In a familiar story line leading up to Rutgers’ all-important opener at home versus Cincinnati, Greg Schiano has no one to play tight end. Where have you gone L.J. Smith and Kevin Brock and the media laments Schiano threw out when they played? He is also concerned about who is going to be his quarterback(s), who’s on the D-line, and has a multiple of injuries to worry about. It’s only a matter of time before some other area on the field becomes a weakspot. Defensive backs? Linebackers? Defensive linemen? The wide receivers, an area that looked to be chronically woeful for 2009, is currently being held in reserve.

You can bet that Brian Kelly, the Cincinnati coach and perhaps the Big East’s best, will not enter New Brunswick on Labor Day with a laundry list of problems. It seems that Kelly learned a long time ago that building confidence is a key to his success.

Not so with Schiano. For some reason he likes to whine about problems, maybe thinking that it makes him look better if and when the team takes off. Yesterday he moved quarterback D.J. Jefferson to tight end. Lets hope he can learn how to block in about eight practices. Message to the Big East: Shamar Graves, the incumbent is either lacking or needs help. Touted freshmen Paul Carrezola and Malcolm Bush apparently aren’t bringing it. Acclaimed walk-on Tony Trahan can only be hyped so much. Defensive end Evan Lampert has also been converted.

Someone ought to teach the coach about building confidence and about how to take on an opponent without broadcasting where your weaknesses might be. Someone should say out loud that it might not be the talent as much as it is the coaching.

Another quarterback, Jabu Lovelace, has also been backed out of the four-man QB race, by being assigned the “run and gun” package, Rutgers’ answer to the “Wildcat Offense.” The trouble with this ‘package’ is that it is supposed to pressure the defense by opening up the offense to a mobile dual threat. Rutgers version mostly means a shotgun snap to Lovelace who runs into the pile for short yardage.

While Schiano would be better served to tout his talented and experienced offensive line in front of at least three effective running backs, he continues to play ‘glass half empty.’ His defense is also set up to be an area of strength, although talent alone does not make a defense. This group needs to emerge as a unit and quickly. There’s no time to whine about it until it gets better.

In their first year away from Schiano controlling D coordinator duties, someone will need to emerge as a leader on the defensive line, while linebackers will be abundant led by Ryan D’Imperio and the defensive backfield has playmakers led by CB Devin McCourty. They will be challenged game one by the dynamic passing tandem of Cincy QB Tony Pike and WR Mardy Gilyard.

Meanwhile fifth-year, undistinguished QB Dom Natale will take the reins because Schiano always seems to give an edge to upper classmen, a trait that serves him well in the leadership and recruiting department, but not necessarily in performance. When Natale falters, freshman Tom Savage will be paraded in to begin learning how to find the answers. Hopefully, he’ll find ways to move the offense just like Schiano will find a new group of “quality guys” to fawn over to replace Brian Leonard, Ray Rice, Mike Teel and Kenny Britt.