Tulane’s perceived odds to reach this winter’s College Football Playoff improved notably this weekend.
The Green Wave (6-1, 3-0) escaped Army, 24-17, to claim victory in an one of their most challenging and pivotal American Athletic Conference games this year.
Meanwhile, previously undefeated UNLV (6-1) stumbled to Boise State (5-2) to now give every Mountain West member at least one loss — with only the Runnin’ Rebels and San Diego State (5-1).
“Man, we keep finding ways to win,” Tulane coach Jon Sumrall said following Saturday’s game. “This team’s gritty, tough, but they fight. I told ’em in the locker room, ‘Nobody’s gonna question our toughness.’ Now, we’re not pretty yet. Like, if you were gonna grade our pretty scale, it ain’t real good-looking right now, but we’re finding ways to win. And I told ’em once we get pretty, we’re already tough — if you match up pretty and tough together, we’re gonna be even a harder out.”
——————————————————————————————
BEST GROUP-OF-FIVE PLAYOFF ODDS
OCTOBER 19 (according to DraftKings)
1. South Florida +120
2. Tulane +350
3. James Madison +600
4. North Texas +900
5. Memphis +950
6. Navy +1000
——————————————————————————————
South Florida (6-1, 3-0) and Tulane lead five AAC teams with +1000 odds or better, according to DraftKings, to be the Group-of-Five representative in this year’s 12-team field.
North Texas (6-1, 2-1), Memphis (6-1, 2-1) and Navy (6-0, 4-0) join the Bulls and Green Wave in that group.
James Madison (6-1), the only remaining Sun Belt team with less than two losses, boasts +600 odds.
Tulane’s only remaining head-to-head matchup against those fellow contenders comes Nov. 7 at Memphis.
South Florida meanwhile has road trips Oct. 25 to Memphis and Nov. 15 to Navy.
North Texas will host Navy on Nov. 1, and Memphis also hosts Navy on Nov. 27.
“I think that’s what’s made our non-conference schedule entertaining is it’s as challenging of a Group of Five non-conference schedule probably out there,” Sumrall said earlier this season amid a 3-0 start that included two wins against Power-Four opponents.” I think us and I would say South Florida’s, but we don’t have an FCS game and they do. So I would say we both have really put ourselves in situations where you’re measuring yourself against good people each week.”