ESPN College Football

	AP Photo/Mel Evans
	Questions about coach Greg Schiano's contract made headlines in the offseason.

More exciting than Michael Phelps! More amazing than Usain Bolt! It's our Big East Burning Questions series.

1. Who replaces Ray Rice?

The simple answer is no one. A single player is not going to match the numbers of Rice, who rushed for more than 2,000 yards and 24 touchdowns last season. The Scarlet Knights will most likely feature a committee of tailbacks, including Kordell Young, Mason Robinson, Jourdan Brooks and Joe Martinek. Each brings a little something different. Young can be a big-time back if he's fully healed from last year's knee injury, while Brooks is a 250-pound load. But none of the potential Rice replacements has stood out in preseason practices, causing at least mild concern over the state of the running game.

2. Can the offensive line come together?

Besides paving the way for Rice, last year's offensive line kept quarterback Mike Teel relatively clean. But three starters are gone from that group, including All-Big East performers Jeremy Zuttah and Pedro Sosa. An ankle injury to Kevin Haslam late in camp hasn't helped. With early tests looming against Fresno State and North Carolina, the line needs to get in shape in a hurry.

3. What does the future of Rutgers football hold?

Stories about secret side deals and an exit clause in Greg Schiano's contract dominated the summer, though Schiano later denied the clause's existence. There's also dissent among some Rutgers school officials and New Jersey politicians, who wonder if the pursuit of big-time football is worth the cost to academics and other programs. Long-planned stadium expansion has hit major bumps in the road, and the New York Times even wrote a scathing editorial about these issues entitled "Football Fantasy at Rutgers." None of that should affect this year's team, of course, but these questions hold more importance for Rutgers' future than wins or losses on the field.