Three Marquee Big Ten Games Rutgers Football Must Perform At High Level
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The Big Ten announced the 2026 schedule on Tuesday afternoon. The Rutgers Scarlet Knights will begin their season against teams such as UMass, Boston College, and Howard.
Rutgers can start the season fresh by securing multiple victories. Their schedule gets more challenging as October and November approach. Three games in the Scarlet Knights' schedule could dictate where they stand as a program.
Which of the Three Games Rutgers Must Circle on Their Calendar?
Indiana Hoosiers (Oct. 3)
The national champions will be the first ultimate test for the Scarlet Knights. Hoosiers won’t have quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza coming back, as he announced he’s entering the NFL draft. Indiana still has a lot of talent on its team, including coach Curt Cignetti.
Rutgers will play at home in its second Big Ten contest of the season. We’re not going to say that the Scarlet Knights will win this game. Most people won’t give them a 1% chance to beat Indiana. Although in any Saturday football match, any team can lose. A lot can be said about Rutgers if they can at least make this a one-possession game.
If the Scarlet Knights lose by 7 points or less, then they should feel good about where they stand as a team going forward.
Michigan Wolverines (Oct. 31)
Another Big Ten matchup. The Wolverines are determined to have a much better season. Michigan hired coach Kyle Whittingham. It’s a significant upgrade for their program. Whittingham spent 22 seasons with the Utah Utes and is the all-time winningest coach in Utah’s program history.
Michigan also added veteran coach Brian Knorr to Whittingham’s staff.
The Scarlet Knights’ defense will need to make their presence in this game and pressure quarterback Bryce Underwood. He’s returning for his sophomore season. In his first year, he threw for 2,428 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions. Underwood is a potential candidate for the Heisman this season.
Rutgers has a much better chance of beating Michigan than Indiana. The Scarlet Mnights can take advantage of the Wolverines defensive linemen by running the ball. Antwan Raymond could have a big performance.
Penn State (Nov. 21)
The revenge game for Rutgers. We saw how the season ended. Then the Nittany Lions shattered the Scarlet Knights' hopes of playing in a bowl game. Penn State beat Rutgers in the regular season finale, 40-36 at SHI Stadium.
It’s going to be a battle of elite running backs from both teams. Rutgers must treat this Nov 21 Game as a must-win opportunity. It’s not going to be easy going on the road with that loud crowd. The Scarlet Knights can’t afford to give up too many points like they did last season.
The one thing we could say about all three games is that the defensive coordinator must be innovative and strategic.
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Miguel Mike Medina is a Writer and Freelance Sports Journalist who contributes to Rutgers On SI. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in Creative Writing and a Minor in Journalism in 2014 from City College of New York.