You almost always hear coaches talk about how excited they are to be going to whatever bowl game invited their team, even if it's some low-level game in a remote town.

Rutgers coach Greg Schiano struggled to put too much of a happy face on about the Scarlet Knights' trip to the St. Petersburg Bowl, however. Because the game is on Dec. 19, that limits Schiano's practice time leading up to the game against Central Florida. And it comes smack in the middle of the school's final exam period.

"It is, quite frankly, very disappointing," Schiano told reporters on Sunday evening. "I cherish that time with the underclassmen to really bring them along. This date doesn't work very well for that."

Rutgers had hoped to be picked for the Meineke Car Care Bowl, but its loss to West Virginia on Saturday and the ACC shuffle that resulted in North Carolina going to Charlotte closed that option.

Schiano said he and athletic director Tim Pernetti lobbied the Big East to avoid St. Petersburg.

"I think sometimes we kid ourselves that we have more control than we do," Schiano said. "You'd like to think you're really working to get it done. Look, it's going to be what it's going to be. If we won more games, then there wouldn't be a situation where you have to worry. We didn't. Right now we are who we are, and I'm not ashamed of who we are."

It's true that Rutgers -- with an 8-4 record and a lousy schedule -- didn't really deserve much more than St. Pete. But there is a larger issue for the league with this game and its timing. If the Big East is going to continue to have teams play on the first Saturday of December, then going to a bowl game two weeks later is a difficult prospect because of the missed practice time and potential conflict with finals. The Big East helped establish the St. Petersburg game, which is in a great location and should only grow. But the league needs to try to push the date back in the future.