Advertise on podcast: The Scarlet Faithful

With Rutgers now 2-6 the program's identity built with strong defense and special teams is long gone. Greg Schiano has earned respect during his tenure's, but he has not earned the right to continue next season. A lack of player development, success in the transfer portal and ability to adapt on the field makes it easy to move on. The financial implications in making a change do not. For the Rutgers administration, the decision comes down to manifesting positive change with belief and vision or suffer the ultimate death knell of apathy and disrespect. If this is really a Big Ten program, there is only one decision to make.#rutgersfootball

The Scarlet Knights took another top Big East team to its limit but fell short in the end. Tariq Francis returned with a team high 24 points, Christian Gurdak was tremendous inside once again with 20 points and 15 rebounds, while the rest of the starting lineup each had their own moments. Two competitive performances give reasons for encouragement ahead of this season. On the flip side, three-point shooting, interior defense and bench depth remain major concern.#rutgersbasketball

The Scarlet Knights deserve credit for battling back from a 10 point halftime deficit to earn its first league win of the season. RU was fortunate to escape with the victory on the last drive and ultimately the defensive issues have held this team back all season. Whether Rutgers can make a legitimate run to bowl eligibility remains possible but I am very skeptical after this performance.#rutgersfootball

The new look Scarlet Knights battled back but fell short on the final possession at the RAC against top half Big East foe Villanova. The most encouraging development was the offensive play of Darin Smith Jr. and Christian Gurdak. With Tariq Francis sitting out, both players carried the offense and gave real hope Rutgers has multiple scoring weapons this season. Plenty of question marks remain with the season tipping off in under a month.#rutgersbasketball

The Scarlet Knights showed zero fight against the defending national champion Indiana Hoosiers and that was the worst part of the 47-15 loss on Homecoming. Apathy is setting in among the fan base after the last two home games against ranked foes have had many empty seats. With more resources and far less results compared to a Big Ten program like Minnesota, it's clear this program is hopeless under Schiano. Three wins against winning teams in six plus years. A rebranding is desperately needed after the program suffered its 45th straight loss to a ranked opponent. #rutgersfootball

The Scarlet Knights had a real opportunity to break its 17 year drought in earning a ranked win but failed once again due to poor coaching decisions and a lack of execution. A full recap from my own experience at the game and why this game and season is just another example and not an exception to the continued issues in Greg Schiano's second tenure at Rutgers.#rutgersfootball

Greg Schiano's team was not ready to play and it was one of the worst coached games in his career. Four interceptions inside the BC 35 and failing to convert on 4th down in scoring position were killers. While the defense generated three takeaways, far too many blown coverages in this game. With Rutgers 0-2, all hope is lost and the dark days are in full swing once again. Schiano 2.0 is as good as over and until a change is made, the future for this program is bleak.#rutgersfootball

David Anderson of the Rutgers Realm returns as we preview Rutgers at BC in the Red Bandana game on 9/11. We discuss AJ Surace's opportunity, the need for KJ Duff and Antwan Raymond to take control of the game, whether the defense will be more aggressive and what this outcome means for the rest of the season. Check out David's channel: https://www.youtube.com/@RutgersRealm #rutgersfootball

After a few days of perspective, I detail why I think the dynamics of the program have changed for the worse. After several seasons of missing the chance to take a step forward, a major fall is in progress. Even with a win at BC, the odds for Rutgers to gain bowl eligibility is slim based on this team is built. With every national college football pregame show, podcast and prominent media members criticizing RU for the loss to UMass, I think the impact on recruiting, donors, corporate sponsors, fan support and national perception will go far beyond this weekend. That is unless a change is made by AD Keli Zinn.Also discussed is Rutgers men's basketball landing 4-star recruit RJ Moore and several women's programs having a good weekend.Note: Apologies for the video quality at times in this podcast. I'm not sure what happened but as always I'll continue to tweak things to improve. Thank you for watching and listening.#rutgersfootball

The Scarlet Knights were thoroughly outcoached and outplayed in an all-time embarrassing loss to UMass in the 2026 season opener. Turnovers, penalties, an inability to run, another terrible defensive performance result in the worst loss of Greg Schiano's career at Rutgers. With a massive buyout, AD Keli Zinn has a huge dilemma with not a lot of options at the moment to end the Schiano era and rebuild the program. A full rapid reaction here.#rutgersfootball

Enjoy Part II of a two-part 2026 Season Preview for Rutgers Football. This episode is a collaboration between the Knight Report podcast with Mike Broadbent, Richie O’Leary, and Alec Crouthamel, David Anderson of the Rutgers Realm, and Larry Krayn of Knight Watch along with Aaron Breitman of The Scarlet Faithful.Today we continue our podcast preview by talking about the Rutgers Football defense and offer our game-by-game predictions for the 2026 season.00:00 – Defense, Special Teams & Predictions00:34 – Defense Outlook: Travis Johansen's New Scheme & Nickel Package10:10 – Travis Johansen as a Teacher & Communicator11:05 – Stat Predictions: Leading Tackler, Sacks & INT Leaders20:13 – Special Teams Predictions: Field Goals, Blocks & D/ST Touchdowns25:47 – Final Defense Calls: Breakout Player, Defensive MVP & Total D Rank37:16 – 2026 Season Predictions Begin: Win Total & the UMass Opener41:45 – Boston College: The Red Bandana Game47:32 – USC: A Bad Matchup on Paper51:12 – Indiana: Another Long Shot52:19 – Maryland: The Bye-Week Bounce-Back Game56:37 – Northwestern: The Toss-Up Rutgers Can't Seem to Win1:02:47 – Michigan & Penn State: Two tough ones1:03:30 – Wisconsin, Nebraska & Michigan State: The Final Three Winnable Games1:16:22 – Final Win Total Predictions & Season Outlook1:17:26 – Wrap-Up & Thanks for Listening

Enjoy Part I of a two-part 2026 Season Preview for Rutgers Football. This episode is a collaboration between the Knight Report podcast with Mike Broadbent, Richie O’Leary, and Alec Crouthamel, David Anderson of the Rutgers Realm, and Larry Krayn of Knight Watch along with Aaron Breitman of The Scarlet Faithful. Today we start by talking about the Scarlet Knights offense. 00:00 – Intro & Panel Roundtable: Knight Watch, Scarlet Faithful, Rutgers Realm & TKR 02:25 – 2025 Season Recap: Expectations vs. a 5-7 Reality 10:07 – Revisiting Last Year's Predictions: What the Panel Got Wrong 16:17 – Celebrating David Anderson's 2025 Prediction Crown 17:30 – 2026 Offense Outlook: Building Around Dylan Lonergan 18:49 – Why the Offensive Line Will Make or Break the Season 25:41 – Can Greg Schiano Evolve as a Play-Caller? 31:15 – Hands-Off Schiano: Trusting Travis Johansen on Defense 35:16 – 2026 Stat Predictions Begin: Who Leads the Team in Catches? 39:23 – Receiving Yards & TDs: The Case For (and Against) KJ Duff 45:50 – Rushing Predictions: Antwan Raymond & the Backfield Mix 50:44 – Passing Game Predictions: Dylan Lonergan's Debut Season 1:01:35 – Final Calls: Breakout Player, Offensive MVP & Team Rank 1:07:24 – Wrap-Up & Preview of Part Two (Defense, Special Teams & Predictions)

David Anderson of the Rutgers Realm and I discuss the following topics ahead of the season opener next week:- Dynamics around the decision of Greg Schiano and Kirk Ciarrocca naming Dylan Lonergan starting QB.- What is the appropriate season expectations for the program and how does it compare nationally - The importance of a minimum 3-2 start in order to achieve bowl eligibility and how the current odds should dictate expectations- More on the perception of the program and how winning this season is paramount for future momentum. Check out David's podcast channel: https://www.youtube.com/@RutgersRealm#rutgersfootball

David Anderson is back to discuss Rutgers football as training camp is well into its second week. We discuss a variety of topics including the QB battle between AJ Surace and Dylan Lonergan, high hopes for the wide receiver group, concern with the OL, cautious optimism with a new look defense and old man Breitman's rant about Greg Schiano not trying to engage fans and promote the program at a time it is needed. Also look for David's new podcast the Rutgers Realm out on all platforms!!#RFootball

After a summer hiatus, the Scarlet Faithful podcast is back. With Rutgers consistently popping up on the national stage in recent months, the school year is rapidly approaching. Football training camp is open, and basketball has built a full roster. The most important gains this summer and past year has been AD Keli Zinn adding infrastructure, skilled leaders and a strategic plan that has Rutgers Athletics built for future. This should bring fans real optimism for the long run. A full discussion on multiple topics in this episode.