OFFICIAL RU vs. MSU Prediction Thread

mdh2003

All-Conference
Feb 4, 2003
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I didnt want to start it because ...
Yeesh, no need for this. Gameday and prediction threads should be free of this crap and I think mostly are.

Big shame if this is where you are at bac. Those threads you usually started were what a lot of us, from all sides, looked forward too. It brought us all together. Don’t stop because of what may happen. We should all think a little better of our fellow fans, they may surprise you. We all have a common purpose to be here - lean into that.
 

GoodOl'Rutgers

Heisman
Sep 11, 2006
123,974
19,586
0
I didnt want to start it because its likely A bunch of Karens would start screaming at me for my prediction
"karens" is racist.. and in your usage on a board with vast majority males, it is sexist and misogynistic too... not to mention totally unnecessary.
 
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Dec 3, 2010
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Rutgers can win if they...

1)Stop the run
2)Take care of the ball
3)Hit some 'big plays' on offense

I'll expand a bit here...stopping the run because MSU right now doesn't have a proven QB on its roster and will try to establish the run. Take that mostly away, and the pressure ramps up for whoever is at QB.

Taking care of the ball is always important, but even moreso when you are a sizeable underdog. Rutgers needs to make MSUs shaky offense EARN their points, not give them short fields, etc.

Final point is...Rutgers offense is likely to be pretty bad this year. That means popping a few explosive chunk plays on offense is critical to scoring because bad offenses dont go on long scoring drives and covert third downs at a high clip.

Wildcard: MSUs new staff. Not only were they hired late (Early February), there was no spring ball and there has been minimal live instruction. MSU is likely way behind where the coaches would have the team in terms of learning a new system. Honestly, who knows what the product on the field will look like and that could easily benefit Rutgers.

My prediction is that MSU hits a few more big plays on offense than Rutgers does, wins the turnover battle, and ends up winning something like 27-17.
 

GoodOl'Rutgers

Heisman
Sep 11, 2006
123,974
19,586
0
Rutgers can win if they...

1)Stop the run
2)Take care of the ball
3)Hit some 'big plays' on offense

I'll expand a bit here...stopping the run because MSU right now doesn't have a proven QB on its roster and will try to establish the run. Take that mostly away, and the pressure ramps up for whoever is at QB.

Taking care of the ball is always important, but even moreso when you are a sizeable underdog. Rutgers needs to make MSUs shaky offense EARN their points, not give them short fields, etc.

Final point is...Rutgers offense is likely to be pretty bad this year. That means popping a few explosive chunk plays on offense is critical to scoring because bad offenses dont go on long scoring drives and covert third downs at a high clip.

Wildcard: MSUs new staff. Not only were they hired late (Early February), there was no spring ball and there has been minimal live instruction. MSU is likely way behind where the coaches would have the team in terms of learning a new system. Honestly, who knows what the product on the field will look like and that could easily benefit Rutgers.

My prediction is that MSU hits a few more big plays on offense than Rutgers does, wins the turnover battle, and ends up winning something like 27-17.
great post... Schiano's D typically forces you to throw the ball.. you'll see a lot of single coverage press coverage with safeties either locked into run support or rotating to be a backstop for long passes. Which means, rarely will our safeties be a threat to intercept or defend passes. So if you loft long balls outside it should be a one on one situation for the catch. You will need a QB for that... and I hope you do not find one in game one.

I do expect MSU will have the QB throwing short passes often.. boost a new QB's confidence and defeat a typical Schiano pass rush. He throws many many stunts and blitzes. So you won't give them time to work. But your execution will have to be very good.

oh.. I do not think the Rutgers offense will be "bad".. especially in the turnover department. Perhaps there will be a struggle between head coach and OC as to how conservative we are... but HC is all about ball security. Several times in his first go-round here he resorted to a wildcat offense with various players playing "QB".. a "QB" who never threw the ball. Our best RB, Pachecko.. can play that role well.
 
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great post... Schiano's D typically forces you to throw the ball.. you'll see a lot of single coverage press coverage with safeties either locked into run support or rotating to be a backstop for long passes. Which means, rarely will our safeties be a threat to intercept or defend passes. So if you loft long balls outside it should be a one on one situation for the catch. You will need a QB for that... and I hope you do not find one in game one.


Yup. If Rutgers wins, it will be a score like 16-13. Can MSU pass the ball? Big question mark.
 

yesrutgers01

Heisman
Nov 9, 2008
122,571
38,331
113
I still find it hard to predict a win as Ash took this program so low. Much lower than the lowest we thought we were at when he took over. If GS was taking over Flood's disaster, I would predict a win. But taking over where we were left, hard to predict a win when none of us have any clue what we have or how we have looked at practice.

But we do cover

MSU 17 RU10
 

GoodOl'Rutgers

Heisman
Sep 11, 2006
123,974
19,586
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Yup. If Rutgers wins, it will be a score like 16-13. Can MSU pass the ball? Big question mark.
yeah.. I was hoping for 20-17 range for that reason. From my perspective.. Rutgers as a program wins if it looks like a competent competitive football game. It will send the right signal win or lose. But a game where both teams look like they are inventing ways to lose... yuck.
 

cicero grimes

All-American
Nov 23, 2015
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I am going with 43-40 RU. Not because I believe the offense has improved but because the tackling I have seen throughout the FBS has been so bad so far this season. Both these teams have imo poor to average offenses but due to the lack of tackling each will score at will. My take would be different in a non Covid year, but teams really seem out of synch on D, especially early in their seasons.
 
Dec 3, 2010
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Any guesses on if Rocky is the QB or someone else?

I think most would be somewhat surprised if it isn’t Rocky because there hasn’t been a full off season of development and he has experience.

If he does start and looks bad I think most would assume a QB change at halftime would be in order.
 

Knight Shift

Heisman
May 19, 2011
89,504
87,465
113
I think most would be somewhat surprised if it isn’t Rocky because there hasn’t been a full off season of development and he has experience.

If he does start and looks bad I think most would assume a QB change at halftime would be in order.

Rocky and our Artur have similarly shaky past performances, and it will be interesting to see how they develop (assuming Artur gets reps). Are you a practicing JD here in NJ our out in Michigan? I am a patent guy.
 

Scarlet Blind_rivals

All-Conference
Aug 5, 2001
4,660
4,720
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RU 23 MSU 16

2 rushing TDs, 3 FGs. The offense will do their part, an upgrade in coaching, not putting the defense in bad spots and controlling the clock with the rotation of 3 RBs. The back 7 will be much better than expected, especially Schiano and Coach Fraser coaching up a very deep and experienced LB group and DBs look better than expected under Coach Brown, even Coach Panagos and DC Smith are upgrades. The defensive depth chart has 21 out of 22 players, Jr. and Sr. and 16 have been together 3-4 years. There is a major upgrade in coaching up talent and S&C to their potential, 2019 vs 2020. Michigan St only has 10 returning starters from 2019 vs our 18.

**Edit** I have looked at Gleeson's track record as OC/QB, Princeton and OSU, and wouldn't be surprised at high scoring first game.
 
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MADHAT1

Heisman
Apr 1, 2003
31,706
16,501
113
And nobody can argue over it, but we can find reasons to argue over almost anything.
I found a reason to argue over 0 attendance :WooHoo:
There might be people in attendance :YesNo

Currently, the Big Ten will not allow fans at games with the possible exception of family members of players and staff. There will also be not tailgating permitted on Michigan State’s campus.



https://www.detroitnews.com/story/s...k-off-noon-oct-24-big-ten-network/5968094002/
 
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ScarletDave

Heisman
Oct 7, 2010
34,604
15,357
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Rutgers 21 MSU 17 .. it will be a nail-biter as per Rutgers sports tradition any time there is hype
 

koleszar

Heisman
Jan 1, 2010
37,550
59,129
113
They scored 24 pts. against an Andy Buh defense which was on the field for 38 minutes. Lewerke(3 td pass) and White(3 td rec.) are both in the NFL. Remember that 14-10 2018 game, Rocky Lombardi was the QB he will be the starter again.

Defensively MSU returns only 3 starters most importantly only 1 DL. I can see Gleeson confusing new players, playing a new scheme into blown assignments.

Last I don't think Tucker is that great a coach. He took a 5-7 Colorado team in 2018 and made them 5-7 in 2019. Just think if he was hired here. We'd be rationalizing how it could work, not that we got our man.

RU 17-14
 
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RUJMM78

Heisman
Jul 25, 2001
26,258
12,539
113
Rutgers has a new coaching staff with limited time to practice .and questionable talent on the offensive line..Performance at the quarterback position will impact Rutgers ability to win games against B1G competition.

Michigan State 17 Rutgers 10..
 

MADHAT1

Heisman
Apr 1, 2003
31,706
16,501
113
Rutgers has a new coaching staff with limited time to practice .and questionable talent on the offensive line..Performance at the quarterback position will impact Rutgers ability to win games against B1G competition.

Michigan State 17 Rutgers 10..
MSU has about the same problem.
But Tucker did retain a couple of Dantonio's staff.
Also had one return to MSU after a couple of years at FSU
4 coaches followed him from Colorado.
So you might say MSU has a slight edge ( because of the 4 Colorado assistants) when it comes to the assistants knowing how the HC operates and the 3 with MSU ties .

As for Rutgers
Aurich worked with Greg before, so did Smith and Fraser
Add Jay Butler and Joe Susan as well.
Then you have Panagos , Underwood and Nunzio having Rutgers connections.

I think when it comes to coaching staffs know what the HC wants and the programs needs, it's relatively equal when it comes to both staffs.
Both programs practices have been affect by the virus, so I consider that a wash as well.
Home field and talent probably gives the Spartans an edge.
Tucker didn't seem to make the Buffaloes that good of a team and Greg proved he can turn around a program, ( though it was years ago that he did) giving Rutgers a slight edge in HC department in my (biased) mind .
That's why I predicted a 32-23 win by the Scarlet Knights over Tucker's MSU's program.
 

Extra Point_rivals157299

All-Conference
Aug 9, 2001
13,166
4,692
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I think we will try running the ball a lot. RU has one of the best running backs in the B1G so why not work on that for the first game, with not much preparation time. MSU may have a similar plan.
For no particular reason I will guess RU-14 MSU-13.