Where does Rutgers rank after Maryland win? Surging Scarlet Knights regaining respect

Rutgers clinched a bowl berth with a 31-17 win over Maryland on Saturday, and this is when its reputation matters most.
The Scarlet Knights (6-4, 3-4 in Big Ten play) can continue playing their way up the national rankings — and more importantly out of the conference’s mid-pack muck in their final two games against No. 24 Illinois (7-3, 4-3) and Michigan State (4-6, 2-5). That’s important for the bowl-selection process and ultimately the reputation of coach Greg Schiano’s program.
Winning its second straight game, Rutgers made its biggest jump up the rankings of the season. The Scarlet Knights have an average ranking of 57.2, which is six spots higher than a week ago. Despite the recent surge, Rutgers is still behind where it started the season — and peaked — after jumping out to 4-0 when the Scarlet Knights landed with an average position of 36.4 and received seven votes in The Associated Press Top 25 after beating Washington, 21-18, on Sept. 27.
Will the Scarlet Knights continue their upward trend? They’ll get the chance to prove it Saturday when they try to end a 40-game losing streak to ranked opponents when they face Illinois on Saturday at SHI Stadium. Until then, here’s a look at where Rutgers stands in the national polls.
— In ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI), Rutgers moved up three spots to No. 60. Last week, the FPI poll gave Rutgers an 84.7% chance of clinching bowl eligibility with three games to go. That’s a number that can now be ignored after the Scarlet Knights won their sixth game Saturday.
— In Bill Connelly’s SP+ rankings on ESPN.com — a “tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency” that are a “predictive measure of the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football, not a résumé ranking” — Rutgers jumped three spots to No. 63, which is 11 spots lower than where it started the season.
— The Massey Ratings, which accounts for 44 different polls, gave Rutgers its biggest boost this week after the Scarlet Knights rose nine spots to No. 55. Massey was once Rutgers’ highest ranking at No. 30 following the Washington win.
— The Athletic bumped Rutgers to No. 51, a seven-spot boost. The Athletic is still Rutgers’ highest ranking with two games to go.
— Rutgers moved up eight spots in CBS Sports’ rankings to No. 60. That’s 15 spots lower than where it began the season.
— Rutgers did not receive votes in The AP Top 25. Overall, 38 teams received votes this week. The Big Ten has five ranked teams — No. 1 Oregon, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 4 Penn State, No. 5 Indiana and No. 24 Illinois — in the poll.
Check back every Monday for updated rankings and a season-long look how Rutgers fared in the polls.
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Patrick Lanni may be reached at [email protected].