You don't need to have kids to know that learning to crawl comes before learning to walk. The Fresno State and UNC games always had some uncertainty to them, but no one really imagined being at this point in the third week of September.
Stopping Navy's triple option is always a challenge, but let's be frank. With all due respect, they are in a rebuilding year. If Rutgers can't somehow pull out a win today, one thing will be evidently clear: the problems with the 2008 Rutgers football team are not correctable; they are systemic. I don't care (well I do, but you know) how poorly Teel plays, I don't care if they have to airlift in Ed Hochuli, Rutgers has to come out of this game with a win. There's always a danger in saying things like this - UNC was a must-win game. After a while, if you keep going to the well, what if there's nothing left? That means burning the muscle and bone that the foundation of the program has been built on during the past few years. The past week has been panic mode. Any result that has Navy winning this game means full-on crisis mode for the Rutgers football program.
Obviously, I'd like to see a consistent team effort today and a comfortable victory. I want to see an offensive gameplan that emphasizes Mike Teel's strengths and minimizes his weaknesses, a commitment to running the football, sacks and turnovers on defense, and a special teams unit that doesn't make me cringe whenever I see it. If any receivers are streaking down the sidelines wide open, I want them to be Britt, Underwood, or Brown, and not whoever is matched up against Jason McCourty or Courtney Greene.
The Ledger has more details on McCormick's speech.
John McCain will be returning to his alma mater today.
Is Mike Teel pressing? Maybe, but I'd be careful about drawing any conclusions at this point.
Brian Leonard is ready to be activated.