Rutgers Scarlet Knights Among Big Ten's Most Difficult Schedules In 2025
There were high expectations surrounding the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at this time last year due to a favorable schedule.
As we sit here in 2025, that is not the case for the upcoming season.
Rutgers has been pegged with the third-hardest schedule in the Big Ten, according to Yahoo! Sports. The equation used takes each team's "SP+ Rating" to find a numerical value for each game. Those numbers are added up to find the most difficult schedules in the conference.
Wisconsin came in at No. 1 while Purdue was right behind at No. 2. Rutgers rounded out the top three. On the other end, Illinois was graded with the conference's easiest schedule this season.
Rutgers benefitted in 2024 from not having to play the Big Ten's top four -- Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, and Michigan. This season, Rutgers will have three of the four on the schedule. It also includes Iowa and Illinois.
"The deadly trio of Oregon, Ohio State, and Penn State on the schedule is going to be tough for any team to handle. Outside of those three, Rutgers has to deal with Iowa, Washington and Illinois, which doesn't set up for a great season."
- Yahoo! Sports
The Scarlet Knights will begin the season with a light out-of-conference slate once again made up of Ohio, Miami (OH), and Norfolk State. This will come before the gauntlet in the Big Ten begins.
Rutgers has made improvements in recent years. The Scarlet Knights have qualified for bowl season in each of the last two years. The goal is to return once again but with the schedule this year, that might be a tough task.
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Greg Patuto is a sports writer who covers College Football, College Basketball, MLB, and NBA. He previously worked as Managing Editor at SB Nation's On The Banks, covering Rutgers Athletics, and has also been featured on Fox Sports, NJ.com, ClutchPoints, and FanSided. Greg enjoys spending time with his family while rooting for the Washington Commanders and New York Mets.