More from the Rutgers to the Big 10 storyline today as NJO.com's Steve Politi gives his take on the expansion situation.  Let's just say that he's already got his life-raft in the water and is ready to jump ship:

Rutgers, on the other hand, fits in the Big Ten in almost every way, and the athletic department should make each decision to position itself with the league as its long-term destination.

Politi's main arguments center around the schedules of the Big East teams (since they have to find a 5th out-of-conference game with only 7 league opponents), and the awful bowl games that the Big East conference is tied in with.  Though I do agree that these are problems that need to be addressed, I don't neccessarily see these as major catalysts to jump conferences and cause a shockwave throughout college athletics.  But his last point does hold water:

And, just in case anyone needs an Exhibit C, consider the money. The Big Ten shared $154.2 million among its members in 2006-07. The Big East barely generated half that ($77.6 million). More cash equals more success in virtually everything, and college sports is no exception.

Money is everything, and if you don't think that the almighty dollar could sway the Rutgers administration as well as the Jim Delaney and the other big wigs at the helm of the Big Ten conference (who would gain a Conference Championship game) then you've got your head in the sand.

As far as Rutgers as the team that the Big Ten wants, Joe Paterno's not the only one pushing for the Scarlet Knights:

"I am definitely for the addition of another team, and it would be great to bring in a team from the Eastern market," Tim Brewster, the Minnesota head coach, said from his office yesterday. "I certainly believe Rutgers is a tremendous candidate, one that obviously makes sense."

This expansion thing is slowly starting to pick-up steam, and although there's been no public comment from the heads of the Big Ten, you have to believe that there might be a little something happening behind closed doors.  Usually rumors like this will be squashed and just die if there's little to them; this one just won't go away.