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We'll never know exactly why the Rutgers-Greg Schiano reunion didn't come to fruition in Piscataway last fall when chaos engulfed the football program. Was Schiano reluctant to consider a homecoming? Or did Rutgers want to go in a different direction from the start?

The short answer, based on conversations with people on both sides of that dynamic, is yes. To both.

Schiano understood there was little to be gained, career wise, to rebuilding the Scarlet Knights a second time -- and, that unlike the first time around, he would have a fan base with elevated expectations and far less patience for the long road ahead.

And Patrick Hobbs, then in his first few days as Rutgers athletic director, figured a fresh face and a new voice was better for a complete restart than a familiar one who, despite his many accomplishments during his 11 years on the job, was a divisive figure in the fan base.

Turns out, they were both right. The reunion between Rutgers and its former head coach will take place on Saturday without a hint of regret on either side, and given the friendship between the new and the old leaders of the Scarlet Knights, it'll be devoid of animosity, too.

Schiano is in a great spot at Ohio State. His defense has the potential to be scary good, allowing an average of just 12.3 points in three games. If the Buckeyes live up to their expectations, they'll be one of the four teams competing for the national championship, and Schiano's coaching stock will skyrocket.

His new boss and friend, Urban Meyer, admitted that he wasn't sure how well Schiano would make the transition from being the man in charge to a supporting role as defensive coordinator again. But he said it's been seamless.

"We share a very similar philosophical way on how to run a program and how to treat players and what to expect out of your coaching staff," his boss Urban Meyer said. "He's been a gold mine for me."

This is an opportunity for Schiano, whose last coaching stop with Tampa Bay did not end well, to remind people: He's a very good defensive coach, and his resume -- be it from his days at Penn State, or in Miami, or right here in New Jersey -- is loaded with proof.

Still, there is no doubt that he wants another shot to run his own program, and he'll likely be a short-list candidate when the carrousel starts spinning this offseason. This time, he'll enter that market not as a failed NFL coach but also as a successful lieutenant under Meyer.

As for Rutgers? It's no secret I thought the reunion with Schiano made a lot of sense last fall as the wheels came off under Kyle Flood. This program needed a detail-oriented head coach who could recruit well in New Jersey despite the well-chronicled obstacles.

Hobbs found that guy in Chris Ash, and he is far more likely to get a level of patience from the fan base that Schiano would have never gotten. Think about it: If Schiano had been on the sidelines for that 14-7 loss to Iowa last week, plenty of fans would have lumped it on the list of games he should have won from his previous 11 years in charge.

That wouldn't have been entirely unfair given the stocked cupboard he left behind and the empty one he would have inherited. But that's the reality. Schiano is responsible for raising the expectations here, but those expectations would have weigh on him like an anvil had he returned.

Ash isn't going to get nearly the same length of time to build a winning team that Schiano did, nor would he expect it. The program is in much better shape, in every conceivable way, than it was when Schiano took over for Terry Shea and talked about winning a national championship.

But Ash also has the benefit of creating his own history here. Schiano would never have had that luxury. Whatever he accomplished -- or failed to accomplish -- would have been viewed through the prism of the first time around. Familiarity isn't always an advantage.

Schiano is better off in Columbus, where he has a defense loaded with NFL prospects and has added one of college football top coaches as a reference when he does enter the job market again.

And Rutgers? It has a coach looking at everything through a fresh perspective, beginning the process of rebuilding a program that, in so many ways, has benefited from a new voice.

LISTEN: Episode 3 of NJ.com's Rutgers Football podcast

Rebuilding Rutgers: From The Ashes takes you inside the new football regime. This episode dives into Ash's recruiting efforts his first year on the job.

Steve Politi may be reached at spoliti@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevePoliti. Find NJ.com on Facebook.