Rutgers vs. Iowa State: 5 Things We Learned from the Pinstripe Bowl

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights came away with a 27-13 victory over Iowa State in the Pinstripe Bowl, and it taught us a lot about the future of the two programs.

While each team improved upon the records from a season ago, neither coach was satisfied by the season their teams had.

Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads called his 6-7 season a "starting point to build on," while Greg Schiano was still disappointed Rutgers did not win the Big East.

The good news is that each team is filled with underclassmen and should be contenders in their respective conferences in the next few seasons.

As for the Pinstripe Bowl itself, the game supplied plenty of lessons.

Rob Goldberg is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand.

1. Iowa State Still Has Questions at Quarterback

Coming into the game, it seemed like Jared Barnett had taken control of the starting quarterback job.

The freshman had been the starter since mid-October, while sophomore Steele Jantz had not been seen since that same time.

That did not matter to Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads, who decided to insert Jantz into the game after Barnett completed only two of his first seven passes.

Barnett appeared to be injured during a sack, but that was not the problem with his play.

"He was banged up on the play," Rhoads said, "but that was not the reason for the decision."

The coach cited the effort that Jantz has shown in practice and made the tough choice to take out the player who led possibly the biggest upset of the 2011 college football season in a win over No. 2 Oklahoma State.

"We were not executing in a manner that I felt was going to lead us to a win, and from what we've seen in December's practices, made the switch," Rhoads added.

This should make things a little bit more confusing when the players return for spring practices.

2. Jawan Jamison Has a Bright Future

All eyes were supposed to be on receiver Mohamed Sanu when Rutgers was on offense, but Jawan Jamison stole the show with one of the best games of his career.

The running back totaled 132 yards on the ground with two touchdowns and was a major reason for the victory.

Greg Schiano knew Jamison was in for a special day early on.

"[Running back coach Chris] Hewitt came up to me at the half and said, 'Greg, I don't think they can stop this kid,'" Schiano said.

After that, Jamison carried the ball 16 more times for 71 second-half yards.

The redshirt freshman has plenty of time to develop and could eventually turn himself into a star before his career at Rutgers is finished.

3. There Will Be a Quarterback Competition Next Season

The day began with no one knowing whether Chas Dodd or Gary Nova would start at quarterback. Throughout the entire season, neither player had separated himself.

After a 9-4 season with a bowl win, the answer is not much clearer.

Dodd had a better day from a statistical standpoint, totaling 176 yards through the air compared to 20 by Nova, but much of that was from an 86-yard touchdown to Brandon Coleman.

In reality, Nova played just as well, as he was on the field for much of the second half as Rutgers controlled the clock and the game.

According to head coach Greg Schiano, the players split the reps in practice 50/50, and neither player emerged enough to earn full playing time.

However, he was very pleased that they embrace the competition and even help each other on the sidelines.

It is very possible the coach will have the same tough decision all next season.

4. Iowa State Is in Good Hands with Paul Rhoads

A lot of the loss in the Pinstripe Bowl can be placed at the feet of Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads.

He benched his starting quarterback and never wavered, even after replacement Steele Jantz went 15-31 with two interceptions.

The team also seemed to abandon the running game, netting only two yards on the ground in the second half after 89 in the first.

However, this loss has only motivated the coach to want more out of his program.

Rhoads said that this season is "not going to be good enough" as the team moves forward. His expectation is that the program should consistently be winning bowl games.

For a school that has only won three bowl games in its history, that is a lofty goal. But, if anyone can achieve success in Ames, it is Rhoads.

5. Greg Schiano Is One of the Most Underrated Coaches in America

Prior to Greg Schiano's arrival at Rutgers, the school had gone to one bowl game: a loss to Arizona State in the Garden State Bowl in 1978.

Since that point, the Scarlet Knights have gone to six bowl games, winning the last five. That streak is now the longest active run in the nation.

This season, the team found different ways to win. The defense finished third in the nation with 34 takeaways, and the special teams unit blocked nine field goals.

The most amazing part of Schiano is that he is no longer satisfied with simply winning bowl games. He not only wants to move on to the next level and start competing for championships, but he thinks the future is soon.

"I hope that this group of players and this group of coaches is the group that will get us over the top and get us to the championship level," Schiano said after the game.

Fans of the Rutgers program should be very excited for the future under this coach.