Q: How exactly is Rutgers football going to get to the 85 scholarship limit?
A: Your guess is as good as mine. I suspect we'll learn more before spring practice. Typically, there are a couple career ending injuries every season, so a few players will be moved off athletic scholarship there. Depth chart battles have a way of leading to transfers (not speculating, but think about certain players none of us think will see the field). There's always a chance that a player or two won't qualify, or some of them will end up "grayshirting" (they would come in next January and count against the Class of 2010).
Q: How does, USF for instance, take 30 commits this year?
A: The limit is 25, but there are ways around it. Look at their commit list - two players from California, and three from Kansas. No more information is needed, those guys are JUCOs. If they enroll early, they can count as part of last year's class. Probably some other players won't qualify. It's best to wait until August to see how the classes really stack up. I'm not a fan of the current system, and wish the NCAA would level the playing field with uniform rules and standards for admissions.
Q: What about 2010?
A: Already? You're very impatient. Give the coaching staff some time to recharge their batteries, we'll hear more soon. As for priorities, the #1 goal has to be bringing in four to five offensive linemen. Rutgers is still a little thin at running back, and it would be nice to add another big play receiver. Right now, it doesn't look like we'll have a lot of scholarships to offer, but those numbers always have a way of working out by the end.
Q: What about spring practice?
A: Didn't Coach say something about a presser soon? The big questions going in should be, in order: run blocking, giving up less big plays in the secondary (not only do we need CBs better with man coverage, but a safety with range would help too), and finally fixing the awful special teams. Hopefully, other question marks like the passing game will work themselves out on their own.
Q: Rutgers isn't going to play two I-AAs next year, are they?
A: I hope not. The athletic department is at this point because of several critical mistakes. Army is an easy road trip, but it's a mistake to play them yearly in a home and home. Most programs set OOC schedules years in advance, and we seemingly used to do that too. Has there ever been a specific answer as to why that changed? It was also a mistake to play eight home games in 2007. They would have been better off dumping Norfolk for the first end of a home and home series with another BCS team. The sad thing about this mess is that Penn State has eight home games and a terrible OOC slate in 2009. Isn't it about time to renew that series as a home and home? The A.D. is in a corner, and I have the feeling that they will end up buying out Fresno at some point down the line and be the latest in a series of BCS conference schools treating mid-majors like dirt.