July 6, 2010 – Sportscream never places much faith in opinions or polls, but The Sporting News has came out with its first college football ratings and has Greg Schiano’s Scarlet Knights positioned at 44th in the country. In the Big East, Pittsburgh (19), UCONN (28) and Cincinnati (41) are all ahead of Rutgers.

Head coach Greg Schiano enters his tenth year at RU armed with five straight bowl appearances (four straight wins), the number one academic progress rate in the nation, and a slew of guys in the NFL, including a first round pick last year and two first round picks this year.

The trouble is that none of the bowl games have been significant, the APR is simply keeping players eligible and graduating on time, and besides 2006, when the Knights fittered away a chance at the BCS, there is very little “signature football” to talk about.

Still, Schiano faces a crossroads of sorts in 2010. Of course, it doesn’t mean his job is on the line. Rutgers rarely fires coaches unless they misbehave, and Schiano’s performance over ten years has been more than exemplary. He has “job for life” written all over him if he wants it. Unless the Rutgers heirarchy starts judging the program like every other major college football team. That’s unlikely because it would take financial influence, powerful alumni and fanbase demand which Rutgers doesn’t have.

So Schiano’s reputation and the prestige of his program will take on an extra amount of scrutiny this year. First, the Big Ten will be watching, and although Rutgers plays in an attractive market, their competitive abilities and the financial/alumni/fans issues may not be up to the standards to be invited to their league, despite how much Joe Paterno and some of his bretheran would like to see a punching bag on their schedules. Secondly, Schiano’s personal cache come January, when the coaching carousel starts spinning, may take a hit with another so-so season and inferior bowl.

It’s laid out right in front of him. A non-conference home game against former mentor Butch Davis’ North Carolina on September 25th could set up a 4-0 mark going into their first Big East test against UCONN at home on October 8th. Two weeks later they are at Pittsburgh. By Halloween they could be making The Sporting News make their appointments to be fitted with dunce caps.