Rutgers was bad last year. So bad that their starting quarterback and running back decided to redshirt the year instead of wasting it. The Scarlet Knights then fired Chris Ash after being blown out by Michigan and hired back Greg Schiano in the offseason. Schiano is killing it on the recruiting trail right now, but they are still a few years off from competing.
Nebraska was supposed to have its savior when they brought back alum Scott Frost to lead the program. Even after a rough first year, many “experts” were predicting the Cornhuskers to win the West. That didn’t happen, in fact it didn’t even come close to happening as Nebraska didn’t even make a bowl game. Frost may be a great coach but he isn’t doing much yet in Lincoln and the talent just isn’t there right now. Until they prove it they are going to sit near the bottom of these rankings.
The Wildcats were not very good last year as they just couldn’t get any consistent play from their quarterbacks. Well, that shouldn’t be an issue as they secured Indiana transfer Peyton Ramsey and his experience. Northwestern will just be better because of Ramsey and never count out a Pat Fitzgerald coached team. This team is still low on talent, but we have seen crazier things happen from the Wildcats. But they are still in a prove it first situation.
Maryland started off on fire last year blowing out their first two opponents including a ranked Syracuse team. The start even got the Terrapins ranked, but then they forgot that they were playing football and looked horrible for the rest of the year. They did have some injuries including a season-ending ACL tear from rising star Jeshaun Jones, but they almost looked like they quit at the end of the year. This the third of the prove it before we move you up teams. They should be better this year but we said that last year also.