The usual suspects litter the top of the BCS standings. Ohio State, Michigan, Texas, USC, a dash of one-loss SEC teams and two Big East teams (although probably not the two you're used to) sit in the Top 10, seemingly setting the nation up for another BCS brawl among the big dogs.
Way out in left field though, there is another player begging to be let in the game. Down at the No. 15 spot, a quiet Rutgers squad sits at 8-0 for the first time since 1976 when the Scarlet Knights went 11-0. Rutgers has already qualified for just their third bowl game in history. Before the Insight Bowl last season, the last time Rutgers made a bowl game was in 1978 when they lost to Arizona State in the Garden State Bowl.
But to think these Scarlet Knights are content with becoming bowl eligible would be a mistake. If Rutgers can win out, beating No. 3 West Virginia and No. 5 Louisville in the process, they can take their first Big East conference championship title ever and their first conference championship since 1961 when Rutgers was part of the now defunct Middle Atlantic Conference. A berth in a BCS game would be theirs, along with the hearts of college football fans everywhere.
As with any Cinderella story, this is all easier said than done. Those WVU and Louisville squads have steamrolled opponents behind high-powered offense on their way to undefeated records. Rutgers on the other hand, has played in several barnburners against weaker opponents, including a 21-16 victory over North Carolina and a 22-20 victory over South Florida. The most impressive victory to date for the Scarlet Knights has been a 20-10 victory over Pittsburgh in which Rutgers running back Ray Rice rolled for 225 yards on 39 carries.
Rice, at 5' 9'', 195 pounds, has been Rutgers' workhorse, already rushing for over 1,200 yards with four games left to play. The diminutive back has shown incredible burst and vision this season. Pittsburgh head coach Dave Wannstedt is a believer.
""He's the real deal,"" Wannstedt said. ""He got into the secondary so fast we didn't have time to react.""
Rice is already considered one of the top Heisman candidates in the nation. If Rutgers does manage to win the Big East, you can bet he will be in New York for the award ceremony.
If Rice makes up the body of this squad, then fullback Brian Leonard is its heart. The senior co-captain was considered one of the premier fullbacks in the nation heading into the season and he has not disappointed. For his career, Leonard has 42 touchdowns and 4,386 total yards rushing and receiving. He has become one of the most popular players in Rutgers history, especially for signature ""Leonard Leap,"" a move where he showcases his freakish athletic ability by hurdling over the heads of defenders who try to hit him low.
The extra attention that teams have paid to Leonard has helped spring Rice for some gaudy numbers. Leonard's numbers may have diminished this season with Rice's emergence and knowing defenses, but the Rutgers offense has thrived averaging 30 points and 204.7 yards rushing per game.
The Rutgers defense has been nothing short of impressive. Albeit against weaker opposition, Rutgers' defense has already pitched two shutouts this season against Illinois and at Navy. The Pittsburgh game was the most impressive. The Rutgers ""D"" held Pittsburgh quarter back Tyler Palko, then the nation's pass efficiency leader, to just 169 yards on 16-26 yards passing with four sacks. The Scarlet Knights feature a swarming front seven that, although undersized compared to other top programs, is explosive off the line.
You will not find many top defensive tackles smaller than co-captain Ramel Meekins at 6' 1'', 252 pounds, but the sophomore has totaled four sacks in the last three games and continues to be one of the driving forces behind an enthusiastic, aggressive defense that is second in the nation in total defense, giving up just 223.4 yards per game.
Many experts continue to sleep on Rutgers, waiting for the Scarlet Knights to beat someone worth taking note of. The unconvinced will get the chance to see the true makeup of this squad on Nov. 9 when Louisville comes to New Brunswick, NJ. The Scarlet Knights have all of the makings of a goliath slayer, with a running game as efficient as any in the nation and a stout defense predicated on getting to the ball fast.
The matchup against Louisville is set up in favor of the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers will be coming in with an extra week of rest and preparation with a bye this weekend. The Cardinals on the other hand, will face Rutgers a week after their big game this week against West Virginia that, win or lose, will likely leave the Cardinals emotionally spent. Factor in that the game is at night, in New Jersey, in front of a rejuvenated fan base, and you have the makings of a big trap for Louisville.
If Rutgers can pull off the upset, then the once ragged Scarlet Knights would become one of the major players in the BCS game. Making a BCS game for this east coast squad of players that somehow could not attract the attention of schools like Miami or Virginia Tech would be akin to George Mason making the Final Four. This Rutgers squad could go down as the definitive Cinderella story of college football history.
