No. 17 Tulane meets Memphis, eyes playoff berth

No. 17 Tulane meets Memphis, eyes playoff berth

Tulane has a chance to sneak into the 12-team College Football Playoff.

It's a long shot, but it's possible as the No. 17 Green Wave (9-2, 7-0 American Athletic Conference) face Memphis (9-2, 5-2) on Thursday night in New Orleans.

Tulane would have to beat the Tigers, top Army in the American title game on Dec. 6, and get some help.

"I don't understand all the formulas and scenarios," Green Wave first-year head coach Jon Sumrall said, "but if you tell me this team losing helps Tulane, then I pull for them to lose."

But Sumrall, who was 23-4 in two seasons as head coach at Troy before joining Tulane, knows nothing else matters if his team doesn't take care of its own business.

The Green Wave have won eight games in a row after consecutive September losses to Kansas State, which was No. 17 at the time, and then-No. 15 Oklahoma.

"We're in the middle of a pretty good run," Sumrall said. "This game has a lot of meaning. At this point in November, every game is a playoff game. This game is the most important game of the year. But we can't focus on the implications of this game. It's so much more, how do you play a good game?"

Tulane needs a win Thursday in order to host the American championship game for a third consecutive season. The Green Wave split the previous two appearances, winning its first conference title of any kind since 1998 in 2022 before coming up short last season.

The Green Wave have allowed a total of just nine points in their last three games, including a 35-0 victory at Navy in their most recent game on Nov. 16.

"The cohesion (on defense) has kicked in as time has gone on," Sumrall said.

Tulane, which has tied a league record with 17 consecutive regular-season wins against American Athletic Conference opponents, is one of the most balanced teams in the country.

The Green Wave have two shutouts, have held four opponents to single-digit scoring, and lead the country with six defensive touchdowns.

Tulane averages 227.1 rushing yards behind Makhi Hughes, who is eighth in the country with 1,291 yards, and averages 207.3 passing yards behind efficient redshirt freshman Darian Mensah.

Memphis, which is coming off a 53-18 victory over UAB on Nov. 16, has one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the country in Seth Henigan, whose four touchdown passes against UAB gave him 100 in his four seasons at the school.

"It's been fun to stick with a young man who has stuck with our program," Tigers coach Ryan Silverfield said. "He had opportunities to go other places. It's been a win-win for everybody. That loyalty is rare in this day and age of college football."

A victory over Tulane would give Memphis back-to-back 10-win seasons for the first time in school history.

"Winning 10 games in college football is very, very difficult," Silverfield said. "I don't care where you're at. I don't care if you're at Oregon, Ohio State, anywhere. Winning 10 games is very hard, and doing it two years in a row means you're sustaining success."

--Field Level Media