What if Chris Partridge ended up at Rutgers

Asking the question "what if" is always a dangerous?

What if the Colts took Ryan Leaf over Peyton Manning?

What if the Blazers took Jordan over Bowie?

Over the last 18 months or so the one question that has been bothering me is: What if Rutgers had hired Paramus Catholic head coach Chris Partridge?

In January 2015, Kyle Flood had talked about offering Partridge a job on the Banks. As time went by something happen, we might never know, but the offer was withdrawn. Was it a troubled past or some type of ethics issues. The decision helped set off a chain of events that will forever changed the future of the program.

Flood lost his job and one of the best classes in the history of the state headed to different locations. Partridge ended up taking a position at Michigan and bringing most of the state's top players including Rashan Gary with him.

Would the likes of Jordan Fuller, Gary, and Ron Johnson spur offers from Ohio State and Michigan to stay in state and play for Flood and Partridge on the Banks. If that happened would Flood still be here roaming the sidelines with Partridge as his DC.

If this happened then Schiano would not be at Ohio State and we would never know what the Ash Era is. I'm not saying I'm against the Ash Era but sometimes its good to look at what might have happened.

One too many openings

So now Minnesota, Illinois and Maryland are open with the possibility that Purdue could be open also.

Seeing that could this be enough for Flood to stay on another year since the candidate pool is not that deep. It's just a thought. We are all going to be drawing from the same candidate pool. 

Not saying he should be released it was just a thought.

There was a time these guy matters.

It seems so long ago that some of the people below mattered in the sports world. 

Paging the NCAA

So today the family and I head to Maryland to see my nephew for his second birthday. On the way we stop at Wawa to pick up some food and I picked up Brian Baldinger's free football magazine.

While page through magazine I noticed an ad for Adrenaline training academy. While looking at the ad something struck me: the ad featured two current NCAA running backs. 

Ray Lawry, a former Kingsway HS star now at ODU, and Corey Clement, a former Glassboro HS star and now at Wisconsin, are both featured in the ad. The ad appears to be using their football success to sell its program. 

I'll be the first to say that I don't know the relationship between the two guys and the company but it doesn't look good from afar. Why is this company using the two athletes likeness if they are not getting compensated. Seeing it raised a bunch of question and I'm sure it would with the NCAA. 

The most important class ever

Since the start of the season, the 2015 Rutgers recruiting class has seen like a salad before a dinner at a fancy restaurant. While the salad is tasty it's not the main course you are looking for.

While the 2015 group is an interesting class it's not the main course. The 2016 class is the most important class in the history of the program plain and simple. The state is overflowing with national recruits and Rutgers has to get a bunch of them to be successful in the Big Ten. 

Fans are so obsessed with the Class of 2016 that web sites have been developed urging the states most talented players to play on the banks. Fans of taken to Twitter and created works of social media art  to urge the states best to stay home. 

The Rivals 250 for the 2016 class features 10 players from the Garden State. The top 10 players in the state have 4-star rankings. The states top 10 is comprised of five guys from private school and five from public schools. 

While fans are infatuated with the likes of Walker and Gray, the key to this class for the Scarlet Knights will be that next tier guy like: Johnson, Hawkins and Fuller (pictured below). 

If Rutgers can get five of the top ten in the state as well as either Guarantano or Haskins to play qb. This class would be a huge success and go down as one of the great classes in the history of the program. 

ESPN Fail

I know ESPN does the best they can but can you at least get the right logo for Loyola Marymount and not confuse them with Loyola in Baltimore. Is that too much to ask.

Never Forget

So the Popeyes Bahamas Bowls was one of the best bowl games of the year. The game featured a classic comeback from Central Michigan that fell short against Western Kentucky. The game was played more than a month and a half ago and Popeyes is still giving out stuff promoting the game. Come on enough is enough. 

Professional Tailgating: Going Home

Saturday the gang headed to William Paterson for their annual homecoming celebration. The Pioneers won their game and we had some fun. 

Nothing says Pioneers like a bear mascot

Good sausage 

Nothing says homecoming like cupcakes 

A little different than a Big Ten game 

It's always great to see the water tower 

Fever Pitch Day

Every year we get excited for our Rutgers  season football tickets to come in the mail and yesterday was the day. It was extra special because this year is their first year in the Big Ten. 

Rutgers Spring Game: Maybe Gary Nova is the best we have

It's very simple: Gary Nova is the best that Rutgers has at quarterback.

I know this is a statement that drives all us nuts, but based on the Saturday's spring game performances of Mike Bimonte and Chris Laviano. Bimonte is simply not good enough, while Laviano is just not ready. That leaves Gary Nova as the last man standing, leading Rutgers into their first season in the Big 10.

For the last four years, Nova has gone through offensive coordinator left and right. This is not a slight on any of the past OC at Rutgers, but Nova is currently being coached by one of the best offensive minds in the country in Ralph Friedgen.

Nova made some nice throws and look comfortable in the Friedgen new system. Maybe this will be the year that Nova takes the next step.

Professional Tailgating: Going Bowling

On Saturday the Tailgating Crew headed to Yankee Stadium for Rutgers vs. Notre Dame in the Pinstripe Bow. During the game Rutgers played well but was outclassed by the superior Notre Dame talent. It was a fun game. Glad we went. 

Bobble Head = Job Security

On Saturday night Rutgers handed out Kyle Flood Bobble Head dolls and at that point I knew that Flood was going nowhere. What school would give out bobble head then fire their coach a couple of days later. It's just not going to happen.

24 Hours: Two Football games, two states

Over the weeked, the OTWT Tailgating crew head to two differet games in two different states. First we started at Rutgers to see them get bowl eligible against UConn. Then Suday I headed to the Philly for Eagles vs Lions in a snow storm. Below are the photos from the fun.

UConn vs. Rutgers

Lions vs Eagles

Now that was fun cold weekend.

Epic Iron Bowl = Epic Front Pages

Yesterdays Iron Bowl between Alabama and Auburn was epic and today the papers in the state are just as classic. I just have a question did that really happen yesterday.

I have my doubts

For the last eight years, I have been a season ticket holder at Rutgers. Yesterday I left Rutgers Stadium with questions about the future of this program following their disaster loss to Houston on Homecoming weekend. 

The biggest question I have and the hardest to answer is very simple: Is Kyle Flood the man to lead to this program into the Big Ten? 

When Flood replaced Greg Schiano two seasons ago, I thought that it was the right move. By appointing Flood, Rutgers was able to hold together the programs first ever top 25 recruiting. Fast forward two years and I wonder if he is the right man. 

Moving from the American Athletic Conference/Big East to the Big Ten is like going straight from Pre-School to Law School. It's the big time, with big time programs and big ego coaches. The later is my biggest concern with Flood. Flood is one of the nicest people in college football and former players have told me as much, but you know what they say about nice guys they tend to finish last. 

Does Flood have what it takes to be the future of this program. We might never know until its too late. 

Long Strange Trip for Tom Savage

I remember sitting in Rutgers Stadium Sept. 12, 2009 waiting for Tom Savage to make his debut for the Scarlet Knights.

Fast forward a couple of years and a couple of different colleges, Savage is now considered a potential first rounder in the NFL Draft. This story ran on NFL.com: Tom Savage: The best QB prospect you've never heard of.  While I'm happy for Savage, I just wish he would have done all of this while at Rutgers. He was the highest rated quarterback ever to come to Rutgers.

I just wish it would have all worked out better on the Banks. Blame for it not working out has to be shared between Savage and then head coach Greg Schiano.

Rutgers is not afraid of the SEC

This is something that you don't see very often. Rutgers has a three game winning streak against the big bad SEC. The last time they lost to an SEC school was in 2002 when Tennessee beat them 35-14

Schiano to Texas, it doesn't sound that far fetched

There are two dumpster fire currently raging in football: one at the University of Texas and the other one former Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano has gotten him self into in Tampa. Could both be the answer to each other programs.

Texas is a mess right now. Mack Brown has seemed to lost control of the program and the defense can't stop anyone. While in Tampa Bay it's much of the same for Schiano. Professional players think Schiano style is too over the top and too restrictive.

Could Schiano be the answer to Texas problem, while he doesn't have any connection to the state, he could be a huge winner there. Schiano built Rutgers into a national program and Texas could be an easier job for him. He would be the perfect fit, the only thing that he would have to do is hire an offensive or defensive coordinator like Clemson OC Chad Morris to help navigate the complicated Texas High School scene. 

We all know that Texas is going to make a run at Muschamp and Saban, but if they don't come calling, Texas could do a lot worst then Schiano.

Rutgers could care less about the American Athletic Conference

Lets just say Rutgers wants nothing to do with the American Athletic Conference. Its not like they have a relationship with it. Rutgers just wants to see the league, made up like Conference USA, in its rear view mirror as quick as possible. 

Next year the Rutgers Nation will embark into its journey into the Big Ten and that is not lost on anyone . All the fan base talks about is next year and the future games against big time opponents like Ohio State, Michigan, Nebraska and Penn State. 

While the fan base is talking about it, the school is selling it. On Saturday, while I was walking around the one of the stadium shops I was able to purchase a Rutgers Football hat complete with Big Ten logo on the side of it. Yes It has a the Big Ten logo on the side. 

There is nothing like selling a future league, while you are in still in a league. By doing this Rutgers has show that this year and the American Atheltic Conference means nothing. 

Professional Tailgating: Good to be home

It's always good to go home and that is exactly what OTWT did on Saturday. The gang headed to Rutgers Stadium for their home opener against Norfolk State.