Rutgers made more modest history with Wednesday’s 59-56 road win at Northwestern.

The Scarlet Knights also got back on pace to try for a feat they haven’t accomplished in 13 years.

Rutgers is now 12-12 this season with at least seven games left - six regular season contests and a Big Ten Tournament game. The Scarlet Knights have not finished with a winning record (or even .500) since 2006. While whatever faint NIT hopes Rutgers may have had were likely dashed by the three-game losing streak it snapped against the Wildcats, avoiding a losing record still seems quite possible. Or is it? Here’s a look at the remaining road for the Scarlet Knights:

Saturday vs. No. 21 Iowa: It will be the fourth sellout at the RAC this season. The previous three came against ranked or high-profile opponents, and Rutgers was unable to capitalize with an upset each time. Could the fourth time be the charm? The Hawkeyes have won three straight and are pushing for a double-bye in the conference tournament. Rutgers has to play Iowa twice in the next two weeks, so winning the home game would be the easiest path to splitting the series.

Feb. 20 at No. 11 Michigan State: The Scarlet Knights have played the Spartans relatively tough recently - the last three games have been decided by 11 points or less, and Rutgers took Michigan State to overtime last year in East Lansing. It would take a whale of an effort to beat the Spartans on their home court, but Rutgers should enter with confidence. Michigan State is also a different team now with guard Joshua Langford out for the season.

Feb. 24 vs. Minnesota: A must-have with major implications for both the overall record and conference tournament seeding. The Golden Gophers embarrassed Rutgers in Minneapolis earlier this season but are now in the process of falling apart. Minnesota has lost four straight and is slipping down the standings. This game - a Sunday night tip-off at 6:30 p.m. Eastern - will be an intriguing test of how deep Pikiellmania runs with the Rutgers fanbase. If the RAC is packed, the Scarlet Knights could have a chance to overwhelm the Gophers.

March 2 at No. 21 Iowa: It’s going to be mighty difficult to win this game, particularly as the Hawkeyes push to lock down an NCAA Tournament bid.

March 6 vs. Penn State: The Nittany Lions have shown life with wins over Michigan (!) and Northwestern recently, but they remain buried in the Big Ten cellar. Rutgers does not want to go back there, so this will be the Scarlet Knights’ chance to make sure they won’t by picking up the season sweep on Senior Night.

March 10 at Indiana: Rutgers hammered the Hoosiers in Piscataway this season. Will they be completely disinterested by the end of the regular season? Assembly Hall is unlikely to feel all that daunting this year given Indiana’s struggles. It’s never easy on the road for Rutgers, but this may be their best shot at grabbing a third conference win away from the RAC this year.

Big Ten Tournament, TBD: If the season ended on Thursday, Rutgers would be the 10-seed in the conference tournament and play 7-seed Ohio State, who it has split the season series with, after an opening round bye. The Scarlet Knights could easily slip back into the bottom of the conference and have to play a first-round game; they could potentially move up into the top-8 if they finish strong.

Bottom line: It’s going to come down to the home games. If Rutgers can hold serve and win its last three dates at the RAC this season, it would need just one win at the Big Ten Tournament to secure a non-losing record, and two to clinch a winning record. That is much easier said than done, though. It will be a fine line between a 3-3 (or even 4-2) finish and a 2-4 or 1-5 finish. Saturday’s game against Iowa should indicate a great deal about where this thing is headed down the stretch.

James Kratch may be reached at jkratch@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JamesKratch. Find NJ.com Rutgers Football on Facebook.