Game time.
The weather may have been a question mark only a few days ago, but with the threat far gone the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and Tulane Green Wave are set to take the field at the Superdome tonight for the opening game of their 2012 football seasons.
Game time is scheduled for 8 p.m. with kickoff scheduled three minutes after, to be broadcast on the CBS Sports Network.
Both teams will also stream the game audio on their respective websites – ScarletKnights.com and TulaneGreenWave.com. As of Friday, odds projected Rutgers with the season opening win; a 20.5 favorite. The over/under on Saturday night’s matchup was 47.5.
[Related: Check the SB Nation NCAA Football Odds page for the latest info]
The game is projected to be a strong offensive showing by both squads, with plenty of returning talent at the helm of both the Scarlet Knights and the Green Wave.
Khaseem Greene has the chance to be a real difference-maker on Saturday night though, as the Big East Co-Defensive Player of the Year makes his return to the gridiron. He’s big, he’s strong and he’s ready to tackle people. Greene’s presence alone could give the Scarlet Knights the upper hand on Tulane from the opening whistle.
[SU Faces Northwestern | Remaining Big East Schedule]
It’s also important to keep in mind that the Green Wave had a disrupted practice schedule this week, as Hurricane Issac forced the squad to evacuate to Birmingham. At first glance, that might not seem like much, considering Tulane was still able to get in the necessary reps before their season opener.
The thing is though, Tulane – just like Rutgers – opens the season with a first-year coach and in that kind of situation consistency is key. It will be interesting to see how rookie coach Curtis Johnson has prepped his team with all the movement between states and cities and football fields.
At this point, give the win to Rutgers, a team that had its moments in 2011 and a first-year coach who is already familiar with the program after spending the past seven seasons as an assistant.
Kyle Flood understands his team already and sometimes in sports, simply having that knowledge is enough.