2014 marked Rutgers football's first official season of Big Ten play, with conference home games against Penn State, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Indiana, as well as road games against Ohio State, Nebraska, Michigan State, and Maryland. Rutgers finished the 2014 season in the Big Ten with a conference record of 3-5, including its first ever Big Ten Conference win over conference member Michigan, and an overall record of 7–5. Rutgers became bowl-eligible with that record and earned an invitation to play on December 26, 2014 in the 2014 Quick Lane Bowl, where it trounced North Carolina 40-21 and capped off its inaugural Big Ten season at 8–5. After the 2014 season, the Scarlet Knights were awarded their first ever Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy, being recognized as the top team in the eastern region.