Breaking down Rutgers 2026 opponents.
Rutgers football, along with the rest of the Big ten conference, had its schedule released on January 27th. While the opponents were known beforehand, it was unknown which order they would be playing them.
While the Scarlet Knights do have an easier slate compared to last year, that is not to say that the schedule is without major challenges as well.Rutgers will start the season with a light non-conference slate, as it is set to take on UMass, Boston College, and Howard. UMass was considered the worst team in the FBS last season. Boston College was considered the worst team in the Power 5. Howard plays in the FCS, which is a big step down from the Big Ten, where Rutgers plays. Boston College likely poses the biggest threat to the Knights in this slate, as they will have to face them on the road. The two teams will be squaring off on the 25th anniversary of 9/11 in the Red Bandanna game, a game meant to honor BC alum Welles Crowther. Mixed in between the non conference opponents, Rutgers will open up Big Ten play on Saturday, September 19th, as they are set to host USC, who finished last year ranked at No.16 in the AP Poll. This will be the first of their several major tests throughout the season. Two games later, Rutgers is set to host Indiana, which just won their first college football national championship, to end their three game homestand. The Knights' game against Howard is sandwiched in between these two powerhouses. Rutgers will then be on a bye week before going on a two game road trip. The first trip includes a short ride down the interstate to Maryland as they are set to take on the Terrapins. Maryland was one of the two conference wins the Knights had last year, after the Terrapins had a late-season collapse after starting out hot. Rutgers will head out to Illinois to take on Northwestern as the second part of their road trip. The Wildcats finished the 2025 season with a record of 7-6 and a win over Central Michigan in the Game Above Sports Bowl. They also added former Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles in the transfer portal. After their two-game road trip, the Knights will return home to take on Michigan on Saturday, October 31st. Last year, the Wolverines finished with a record of 9-4 and lost to Texas in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl. They finished the season at No. 21 in the AP poll. After a bizarre offseason incident,Rutgers next three opponents did not have the best season last year, but they have always seemed to have the Knights number every time they play. Those three games include a road trip to Wisconsin, a home date with Nebraska, and another road trip out to Penn State. Wisconsin finished last season 4-8, but has an all-time series record of 6-0 against Rutgers. Nebraska, which was expected to take a major step up last season, finished the year 7-6. They hold a 7-0 all-time series record advantage over Rutgers. Penn State finished last year 6-6, and they shut the door on the Knights in the last game of the season, with both teams battling for a bowl game. They have a 33-2 all-time series lead over Rutgers. The Knights last game of the season is on Saturday, November 28th, against Michigan State. The Spartans finished last season as the second-worst team in the Big Ten. Rutgers has also won their last two matchups against the green and white, with their 2024 win coming in blowout fashion. In the offseason, Michigan State hired Pat Fitzgerald to lead its program. Fitzgerald had several winning seasons with Northwestern before being fired due to hazing allegations.Andrew Rice has covered Rutgers athletics for two years for the Rutgers site, OnTheBanks.com. In February of 2025, he took over as the site manager of OnTheBanks and has been running the site ever since. His other professional journalism experiences include being a Rutgers beat reporter for GridironHeroics.com, along with being a general New York sports journalist for Sports Radio America.
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