While Penn State has made most of the headlines this week after the NCAA removed the Nittany Lions’ postseason ban, this Saturday night’s matchup with Rutgers is a big deal for the boys from Jersey.
Not only is this Rutgers’ first-ever Big Ten conference game, players and coaches are billing the contest as a regional rivalry that gives the program a chance to establish itself as a legitimate contender in the conference in 2014 and in years to come.
The Scarlet Knights really don’t like the Nittany Lions, either. In fact, throughout the offseason and leading up to Saturday’s game, RU head coach Kyle Flood won’t even say “Penn State.”
For real. He refers to PSU as “that team from Pennsylvania.”
"I think there's a lot of ways you can describe where that university is and what they are,'' Flood said recently. "Some I use, some I don't.”
Both teams are 2-0, and in his weekly press conference, Flood didn’t give much credence to the significance of this game beyond the chance to open conference play at 1-0. Flood’s players, though, look at the game through a different lens.
"It seems like fans skipped over our first two games that we had on our schedule and they've just been dying for this game," wide receiver Leonte Carroo said per NJ.com. "You have guys back in January, a lot of fans message you on Facebook saying, 'I hope you beat the crap out of Penn State. We hate Penn State.' I feel like this is going to change New Jersey and Rutgers football forever."
Much of the sentiment from Rutgers’ players apparently stems from a comment made at Big Ten Media Days by Penn State running back Bill Belton, a New Jersey native. Belton was asked why he chose Penn State instead of Rutgers and was quoted as saying, “I wanted to play big time college football, so I came to Penn State.”
Carroo, a junior from Ramsey, New Jersey, knew all about Belton’s comment.
“(Belton’s) quoted as saying he wanted to go to Penn State because he wanted to play ‘big-time football’ instead of staying home. Well, I guess we’re going to have to show him that he made that terrible decision,” Carroo said.
This game also has some fairly substantial recruiting implications. The two programs generally pull most of their talent from the same areas throughout the east coast and New Jersey is a big part of that. New Penn State head coach James Franklin hasn’t had much trouble plucking some of the top talent out of the Garden State since he arrived in Happy Valley. Of Rivals.com’s top prospects from New Jersey in the 2015 class, Penn State has landed commitments from six of the top 15. Rutgers, by comparison, has one of the top 15.
With a large crowd of local recruits expected to attend Saturday night’s game – many of whom are being recruited by both schools – Flood thinks the environment can go a long way in terms making sure the Scarlet Knights have a foothold in the state’s recruiting.
“Any time you play a home game, and for us, the night game atmosphere at High Point Solutions Stadium is second to none in the country. People will get a chance to see that all over the country this week, which I think is a great opportunity for our program, and for our fan base and for our community here in Rutgers football,” Flood said.
“And any time you have that kind of atmosphere on a Saturday night, you also have an opportunity to have a lot of recruits there because most of them play on Friday or Saturday afternoon, and we'll have quite a few of them here and I'm excited about their opportunity to see us play.”
Those recruiting battles – past, future and present – also contribute to the potential for a heated rivalry. Because let’s face it – it’s not a rivalry just yet. The two teams haven’t even played since 1995 and the overall series leans heavily in Penn State’s favor, with the Nittany Lions winning 22 of 24 games.
Still, there’s a lot of familiarity on both sides. From the high school days of the players to the recruiting battles among the coaches, the two sides have crossed paths frequently.
“It adds to the opportunity to ultimately create a rivalry. I think the familiarity helps. Now you have to have great football games, also and that helps, as well,” Flood said. “The fact that a lot of these players played against each other in high school and knew about each other and traveled in the same recruiting circles, it will ultimately add to the opportunity to have a rivalry.”
For Penn State, Franklin was adamant Tuesday that his team's focus is solely on the Scarlet Knights, despite Monday's big news from the NCAA.
"We're not bowl eligible," Franklin said. "We have an opportunity to go to a bowl game. We need to make sure that we take care of our business this week, which is Rutgers."
Franklin was also quick to acknowledge the benefits to this game regionally. And with the lackluster play coming out of the Big Ten thus far this season, the game could help the perception surrounding the conference as well.
"I do think this game from a regional perspective is good for Pennsylvania," Franklin said. "I do think it's good for New Jersey and I think it's good for the Big Ten and I think it's good for both institutions. I think it's going to be a fun game and we're looking forward to playing it."
For more Rutgers news, visit ScarletNation.com.
For more Penn State news, visit BlueWhiteIllustrated.com.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
