B1G 2020, Rutgers Potluck #2: Screwing Up Quarterbacks, Screwing Up Hot Dogs

B1G 2020 marches on, and now that we’ve switched Zuzu’s alarm from “PM” to “AM” (just kidding, Zu), we’re ready to sidle up to the Jersey buffet—well, probably not a buffet anymore but you get the idea—and fill up on some more hot Rutgers content.

Today we’re talking offensive identity, revolving doors at quarterback and elsewhere, and...well, a hot dog that might make the Chicago hot dog blush.

The Food

I’m sorry, New Jersey, but...what?

Let’s see if Wikipedia can shed any light on thi—

There are numerous ways to prepare an Italian hot dog. The basic dish consists of a cooked (usually deep-fried) hot dog placed in an Italian roll or pizza bread, and topped with a combination of fried bell peppers, onions, and potatoes. The Italian Hot Dog is a New Jersey tradition similar to Philadelphia’s cheesesteak or other regional sandwiches.

Just...what the hell?

Tell us, friends: How would YOU choose to screw up a hot dog?

In the football world, Rutgers has certainly found a way to screw up its quarterback room. Since joining the Big Ten in 2014, the Knights have trotted out…

• Gary Nova
• Hayden Rettig
• Chris Laviano
• Giovanni Rescigno
• Kyle Bolin
• Artur Sitkowski
• McLane Carter
• Johnny Langan

This year, it looks like Nebraska transfer Noah Vedral could compete with Sitkowski and Langan for the Rutgers job. So tell us, writers:

(1) Who would YOU start at QB for the Knights, and
(2) What’s the revolving door position at your school?

LPW: I would put gravy, sriracha, peanut butter, curry, brussel sprouts, Limburger cheese, cheese wiz, refried beans and cabbage on a Malört-soaked hot dog to make the worst hot dog on the planet. I could never eat this because I’m allergic to peanut butter.

Jesse: I just want to say that the Italian Hot Dog looks edible and probably is delicious. Fried onions and peppers are delicious and the potato is no weirder than when you put an onion ring on a hamburger (which is great). I think the only thing they’re missing is something pretty acidic like a hot mustard or something. Now, how would I screw up a hot dog? If you mean, “How would I make it awesome”, I’d stuff it in a taco with pepper bacon, cream cheese, and jalapeno. Because that shit is delicious.

As for QB, you’re rolling the dice a bit with Vedral simply because of the lack of experience in the system, but with a new coach, none of that matters. Vedral is mobile enough so I would generally go with him. Also, did you watch their QB problems last year?

Oh, and Nebraska’s revolving door is probably RB in that while we’ve always replaced, it’s been just an amazing amount of people coming in and out of the program at that position in the past forever. WR is a close second, and uh… suddenly PK?

Zuzu: I’m a simple girl, I like a good chili-dog, with onions, and brown mustard.

With that said, I love a fancy hot dog every now and again, so the Italian hot dog, which I will admit as a lifelong New Jerseyan I’ve never heard of, sounds good. (I knew NJ is an underrated hot dog state, but yeah the Italian hot dog specifically is news to me). Plugging a restaurant that you all MUST visit when you of course travel to Rutgers for a game, is Destination Dogs which has so many fun, and tasty takes on hot dogs and gourmet sausages. Assuming you meant a non-ridiculous way to screw up a hot dog (barring licorice and peanut butter and shit), I think cheese on a hot dog is a goddamn tragedy. Because I hate cheese.

Anyway. I think that our Nebraska transfer, Noah Verdral, works very well with Sean Gleeson’s type of offense. However, I also think Schiano has the ability to develop Sitkowski. We’ll see. I don’t care who it is as long as they connect and don’t have turnovers.

MNW: I might have overreacted to the Jersey-style hot dog, but it’s the internet and OTE on top of it and I’ll never back down, so fuck that. (Though maybe it’s just that they’re little potato circles instead of fries, which would fit so much better. Jersey folk, help me out here.)

If you want a screwed up hot dog, go to Chicago. Those people are terrible.

Give me the chance to make a hot dog, and I think there’s something to the Jersey style. One of the variations on the Wiki article suggested pizza sauce and mozzarella, which I think is promising. Otherwise just give me chili and cheese for my tubesteak.

From David Anderson’s excellent three part series at OTB on what to expect with Schiano and new OC Sean Gleeson (the Princeton genius OC who spent last year at Oklahoma State), along with OL coach Andrew Aurich—who has familiarity with both Schiano and Gleeson—a spread-out Rutgers seems likely. And for that, give me whichever of the three can hit the quick crosses and outs required of an Air Raid. Unfortunately, I’m all but out on Sitkowski (go to Delaware or something, young man), and I can see Vedral-Langan in a 1a/1b kind of setup: Vedral to run the bread-and-butter, Langan as a gadget man, given how much he just tucked and scrambled for his life last year.

Basically every door revolved in Northwestern’s lineup last year, with running back a particularly egregious offender (I’m still not sure who Coco Azema is, but I love him). Over the last four seasons, if I were to pick, it’s felt like cornerback: since stalwart Matthew Harris retired midseason in 2016, there’s been Greg Newsome II, Trae Williams, and Montrae Hartage, but also Cam Ruiz, Alonzo Mayo, Marcus McSheppard, A.J. Hampton...hell, Azema is supposedly a CB, too! While not at the late 2000s-level of frustration in the passing defense, I haven’t gotten a grasp on Northwestern’s corners in ages.

WSR: Fried onions, mustard, hot dog, bun. Why mess with simple perfection? It’s not like you’re trying to find a competent QB at Minnesota. Wait...

First of all, no one can develop Artur Sitkowski. The assessment of “That’s a QB that gets people fired” was dead on accurate. You keep him around for depth in case something happens to Vedral or your program QB you’re recruiting right now, but you don’t let him see the field when the game is in doubt. Vedral looked like a perfectly serviceable QB when Nebraska made the trip to Minneapolis last fall, and he’ll have better coaching and sneaky-good WR talent around him, but he’ll probably end up having flashbacks when the OL collapses around him and all he sees is death. Godspeed, Noah. Basketball season is right around the corner.

And if you want a revolving door, it’s Minnesota’s QBs. Between when Bryan Cupito finished 4th in the B1G in Passer Rating in 2006 and Tanner Morgan finishing 2nd last fall, here’s who’s taken snaps for the Gophers: Adam Weber, Tony Mortensen, Mike Maciejowski, Marqueis Gray, Max Shortell, Philip Nelson, Mitch Leidner, GREY CUP CHAMPION CHRIS (BLUES) STREVELER, Demry Croft, Conor Rhoda, Mark Williams, and Zach Annexstad. Let us go over this list quickly before I go consume multiple hemlocktinis, shall we?

The best individual season was Adam Weber’s sophomore campaign in 2008 where he led the B1G in completion percentage, but was only 15/8 on TD/INT and was chained to the Tim Brewster/Ted Roof dysfunction. Annexstad played well in flashes as a true FR, but was hobbled and lost the job to Morgan. Streveler got to play in 5 games at QB, in which he threw 11 attempts in the Jerry Kill Air Raid offense before being moved to WR (because having a QB controversy is worse than not having a good QB at all) and jumping to South Dakota, and then...ummm….yeah, where’s that goddamn hemlock?

pkloa: I’d eat 3-5 of those, they look delicious! As to screwing up something so perfect as a hotdog: I now want to try chopping up grilled dogs, mixing with sauerkraut (65-35), and stuffing inside small sourdough boule bread. Get some brown mustard on that, and you’ve got a masterpiece.

I know nothing about Vedral, but he probably isn’t much worse than what Sitkowski showed us. I trust Schiano to properly assess his QBs and start the best option.

Penn State has had OL troubles for a while. “It’s been 84 years,” said superfan Rose, when asked how long since the Lions had a stable, talented, experienced line. She was glad to answer that one, though kept ducking why she couldn’t move her ass over a smidge. This year, however, Penn State has a talented line actually returning, and dammit I already got my hopes up…

Beez: According to my friends, I “screw up” a hotdog by putting ketchup on it in addition to the other good ingredients. Unless chili is an option, in which case I set the ketchup aside for the day.

I don’t know anything about any of Rutgers’ QB options. My middle school was nicknamed the Knights though (DeLong forever!), and Schiano mayyyyyy want to see if anyone I went to middle school with is a better option than Rutgers’ in-house options.

In true non-B1G fashion, Wisconsin has had...a lot of problems at punter for the past several seasons. TE was a huge problem last year cuz injuries. But “revolving door” is not something I’ve seen from Chryst at really any position recently, other than, and I’m not sure a door that only has two options is really revolving?