Rutgers Scarlet Knights Way-Too-Early Schedule Prediction for 2025 Season
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights are still over two months away from opening the 2025 season.
It is never too early to look at the schedule and make predictions for the team in the upcoming year.
Rutgers enters the season looking to return to bowl season for the third consecutive year. The schedule will be more difficult here than in 2024 with some of the Big Ten's top teams on deck.
This will be the first of three schedule predictions shared as we creep closer to the 2025 season opener.
Note: Scores will be added in future versions.
2025 Rutgers Football Schedule Prediction
Thursday, Aug. 28: vs. Ohio
The Scarlet Knights will open the season on a Thursday night for the second consecutive year. It will come against the MAC champion Ohio Bobcats from a season ago. The excitement of football being back at SHI Stadium will be in the air all night as fans watch Rutgers pick up a victory. This will not be as big a rollover as Howard last season but the Scarlet Knights will enter as double-digit favorites and must get the season started on the right foot.
Result: Win (1-0)
Saturday, Sept. 6: vs. Miami (Ohio)
A MAC-heavy start continues for Rutgers with Miami (Ohio). After hosting the regular-season champions from last season, Rutgers will welcome in the team that finished second to Ohio. Miami (Ohio) will take small steps back this season. Rutgers will once again be a big favorite in Week 2. Nothing is guaranteed and head coach Greg Schiano knows that. With that being said, these are must-win contests.
Result: Win (2-0)
Saturday, Sept. 13: vs. Norfolk State
Norfolk State finished 4-8 last season. This is the final non-conference game of the year for Rutgers and it is time to check out the depth on the roster. The Scarlet Knights will be without Kyle Monangai this season, who was the centerpiece of the offense for two years. Athan Kaliakmanis returns for his second year as the starting quarterback with many new weapons in place. This game is a chance to put it all together ahead of Big Ten play.
Result: Win (3-0)
Friday, Sept. 19: vs. Iowa
This is perhaps the most important game on the Rutgers schedule in 2025. A Friday night in September, the Iowa Hawkeyes come into town with a chance to move to 4-0. Rutgers is 0-4 in this matchup since joining the Big Ten. Iowa has outscored Rutgers 93-17 in those four games, including two shutouts. Iowa landed Mark Gronowski in the transfer portal to be the quarterback. Kirk Ferentz has improved the coaching staff in hopes of taking the next step as an offense.
This is a win that would go a long way in reaching six wins as the schedule just gets more difficult toward the end of the season. If there is a true 50/50 game on the schedule, this might be it. The result will likely flip flop until the game is played.
Result: Win (4-0, 1-0)
Saturday, Sept. 27: at Minnesota
Minnesota is another swing game on the schedule. This will be the first time Rutgers hits the road during the season. It will also have an extra day to prepare. Regardless, there is an emotional factor from beating Iowa the week before. Rutgers must find a way to split this two-game stretch because it does not get any easier from here.
Result: Loss (4-1, 1-1)
Friday, Oct. 10: at Washington
Washington came to Piscataway on a Friday night last season. Here, Rutgers will give a return trip on a Friday night. It will come after an open date so the Scarlet Knights will have time to prepare. This is a revenge spot for Washington. It nearly took down Rutgers in a strange game in 2024. The Huskies will defend home field here.
Result: Loss (4-2, 1-2)
Saturday, Oct. 18: vs. Oregon
It is a new-look Ducks' team but one that might enter the game ranked inside the Top 10 nationally. Dante Moore and Austin Novosad are candidates to replace Dillon Gabriel under center. Five-star freshman Dakorien Moore joins a talented group of returners. This is a tall task for Rutgers and the reason that the team must split with Iowa and Minnesota. If not, it will get ugly midseason.
Result: Loss (4-3, 1-3)
Saturday, Oct. 25: at Purdue
The Scarlet Knights get a slight break here with Purdue, which is expected to be at the bottom of the Big Ten once again. Barry Odom was brought in to be the new head coach. While Odom might be the right hire for the Boilermakers, it will take some time to rebuild. It would be a big surprise to see it happen right away.
Result: Win (5-3, 2-3)
Saturday, Nov. 1: at Illinois
Rutgers fans, try not to think back to the end of the game against Illinois last season. To make matters worse, the Illini are being coveted as potential dark-horses for the College Football Playoff if all goes right. Illinois has a chance to catapult into the top-tier of the Big Ten this season if the returning experience takes the next step.
Result: Loss (5-4, 2-4)
Saturday, Nov. 8: vs. Maryland
This will likely be the final chance for Rutgers to earn a spot in bowl season. Rutgers and Maryland have been big-time rivals since coming into the Big Ten together. Maryland has dominated this matchup recently but Rutgers holds a slight edge heading into the season. The Terps have won five of the last seven meetings between these two teams. Last year, Rutgers went to College Park and came home with a two-touchdown victory. The same could happen this year at SHI Stadium. Win the game and go back to bowl season for the third straight year.
Result: Win (6-4, 3-4)
Saturday, Nov. 22: at Ohio State
The reigning National Champions will host Rutgers late in the season. There is big turnover each year for a roster like Ohio State but the team enters with hopes of repeating as champion. The quarterback battle will be intense but whoever wins the job will have the luxury of Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate on the outside. This will continue to be a lopsided matchup.
Result: Loss (6-5, 3-5)
Saturday, Nov. 29: vs. Penn State
The Scarlet Knights have yet to defeat Penn State. It is now up to 10 consecutive losses since 2014. In those 10 games, Rutgers has reached double-digit points just twice. In a year where Penn State has National Championship hopes as a top-ranked team, this matchup will likely continue to be ugly.
Result: Loss (6-6, 3-6)
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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.