USA TODAY’s Erick Smith has a bowl projection (and opponent) for Rutgers football
PISCATAWAY, N.J. — It isn’t quite a lock for Rutgers football, but it sure seems like the program is as close to a sure thing to end up in the Pinstripe Bowl.
USA TODAY’s Erick Smith has projected, for a third straight week now, a match-up between Rutgers and Georgia Tech in the Pinstripe Bowl. The bowl game takes place at Yankee Stadium (Bronx, New York) and features conference tie-ins with the Big Ten and the ACC.
Rutgers is bowl-eligible for the first time since their first season in the Big Ten in 2014. They are 6-5 (3-5 Big Ten) and looking for a program-record fourth win in the Big Ten.
Georgia Tech has had some ups and downs this season (6-5, 5-3 ACC) but they do have two wins this season over ranked opponents.
If this projection holds steady and comes to fruition, it would be the third time in program history that Rutgers will play in the Pinstripe Bowl. Their first appearance came in 2011 in a win over Iowa State.
It was the last game of head coach Greg Schiano’s first stint with Rutgers. He would leave after that game to become head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
