Bowls will weigh national perception: Here’s why the data does not favor Rutgers

All season long we’ve tracked the data points. Now, it’s pretty clear where Rutgers stands heading into its final game of the regular season.
Why does it matter? It all comes down to perception, rankings and data when bowl committees go through their selection process.
Rutgers (6-5, 3-5 in Big Ten play) could have played its way up the Big Ten’s tier of bowl games — and landed with one of its best postseason berths — with a win against No. 24 Illinois on Saturday. With victory at its fingertips, the Scarlet Knights flopped in the final moments, allowing the Illini to steal a 38-31 victory in miraculous fashion.
We’ve broken down the bowl scenarios, listened to the experts and now, here’s one more look at where Rutgers stacks up nationally and against the teams its fighting for postseason bragging rights.
Like we have every week, we’ll start with where Rutgers ranks in six national polls. This week, we’ll also include a look at where the Big Ten’s other teams stand in those same polls. Why? Again, perception matters.
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Based solely on its average position across six major polls, Rutgers would be seventh in the selection order — and it could be eighth if Indiana does not make the College Football Playoff. While the rankings are just one of many data points the bowl committees will use, it paints a picture that Rutgers is likely headed for a game on Dec. 26 — either the Rate Bowl in Phoenix or the GameAbove Sports Bowl in Detroit. Additionally, Rutgers has the lowest strength of schedule of the teams its competing against.
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Patrick Lanni may be reached at [email protected].