Rutgers Football Prepares For New Era

Before leaving to become coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Greg Schiano took Rutgers from the basement of the Big East to a program that played in bowls in six of his final seven seasons.

Thanks to that table setting, the Kyle Flood era will begin in two weeks with some promise. In fact, this might just be the Scarlet Knights' best chance to win the conference crown and qualify for the Bowl Championship Series for the first time.

While this team doesn't have a Ray Rice to lead them, Rutgers returns 16 starters from a team that exceeded expectations with a 9-4 record and a fourth-place conference finish, capped by a win in the Pinstripe Bowl.

Picked to finish third in the preseason poll behind Louisville and South Florida, Rutgers is looking for more.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)