,112
58
Well- we know that 18 of them were from basketball- they have womens field hockey success (big surprise for Ct) and a couple of mens soccer.

Still couldn't get the B1G to sniff their asses. So- we can make as much fun as we want of them. We make fun of them because, well, we can.
I guess we can. But if you were to ask people on the street which school has the better athletic teams, 101 out of 100 would name U. Conn.
 

LotusAggressor_rivals

All-American
Oct 11, 2003
16,002
7,757
113
Well- we know that 18 of them were from basketball- they have womens field hockey success (big surprise for Ct) and a couple of mens soccer.

Still couldn't get the B1G to sniff their asses. So- we can make as much fun as we want of them. We make fun of them because, well, we can.
UConn has 18 basketball championships and RU is reduced to celebrating the 1976 Men's team that lost in the Final Four and the pre-NCAA championship that the women won. Puts things in perspective.

For all of the criticism of C. Vivian Stringer (some of it warranted), she did take RU to 2 Final Fours, had them in the championship game one of those years and actually won games in the tournament.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Knight Shift

Knight Shift

Heisman
May 19, 2011
88,468
86,467
113
UConn has 18 basketball championships and RU is reduced to celebrating the 1976 Men's team that lost in the Final Four and the pre-NCAA championship that the women won. Puts things in perspective.

For all of the criticism of C. Vivian Stringer (some of it warranted), she did take RU to 2 Final Fours, had them in the championship game one of those years and actually won games in the tournament.
Yes, which is why IMO, people should let up on the criticism of her. She is a legend, and while she did not exit Rutgers gracefully, that does not erase all of her accomplishments and a head coach.
 

Branchrentals

Heisman
Sep 2, 2022
5,876
13,429
103
UCONN is a joke. Except I guess basketball. Anyhoo as for Rutgers I say Women's BB most likely to make NCAA tourney before the other 2.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Knight Shift

yesrutgers01

Heisman
Nov 9, 2008
122,317
38,079
113
I guess we can. But if you were to ask people on the street which school has the better athletic teams, 101 out of 100 would name U. Conn.
of course they would- there is no denying that UConn BB has elevated the perception of UConn sports.

But, we are in the B1G - so the mic just drops there...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bagarocks

bigmatt718

Heisman
Mar 11, 2013
15,640
21,880
113
of course they would- there is no denying that UConn BB has elevated the perception of UConn sports.

But, we are in the B1G - so the mic just drops there...
If only UConn cared enough about academics to the point of AAU entry, they might've gotten a slight gaze from the B1G, but alas, they didn't.
 

Retired711

Heisman
Nov 20, 2001
19,954
10,112
58
of course they would- there is no denying that UConn BB has elevated the perception of UConn sports.

But, we are in the B1G - so the mic just drops there...
I really don't see why, but probably that's just me. It's not as though our revenue shortfall is much less than theirs. Is it really that prestigious to be near the bottom of an 18-team conference? One purpose of participation in intercollege athletics is to advertise the school. Is our performance really good advertising for us? I hope Tate's and Zinn's initiatives help our athletic teams perform better, because otherwise we need to be re-appraising what we're doing trying to play with the big boys.
 

e5fdny

Heisman
Nov 11, 2002
114,236
53,245
102
I really don't see why, but probably that's just me. It's not as though our revenue shortfall is much less than theirs. Is it really that prestigious to be near the bottom of an 18-team conference? One purpose of participation in intercollege athletics is to advertise the school. Is our performance really good advertising for us? I hope Tate's and Zinn's initiatives help our athletic teams perform better, because otherwise we need to be re-appraising what we're doing trying to play with the big boys.
We are participating.

With a great banner over our heads.

I'd rather have a so so table at a great restaurant than the owner's suite at McDonalds.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: Bagarocks

Branchrentals

Heisman
Sep 2, 2022
5,876
13,429
103
What does the B1G think about us ?
B1G is not about sports as the #1 consideration. They are universities that also have sports. UCONN is not a good university academically.

My kids grades went south when he was in plays in high school. They were not great to start with. Told his mother IDGAF about the play. He is there to go to classes. Get into college.

IDK doesn’t matter what anyone thinks. RU paid their way in. Are a full member. Could get thrown out in some huge shake up of conferences and consolidation. To say just one super conference. Odds are very low of that happening. But not zero.

Personally I preferred the old stadium and independent type schedule from the early 1980’s, other sports AAC. This now a $ arms race RU will never win.
 
Last edited:

Retired711

Heisman
Nov 20, 2001
19,954
10,112
58
We are participating.

With a great banner over our heads.

I'd rather have a so so table at a great restaurant than the owner's suite at McDonalds.
It's not a so-so table. It's the table by the kitchen door, and we are being asked to pay as much as the patrons at the best tables.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RU#1fan

NickRU714

Heisman
Aug 18, 2009
13,975
12,767
113
So what Who cares what they have won

I can only speak for myself but on a sports message board - the lack of value on actually winning the games is beyond crazy.

I can get minimizing winning a Sun Belt conference championship.
But minimizing a national championship during a sports discussion is wild.

"Who cares that the Mets didnt make the playoffs. Did you see how much money ownership made and the team got to spend? Money that doesn't effect me at all btw. That's a success to me. Sure Toronto made the World Series. But they only got to spend $250m. That's sucks for their fans."
 

NickRU714

Heisman
Aug 18, 2009
13,975
12,767
113
Its a scale like everytbing else.

1. Win in a prestigious conference
2.
3.
4. Lose in a crappy conference.

The details are how you rank:

  • In prestigious conference, the AD gets a lot of money to spend, and limited ability to win
  • In a lower conference, AD gets less money to spend, greater ability to win in conference and "compete" for national championship
Those Miami (OH) fans all seemed pretty happy to win those games.
Did they not realize they don't get B1G conference money so their wins didn't matter?
 

Bagarocks

Heisman
Jun 25, 2006
12,851
13,501
113
I can only speak for myself but on a sports message board - the lack of value on actually winning the games is beyond crazy.

I can get minimizing winning a Sun Belt conference championship.
But minimizing a national championship during a sports discussion is wild.

"Who cares that the Mets didnt make the playoffs. Did you see how much money ownership made and the team got to spend? Money that doesn't effect me at all btw. That's a success to me. Sure Toronto made the World Series. But they only got to spend $250m. That's sucks for their fans."
Like you I can only speak for myself.
I dont CARE if the puppies win the next 10 National Championships!
I dont care how many they have won!
They wish they were in our shoes everyday. Why is that, If winning National Championships in BB is paramount.