Rutgers Limits Tom Savage's Transfer Choices: Schiano Looks Like Villian

Without knowing all the details and only the parties involved really do, one could say Rutgers head football coach Greg Schiano looks like the villian by limiting quarterback Tom Savage's transfer options. 

I'll give you a divorce but you can't marry Mr. X, Y or Z.

Tom Savage, the 2009 freshman all-American quarterback, got beat out by another freshman last season. He has decided to transfer and Greg Schiano has said okay to 11 schools and no to about seven others, including Miami, Michigan, Florida and Florida State.

Blocking a student-athlete's transfer choices is common. In 2008, when Miami's quarterback Robert Marve go beat out for the job by Jacory Harris, coach Randy Shannon blocked Marve from transferring to 11 schools; Marve ended up at Purdue and started last season's opener against Notre Dame.

It's hard to understand how the NCAA can stand behind this rule. It seems restrictive, unfair and oppressive.

As for Savage, it seems like his best chance to become a starting FCB quarterback again would be to remain at Rutgers and compete for the position. Coaches change their mind on starting quarterbacks all the time. 

If he transfers to another school, there is no guarantee he will ever play again.

And once again, without knowing all the details, Savage's decision to transfer makes one wonder if he's "quitting" too easily. 

But this is a decision that's up to Tom Savage. He doesn't even have to transfer to an FBS school. He can do what Joe Flacco did when he left Pittsburgh for Delaware. Flacco certainly got recognized by NFL scouts and he didn't have to sit out a year.

But no matter how you cut it, it's Greg Schiano that comes out of this situation looking like the villian. If he's going to enforce restrictions on Savage, he should think about making the reasons clear.

By not allowing Savage to transfer to the school of his choice, Schiano is delivering a strong message: He is portraying himself as the "dictator" at least one Miami paper has accused Savage's father of calling him.

He is also letting perspective Rutgers recruits know that they better think twice before they decide to play for him.

By not allowing Savage the freedom it seems any player deserves, fans and media can only speculate as to the reasons for Schiano's decision.

In the case of Miami, it could be that there have been reports that new coach Al Golden has been talking to offensive tackle Keith Lumpkin; Lumpkin has already verballed to Rutgers.

It could be Schiano didn't appreciate that Miami's president Donna Shalala almost single handedly brought down the Big East football conference back in 2003.

In the case of Miami and Michigan, it could be that Schiano decided it was wrong for both schools to try to lure him away from Rutgers when they lost their coaches in 2006 and 2007 respectively.

And in the case of all the Florida schools, it could be that Schiano simply doesn't want to lose a player to an area he recruits so heavily.

But no matter what the reasons are for Schiano to restrict Savage from transferring to any school, it seems wrong. Rutgers and Schiano are coming across like the villians in this situation and it seems like the right thing to do would be to remove the restrictions.

And for any coach to say he doesn't want an athlete to transfer to a school on their schedule seems petty.

It makes the coach look bad.