Tulane is a top-20 team in the latest College Football Playoff rankings heading into a conference title matchup of top-25 teams.
The Green Wave (10-2, 7-1) climbed four spots this week after wrapping up their regular season with a 27-0 shutout of Charlotte (1-11, 0-8) to secure home-field advantage for the American Athletic Conference championship.
North Texas (11-1, 7-1) will visit New Orleans for the 8 p.m. Friday kickoff at Yulman Stadium as a newly ranked entrant to the CFP list at No. 24.
The only other program in a conference outside the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 or SEC to make the list was Sun Belt member James Madison (11-1), which cracked in at No. 25.
Both Tulane and North Texas coaches Jon Sumrall and Eric Morris have already been introduced as the next head coaches at Power Four programs Florida and Oklahoma State, respectively, but will continue to lead their teams into the postseason.
The winner is positioned to earn an automatic Playoff bid.
The most notable shakeup near the top of the list was the four-spot drop of Texas A&M (11-1) from No. 3 to No. 7 after its loss to Texas (9-3), which hopped three spots to No. 13.
Ole Miss (11-1) moved up one spot to No. 6 as a result following the program’s first-ever 11-win regular season, led by newly announced LSU coach Lane Kiffin.
The Rebels remain well-positioned to host a first-round playoff game despite the departure of Kiffin for Baton Rouge.
CFP COMMITTEE RANKINGS — TUES., DEC. 2
1. Ohio State (12-0) — steady
2. Indiana (12-0) — steady
3. Georgia (11-1) — up 1
4. Texas Tech (11-1) — up 1
5. Oregon (11-1) — up 1
6. Ole Miss (11-1) — up 1
7. Texas A&M (11-1) — down 4
8. Oklahoma (10-2) — steady
9. Alabama (10-2) — up 1
10. Notre Dame (10-2) — down 1
11. BYU (11-1) — steady
12. Miami (10-2) — steady
13. Texas (9-3) — up 3
14. Vanderbilt (10-2) — steady
15. Utah (10-2) — down 2
16. USC (9-3) — up 1
17. Virginia (10-2) — up 1
18. Arizona (9-3) — up 7
19. Michigan (9-3) — down 4
20. Tulane (10-2) — up 4
21. Houston (9-3) — previously unranked
22. Georgia Tech (9-1) — up 1
23. Iowa (8-4) — previously unranked
24. North Texas (11-1) — previously unranked
25. James Madison (11-1) — previously unranked