Trivia for Source (but you can read it too!)

[BeantownKnight]

On Friday night, Rutgers will play the "National Runner-up" (the team which lost in the previous year's National Championship game). However, can you guess how many times Rutgers has played the previous year's National Champion (or, concensus #1)?

 

[DJ Spanky]

Well we played Princeton in 1869, so that's one runner-up.

 

[Plum Street]

Is the question champion and runner up?
are we allowed to guess ?

 

[Source]

There are several "retro-pollsters" recognized for crowning National Champiions. The following list is for National Champions Rutgers met that season.

1869 - Rutgers and Princeton shared the National Championship
1870 - Princeton
1872 - Princeton
1874 - Princeton
1878- Princeton
1879 - Yale (split with Princeton)
1880 - Princeton
1881 - Princeton
1882 - Yale
1883 - Yale
1884 - Yale and Princeton (split the National Championship; Rutgers played both!)
1887 - Yale
1888 - Yale
1896 - Princeton
1911 - Princeton
1914 - Army
1921 - Lafayette (split with Iowa and Cornell)
1926 - Lafayette
1933 - Princeton
1935 - Princeton (split with Minnesota and SMU)
1982 - Penn State
1986 - Penn State
1994 - Penn State
2001 - Miami
2014 - Ohio State

 

[Knight Shift]

There are several "retro-pollsters" recognized for crowning National Champiions. The following list is for National Champions Rutgers met that very season.

1869 - Rutgers and Princeton shared the National Championship
1870 - Princeton
1872 - Princeton
1874 - Princeton
1878- Princeton
1879 - Yale (split with Princeton)
1880 - Princeton
1881 - Princeton
1882 - Yale
1883 - Yale
1884 - Yale and Princeton (split the National Championship; Rutgers played both!)
1887 - Yale
1888 - Yale
1896 - Princeton
1911 - Princeton
1914 - Army
1921 - Lafayette (split with Iowa and Cornell)
1926 - Lafayette
1933 - Princeton
1935 - Princeton (split with Minnesota and SMU)
1982 - Penn State
1986 - Penn State
1994 - Penn State
2001 - Miami
2014 - Ohio State

Source is the National Champion of Rutgers history.

 

[Source]

Washington was the 2023 runner-up when Rutgers played them on September 28, 2024.
Ohio State was the 2020 runner-up when Rutgers played them on October 3, 2021.
Notre Dame was the 2012 runner-up when Rutgers played them on December 28, 2013 in the Pinstripe Bowl.
Virginia Tech was the 2000 runner-up when Rutgers played them on September 22, 2001.