Rutgers’ Tough Road Ahead in Big Ten | Rutgers Scarlet News

Rutgers football is staring down a brutal 2026 season, projected to finish dead last in the Big Ten—17th out of 18 teams—according to a new preseason poll. Despite returning key skill-position players and aiming for improvement after a five-win campaign, the Scarlet Knights’ defense remains their biggest liability, ranked last in the conference last year. Facing four top-six opponents—including Indiana, USC, Michigan, and Penn State—while playing five teams expected to finish near the bottom, Rutgers’ path to success is steep. With Ohio State atop the rankings and Michigan State, Purdue, and Rutgers at the bottom, head coach Greg Schiano’s team must prove skeptics wrong in a season that could define their future. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/aaa7714f04d39928