Big Ten hot seat has cooled for Kyle Flood at Rutgers

PISCATAWAY – Quick show of hands, Rutgers fans.

Last summer, how many of you would have signed for an 8-5 record, including three Big Ten victories and Bowl win?

That's a lot of hands.

So the Scarlet Knights exceeded expectations in their first Big Ten campaign. Consequently, the narrative regarding Kyle Flood has completely changed just 12 months after the odds appeared stacked against him surviving as their head coach.

And that's a nice position for Chop Nation to be in right now.

Because barring something unforeseen, there's a lot less pressure on everyone, particularly Flood. And with a year of experience in the conference, it's time to sit back and see what this team can achieve in 2015.

Sure, they need to start closing the gap with the conference's elite, having been outscored a combined 180-44 by Ohio State, Michigan State, Nebraska and Wisconsin. And part of that process involves getting more of the top talent from New Jersey to stay home.

But the term ``hot seat'' might not be uttered any time soon at High Point Solutions Stadium if this team can build on what it started a year ago. And were they to win the games they're supposed to and pull off a shocker - maybe knock off Penn State on the road - Flood will be the biggest bargain financially in college football.

``We feel like now we've got an opportunity this season to take our program to places that it has not been before,'' Flood said. ``Going to nine Bowl games in ten years, winning the first conference championship in the history of the school, winning the first Lambert Cup in the history of the school, those are tremendous accomplishments and things that are not easy to achieve. They were never achieved in the history of our program before the last three years, and we are the birthplace of college football.

``But now, when you start talking about New Year's Day Bowl games, the old BCS system, the BCS Bowl games, Final Four appearances, Big 10 Championship game appearances, that's where this team wants to move the program.''

Wins and losses aside, there are a few things no one can deny.

Flood's teams look well coached on gameday, They may not have enough talent some weekends, but there's been no lack of preparation in going 23-16 over his first three seasons.

There's not a lot of drama surrounding his program, he does nice work in the community and he represents the university well.

``The thing is, coach Flood always gets out of bed on the same side,'' said running backs coach Norries Wilson. ``If he was under any pressure last year, you could not tell. He's always the same. Very positive in his approach with the players and the coaches. Not that he doesn't point out the mistakes, but he's a very good leader for the program.''

If things were to somehow unravel completely this season and they only won three or four games, that's a different story.

Given everything Flood's teams have shown in his first three years on the job, however, I think that's unlikely. The non-conference schedule isn't that tough, and there are programs in the Big Ten that Rutgers is as good as, if not better.

So sit back and enjoy the season. Maybe Flood and his team will exceed everyone's expectations yet again.

Staff writer Stephen Edelson is an Asbury Park Press columnist: sedelson@gannettnj.com