It has been a roller-coaster season for the 2024 Rutgers Scarlet Knights with many highs and lows along the way. But when all is said and done, Greg Schiano’s squad will be bowling for the second straight season even if their bowl game odds are ultimately dodgy.
Check out our Rutgers bowl game projection to see why I like the Rate Bowl as the Scarlet Knights' likely destination.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights season to date
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights opened the season on a high, winning four straight, including impressive wins over Virginia Tech and Washington.
Unfortunately, that was followed by four straight losses, and Rutgers was unsure if it would be bowling at all by the end of October.
But Schiano’s team showed some resiliency as the Scarlet Knights bounced back by beating Minnesota and then became bowl-eligible by getting a road win over Maryland on Nov. 16. However, they followed that up with a loss to Illinois. So, where they end up comes down to their final game
Rutgers Scarlet Knights remaining schedule
@ Michigan State (Sat., Nov. 30): A win against the Michigan State Spartans could catapult the Scarlet Knights into a much better bowl this December. But it won’t be easy getting a win on the road in East Lansing against a Michigan State team that itself needs one more win to reach bowl eligibility.
But Sparty has just two conference wins thanks to an inconsistent offense and while oddsmakers have this set as a close game with Michigan State as a 2-point home favorite, I like a Rutgers team with the more impressive resume to get the job done.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights bowl game projection
Rate Bowl
With how the middle tier of the Big Ten is playing out, Rutgers might leapfrog a few teams with a win over Michigan State and a 7-5 record.
I project Rutgers will end up in the Rate Bowl, which means a matchup with a Big 12 team. The Big 12 is a crazy jumble at the moment but a meeting with a team like TCU, Texas Tech, or West Virginia seems likely.
Big Ten bowl tie-ins and affiliations
- Cheez-It Citrus Bowl (vs. SEC)
- ReliaQuest Bowl (vs. SEC)
- Duke's Mayo Bowl (vs. ACC) - Even-numbered years
- Las Vegas Bowl (vs. Pac-12) - Odd-numbered years
- Music City Bowl (vs. SEC)
- Pinstripe Bowl (vs. ACC)
- Rate Bowl (vs. Big 12)
- Quick Lane Bowl (vs. MAC)
Rate Bowl info
- Date: Thursday, December 26, 2024
- Time: 5:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ
- Network: ESPN
