Paul Finebaum Names Struggling Big Ten Team Good Enough to Be Competitive

The ever-changing college football landscape has allowed some teams that weren't competitive before to become contenders again.

Teams like the Indiana Hoosiers, Texas Tech Red Raiders, Texas A&M Aggies and Ole Miss Rebels, for example, aren't traditional powers but were able to build teams to compete for a national championship and, in Indiana's case, win it all.

That shift has created a belief across the sport that anyone can win with the right approach. But the reality is far more complicated than simply following a blueprint.

Other programs that have struggled over the years are hoping to replicate that success. A caller on "The Paul Finebaum Show" asked the SEC Network analyst specifically about the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and whether he thought they could become a team like that. Finebaum was optimistic about their chances of being a competitive Big Ten team.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights head coach Greg Schiano watches his players in the first half. | Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"That program is good enough to be competitive," Finebaum said. "I think the coach is certainly capable... I think Rutgers is good enough to be competitive in the Big Ten. I won't go any further than that. I think it's close."

Finebaum’s response is telling. He stops short of calling Rutgers a contender, instead framing them as a program that could be respectable. That distinction matters in a conference like the Big Ten.

While Finebaum is optimistic, are they actually close to being able to compete? The reality is Rutgers hasn't won at least 10 games since 2006. They also haven't won more than seven games since 2014.

So even in the NIL and transfer portal era, they haven't shown much progress under head coach Greg Schiano. 247Sports began tracking transfer portal team rankings in 2022, and that happens to be the only year Rutgers had a top 50 portal class.

That lack of talent acquisition success is a major red flag in the current era, where roster building has become just as important as coaching. There has been some potentially good news when it comes to NIL at Rutgers.

Last year, it was announced that the program is starting a new NIL initiative under the direction of new athletic director Keli Zinn. This homecoming weekend will mark the launch of the “R NIL” initiative.

When asked if it would mirror past efforts, Schiano said there hasn't been an effort.

"There have been no efforts at the level it takes to play in the Big Ten," Schiano said. "I am not saying that people haven't tried. What it takes to win in the Big Ten, you can't even say it is minisculely close. That's it."

That quote highlights the core issue. Rutgers isn’t just behind; it has been operating in a completely different tier financially compared to its conference peers.

Prior to the start of the 2024 season, 247Sports ranked the top 50 schools with the most generous donors from 2005 through 2022. Rutgers did not make that list. However, every Big Ten team Rutgers faced last year was on that list.

That gap in resources is difficult to overcome, even in an era that is supposed to promote parity. While the transfer portal has helped level the playing field in some cases, it still often favors programs with the most financial backing.

So, the reality is that if Rutgers does not significantly improve its NIL infrastructure, it will be difficult to reach the level that Finebaum suggested. Being “competitive” in the Big Ten is one thing. Consistently contending is something entirely different, and Rutgers is not there yet.