A month ago, Rutgers lost to Maryland in the regular season finale and several other game results didn't go the Scarlet Knights way. In turn, at 5-7, they missed out on a bowl appearance.
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Or so they thought.
If the last two years have taught you anything, and as Greg Schiano always says, you have to ready to pivot. Rutgers did.
After a wild turn of events, Rutgers will be playing No. 17/20 Wake Forest in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl on Dec. 31 at 11:00 a.m. inside TIAA Bank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla.
Texas A&M was forced to drop out to COVID issues within the program on Wednesday afternoon.
The Scarlet Knights had first dibs as the No. 1 team based on APR scores from 2020. If not enough bowl-eligible teams are available to fill all the bowl game slots, 5-7 teams are then chosen based on the highest APR ranks.
Rutgers has played Wake Forest twice in the past. The Demon Deacons won in 1997 and 1999.
And with that being said, read more below on how it all went down, the though process of the coaches and players, how practices will go, and who is playing and who is not in just a week.
How did it go from Texas A&M vs. Wake Forest to Rutgers vs. Wake Forest?
Texas A&M noticed the bowl reps it was having issues on Monday and on Wednesday the team pulled out around noon. Many teams reached out and it was simply that Rutgers was at the top of the APR scores standings, and so it got the call.
What is practice going to look like?
Rutgers trained the first two weeks after the season finale against Maryland, and then it held optional workouts after that. But, head coach Greg Schiano said most of the players continued to work with coach Jay Butler in the weight room. Final exams have kept many of the players on campus. The players will be able to follow through with their holiday plans, but are slated to be back Christmas night. The week of practice will be a "traditional game week".
Will the seniors who signed with agents be able to play?
The short answer is yes, but they will need a waiver. However, despite the unique circumstances, it shouldn't be a problem. Expect the likes of Julius Turner and others to be available to play.
Is Rutgers going to be ready?
Wake Forest has been practicing and preparing for the bowl game for several weeks. Rutgers, while it was training, hasn't been out on the field field and won't until Sunday. The coaches will ease the players in. From a physical standpoint, Schiano said the players are fine in that regards and mentally they should be OK. The players wanted to play.
The team is pumped up.
While Rutgers is at a disadvantage in terms of practice time and the fact that Wake Forest was stellar all season long and will be a heavy favorite, as mentioned, the players are giddy for this opportunity and will be looking to make the most of it. They took to social media on Wednesday expressing their excitement and Schiano said he received plenty of texts from them.
Will COVID still affect the Scarlet Knights?
COVID is running wild (again) throughout New Jersey and the country with the new Omicron variant of the virus going around almost exclusively. With the guys going home to be with family for Christmas, everybody will have to take precations and they will do so throughout next week as well.
Rutgers Bowl History (6-4)
1978 Garden State Bowl: Arizona State 34, Rutgers 18
2005 Insight Bowl: Arizona State 45, Rutgers 40
2006 Texas Bowl: Rutgers 37, Kansas State 10
2008 International Bowl: Rutgers 52, Ball State 30
2008 PapaJohns.com Bowl: Rutgers 29, NC State 23
2009 St. Petersburg Bowl: Rutgers 45, UCF 24
2011 New Era Pinstripe Bowl: Rutgers 27, Iowa State 13
2012 Russell Athletic Bowl: Virginia Tech 13, Rutgers 10 (OT)
2013 New Era Pinstripe Bowl: Notre Dame 29, Rutgers 16
2014 Quick Lane Bowl: Rutgers 40, North Carolina 21
Follow Chris Nalwasky on Twitter @ChrisNalwasky.
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