Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Rutgers is No. 108 of 138 in the model after week 6 (1-4, 0-2 in conference play). Its projected final record is 2.3-9.7, with a 0% chance to win out and a 0% chance to make the playoff.

Updated · See Rutgers in the full rankings

2026 at a glance

  • #108in the model (▼5 from last week)
  • 2.3-9.7projected final record
  • −8.6points vs. an average FBS team, neutral field
  • 0%chance to make the playoff

Scouting report: Rutgers's best unit is its pass offense (No. 61 in FBS); its weakest is its run defense (No. 138). Overall, the offense ranks No. 91 and the defense No. 130, adjusted for opponents. These ranks rest on 5 games, so expect them to move week to week.

Résumé: No. 123, by wins above what a typical top-25 team would expect against Rutgers's schedule. That measures what the record is worth; the power rank (No. 108) measures how good the team is.

Deserved wins: playing the way it has, Rutgers would usually have won 1.7 games; it has won 1.

Postseason odds: 0% to win the Big Ten, 0% to make the 12-team playoff, 0% to earn a first-round bye and 0% to win the national title. 1% to reach 6 wins. (Model estimates; how the playoff odds work.)

Rank by week: Wk 1: 115 → Wk 2: 93 → Wk 3: 98 → Wk 4: 87 → Wk 5: 103 → Wk 6: 108
Week 1: No. 115Week 2: No. 93Week 3: No. 98Week 4: No. 87Week 5: No. 103Week 6: No. 108

Rankings for weeks 1-6 were rebuilt after launch from games through each week; later weeks are published live.

Season stats

  • 30points per game
  • 32.2points allowed per game
  • 46%offensive success rate
  • 49%success rate allowed

Success rate: share of plays that keep an offense on schedule (half the yards needed on first down, 70% on second, all of it on third or fourth). Garbage time excluded.

Leaders

  • Passing: Dylan Lonergan, 775 yards, 7 TD, 5 INT
  • Rushing: Antwan Raymond, 469 yards on 89 carries, 4 TD
  • Receiving: KJ Duff, 33 catches, 628 yards, 7 TD

Schedule and win odds

WeekOpponentResult or win chancePlayed like
1vs MassachusettsL 21-37<1% win
2at Boston CollegeL 21-2861% win
3vs No. 24 USCL 35-427% win
4vs HowardW 58-799% win
5vs No. 6 IndianaL 15-472% win
7at Maryland28% to win
8at No. 21 Northwestern9% to win
9vs Michigan24% to win
10at Wisconsin11% to win
11vs No. 13 Nebraska11% to win
12at Penn State14% to win
13vs Michigan State38% to win

Win chances come from the model's current ratings, including home field. Played like: how often a team wins a game it played the way it played this one, based on the box score. Rankings shown are the model's.

Big Ten in the model

#TeamRecordConf.Projected
5Ohio State5-13-09.2-2.8
6Indiana6-03-010.6-1.4
10UCLA5-03-010.6-1.4
13Nebraska5-12-18.9-3.1
16Oregon3-21-17.5-4.5
21Northwestern4-11-18.3-3.7
24USC6-13-18.2-3.8
28Wisconsin4-12-08.3-3.7
35Iowa5-12-18.3-3.7
38Penn State3-30-37.0-5.0
41Michigan3-20-26.0-6.0
48Purdue3-32-15.7-6.3
62Illinois3-31-24.8-7.2
70Michigan State2-40-34.1-7.9
71Washington3-30-34.6-7.4
76Maryland2-40-34.4-7.6
77Minnesota4-22-15.3-6.7

This week's picks and rankings

Every week's top 25, game of the week and picks are in the weekly breakdown. Latest: Week 7 college football picks and power rankings: the model's case for LSU.

How the model works: each team starts from a preseason rating (last season, returning production, roster talent), and every game moves it using the final margin and play-by-play efficiency, adjusted for opponents. Projections simulate the rest of the season 10,000 times. More on the method. Data from CollegeFootballData.com.