Big East Sports Blog

If I were coaching a team in a bowl game this holiday season, I would not want to see my team name opposite the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Rutgers, a team that started 1-5 on the season, finished the regular season at 7-5 after a 63-14 thumping of Louisville on Thursday night. With 6 straight wins Rutgers not only solidified their bowl eligibility, but they may have played themselves into a better bowl game with the hot streak. Meanwhile, with bowl eligibility on the line in this game as they looked to improve to 6-6, Louisville showed little fire in getting crushed. As a result, 6 Big East teams will be bowling in 2008-2009 with Louisville & Syracuse on the outside looking in. The win by Rutgers means they will likely play in the new St. Petersburg Bowl, the PapaJohns.com Bowl or return to the International Bowl where they easily handled Ball State a year ago. My pick? I would love to see Rutgers in the Papa John’s Bowl against a SEC opponent. Nothing against the MAC and Conference USA, both of whom have solid bowl-eligible teams this season, but Rutgers against a SEC team looks like a very nice bowl game matchup.

After a Top 10 start the Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team had high hopes for 2007. But the season turned out to be up-and-down as Rutgers went 3-4 in the Big East to finish 7-5 for the year earning a berth in the International Bowl on January 5th in Toronto. The Scarlet Knights will face off with the Ball State Cardinals of the Mid-American Conference, a team that also went 7-5 on the season. College Sports Fans has released their 2008 International Bowl preview and can also help you find all of the Rutgers clothing & apparel you need to support the Scarlet Knights this season and in the future.