​After narrowly missing out on a third consecutive bowl appearance in 2025, Rutgers is not inspiring confidence that it will return to the postseason this fall.Among the handful of national outlets that shared preseason bowl projections on the eve of the 2026 campaign kicking off, none have the Scarlet Knights earning a bid.ESPN’s Football Power Index has Rutgers finishing with a 5-7 record for a second consecutive season, giving it a 40.6% chance of reaching the six-win mark. SUBSCRIBE TO THE RUTGERS RANT ON YOUTUBE: Watch our weekly podcast, live postgame reactions and moreThe Scarlet Knights do have the 39th-ranked strength of schedule — the third “easiest” in the Big Ten — so there is reason for optimism, but they will need to outperform expectations entering the seventh season of head coach Greg Schiano’s second stint at the helm.Rutgers is listed at +145 to win over 5.5 games next season on BetMGM. Our complete BetMGM Sportsbook review provides a helpful guide on how to sign up and use their platform.Here are what they are saying:ESPN: Neither Kyle Bonagura nor Mark Schlabach have the Scarlet Knights in their preseason projections.Athlon’s season preview magazine: Does not have Rutgers in its preseason projections.On3 (Brett McMurphy):Does not have Rutgers in his preseason projections.CBS: Does not have Rutgers in its latest projections.Sporting News: Does not have Rutgers in its latest projections.Here is Rutgers football’s complete bowl game history (7-6 record):1978: Garden State Bowl (34-18 loss to Arizona State)2005: Insight Bowl (45-40 loss to Arizona State)2006: Texas Bowl (37-10 win over Kansas State)2007: International Bowl (52-30 win over Ball State)2008: PapaJohns.com Bowl (29-23 win over North Carolina State)2009: St. Petersburg Bowl (45-24 win over Central Florida).2011: Pinstripe Bowl (27-13 win over Iowa State).2012: Russell Athletic Bowl (13-10 overtime loss to Virginia Tech).2013: Pinstripe Bowl (29-16 loss to Notre Dame)2014: Quick Lane Bowl (40-21 win over North Carolina)MORE BY BRIAN FONSECARutgers names starting QB: What Dylan Lonergan beating AJ Surace means for 2026 season | Rutgers RantAug. 24, 2026, 11:43 a.m.Rutgers football names starting QB for 2026 seasonAug. 24, 2026, 8:01 a.m.2021: Gator Bowl (38-10 loss to Wake Forest).2023: Pinstripe Bowl (31-24 win over Miami).2024: Rate Bowl (44-41 loss to Kansas State)Read the original article on NJ.com. Add NJ.com as a Preferred Source by clicking here.