Sadly you're probably right . But we have to compete with the big boys . Getting drubbed in often in conference games does no one associated with Rutgers any good . It doesn't mean we need a football program where winning is above everything , but winning should be above most things . Otherwise we don't belong in this conference .
No, see... this is where I think you might be missing a piece of the puzzle.
@ruhudsonfan and I argued this point with a number of people in a long thread last week. We actually DON'T "have to compete with the big boys". Purdue doesn't compete with the big boys. Northwestern and Minnesota, while slightly more competitive than Purdue, don't compete with the big boys. Neither do Indiana or Illinois.
The "big boys" in this conference, historically, are Ohio State and Michigan. Those schools have stone-cold football cultures that we don't really have a clear path to, at this point. Michigan State and Wisconsin have historical success, but they have also had some pretty noteworthy dry spells in their history. Nebraska and Penn State are storied programs, but each had the bulk of its success outside the Big 10, with legendary coaches and I think reasonable people would have to say that, for now, the jury is out on where those schools end up - BUT - they both also have very rich football cultures and very large fan bases who are 100% dedicated to supporting the team.
As we discussed last week, if you're looking to draw analogs, Rutgers is much closer to that first group than it is to the second. And there is absolutely nothing in anything that Robert Barchi has said which indicates that "we have to compete with the big boys". Quite the opposite, actually.
As much as it pains me, personally, I think that if Rutgers is going to have a shot at being a household name in Big 10 athletics, the opportunity lies with basketball. We have more of a chance of being Indiana than Ohio State or Michigan. It's easier to turn around a hoops program, from a personnel and logistics perspective. The NY/NJ metro area has a much higher density of high-quality basketball recruits than football recruits. And, frankly, our perception outside of our own fan base is more aligned with basketball than football because we've had greater historical success on the court, as opposed to on the field.
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