2022 Rutgers Football Schedule Prediction: Is there a path to six wins?

We are officially eight days away from kickoff of Rutgers Football for the 2022 season.

The Scarlet Knights finished 5-7 last year and had the chance to play in a bowl game when Texas A&M dropped out of the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. The question is, will Rutgers be able to find a way to six wins this season?

It is a difficult road for the Scarlet Knights and we break it down further below.

Sept. 3: at Boston College

The season opener will look a bit different than last year. Rutgers begins the non-conference slate with a difficult road matchup against Boston College. Phil Jurkovec will look to remain healthy this season and lead the Eagles, who have a chance to make some noise. Boston College could struggle up front and Rutgers will have to get to Jurkovec to have a chance to steal this one. It will be a hard-fought battle but the quarterback position prevails early.

Result: L, 27-20 (0-1)

Sept. 10: vs. Wagner

There might be a quarterback battle going on in Piscataway but it’s possible we see all three in this one. The Scarlet Knights should have no issue cruising to victory in their home opener.

Result: W, 45-13 (1-1)

Sept. 17: at Temple

The non-conference schedule ends with another game that should allow Rutgers to gel a bit on both sides of the ball. The Scarlet Knights put up 61 points on Temple last season. While it might not get to that point this time around, the lopsided nature of the contest should be the same. The Owls should be better, by an eyelash, but still not close to where they want to be.

Result: W, 35-14 (2-1)

Sept. 24: vs. Iowa

Rutgers went through a physical, low-scoring battle to begin the Big Ten slate last season — expect nothing different here. Iowa is led by Jack Campbell and Riley Moss on the defensive side of the ball. While the quarterback situation is a question mark for Iowa as well, it has the edge defensively. This will be a battle on both sides but Iowa will come out with the win.

Result: L, 23-10 (2-2, 0-1)

Oct. 1: at Ohio State

CJ Stroud. TreVeyon Henderson. Jaxon Smith-Njigba. This is simply a stop along the way for what the Buckeyes are hoping is a National Championship season.

Result: L, 52-14 (2-3, 0-2)

Oct. 7: vs. Nebraska

Could this be the game that pushes Nebraska to make a change with Scott Frost? A Friday night loss to Rutgers could make it happen. Nebraska has shown that it can play close games but has had trouble winning those games. Last time these two met, it was an ice-cold night where Adrian Martinez ran all over the Scarlet Knights. Martinez is gone and the Huskers will have to come together quickly. This game is right there for Rutgers to win.

Result: W, 24-21 (3-3, 1-2)

Oct. 22: vs. Indiana

Rutgers has held an edge over Indiana in recent years — and the Hoosiers and their fans are not happy about it. This year, do not expect another laugher in this matchup but Indiana is not going to fix everything it needs to in one offseason. The Scarlet Knights will have the luxury of playing their second-consecutive home game and coming off a bye.

Result: W, 31-27 (4-3, 2-2)

Oct. 29: at Minnesota

This game begins the gauntlet for the Scarlet Knights to finish the season, which is why victories against Nebraska and Indiana are important. If there is an upset special on the schedule, not counting Boston College, it would be this game against Minnesota. It is hard to ignore the fact that Tanner Morgan is back for the Gophers and Mohamed Ibrahim is expecting to have a monster year coming off an injury. Rutgers might be able to score some points in this game but it will not be enough.

Result: L, 38-27 (4-4, 2-3)

Nov. 5: vs. Michigan

Michigan has been a team that Rutgers has played well over the last year years — for whatever reason. Regardless, the Scarlet Knights have not won a game in this matchup since 2014. It is a game that Jim Harbaugh does not want to sleepwalk through so the Wolverines will be ready and potentially looking to make a statement.

Result: L, 35-17 (4-5, 2-4)

Nov. 12: at Michigan State

Kenneth Walker might be gone but Michigan State will have Payton Thorne back, along with Jaylen Reed. Rutgers was able to win in East Lansing in 2020 but this time around, it might be a bit different. Mel Tucker is no longer finding his way. He has the Spartans as a top-15 team and knowing who they are.

Result: L, 34-21 (4-6, 2-5)

Nov. 19: vs. Penn State

The talent gap between Penn State and Rutgers is huge and it has shown. The defense of the Nittany Lions pins their ears back and likes to toy with the Scarlet Knights. In fact, Rutgers has not scored double-digit points against Penn State since 2014. Over the last two years, Rutgers is being outscored 51-7 in this matchup.

Result: L, 27-6 (4-7, 2-6)

Nov. 26: at Maryland

Rutgers and Maryland will meet in the final week of the regular season for the third-consecutive year. This should be an every year occasion in the Big Ten. The rivalry is perfect but for Rutgers, it will not be this year. We all remember what happened last year when these two met with a bowl berth on the line. This is not to say that Maryland will run away again but with Taulia Tagovailoa back, the Terps will be a better team than 2021. That might not bode well for Rutgers.

Unfortunately for Rutgers, the schedule is not favorable, especially down the stretch. This is a year where some young players could get some experience (Gavin Wimsatt) and prepare for 2023.

Result: L, 38-28 (4-8, 2-7)