The third time appears to be the charm for Rutgers.
The Scarlet Knights are expected to receive and accept an unexpected Gator Bowl invitation after a COVID-19 outbreak at Texas A&M knocked the Aggies out of the New Year’s Eve game against Wake Forest, several people with knowledge of the situation told NJ Advance Media.
Rutgers plans to accept a bid when offered and it has the highest Academic Progress Rate score among all available 5-7 teams, according to the individuals. The NCAA’s football oversight committee will need to sign off on Rutgers’ candidacy and player safety matters in a Thursday meeting, but that is expected to be a formality.
Bowl selection guidelines allow for teams with 5-7 records to be awarded bowl bids based on Academic Progress Rate scores in the event there are not enough bowl-eligible teams to fill all bowl slots nationally. Texas A&M’s shutdown creates an opening and Rutgers’ APR should put it into the game. While a decision is not final, the most likely outcome is Rutgers will replace the Aggies and face the Demon Deacons, ending the second-longest bowl drought among Power Five programs dating back to 2014. Only Kansas (2008) has gone longer without a bowl bid. Oregon State had its eight-year drought end earlier this season.
The Scarlet Knights were initially denied a bowl bid when they lost their season finale to Maryland on Nov. 27. Rutgers then missed out a second time when there were enough bowl-eligible teams at the end of the regular season to fill the entire slate of games.
Enter the Omicron variant, and a season on the verge of being resumed in shocking fashion. Rutgers will likely soon be getting its team reassembled to shake off the rust of a month-long layoff and begin preparation with roughly a week before kickoff – all while doing its best to dodge the virus.
The strength of Rutgers’ roster would be in question even before any potential complications. Several key starters — including Olakunle Fatukasi, Bo Melton, Isiah Pacheco, Julius Turner and Mike Tverdov — have already shifted toward NFL draft prep, and some (if not all) have signed with agents. It is not clear if players who have signed with agents would be in position to receive eligibility waivers in the event they want to play. But the Scarlet Knights would be able to give playing time to their young players, including quarterback Gavin Wimsatt. The freshman can still appear in one more game and maintain his redshirt.
The Gator Bowl would be the most prestigious postseason game the Scarlet Knights have ever played in, circumstances aside. It would be their first bowl bid since the 2014 Quick Lane Bowl, where they defeated North Carolina.
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James Kratch may be reached at jkratch@njadvancemedia.com
Keith Sargeant may be reached at ksargeant@njadvancemedia.com.
