Is Tulane a Legit AAC Contender?
As UCF begins to climb through the AAC schedule and has started 5-1 this season, there's another AAC team catching some attention.
It has been a long time since Tulane has been a relevant football program. That was expected to continue this year, as the Green Wave were picked to finish seventh in the preseason AAC poll.
They have responded by winning six of their first seven games including their first three conference games. Tulane earned their first ranking since 1998, coming in at No. 25 in the AP Top 25. Quite the turnaround for a team that won just two games in all of 2021.
The 6-1 start has been sparked by a dominant defense that ranks second in the AAC in points allowed (15.4). They are one of just 17 FBS teams allowing under 300 yards per game. A handful of Tulane transfers have made an impact on the defensive side of the ball, most notably defensive tackle Patrick Jenkins (TCU), safety Lummie Young (Duke), and defensive back Jarius Monroe (Nicholls State). It is a scrappy unit that hits hard and plays a physical brand of football.
The offense has also been a strong suit for the Green Wave. Quarterback Michael Pratt has taken a step forward this year, as he is averaging 260 yards per game through the air and has thrown just three interceptions.
Most of the running back touches have gone to Tyjae Spears, who is running well with 463 yards on the ground, although he is averaging a career low 4.8 yards per carry. There is a slew of weapons in the receiving corps, as seven players have at least 120 yards receiving this year for Tulane.
The lone blemish so far for Tulane came against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles, a team that earned a 3-3 record this year and it quite honestly fairly average. On top of that, the rest of Tulane’s schedule has been mediocre as well, or maybe worse than mediocre. Of course, you can only play the teams on your schedule, and Tulane should not be discredited for beating pretty much everyone placed in front of them.
The real tests, however, will come in the latter half of Tulane’s docket. Memphis, UCF, SMU, and Cincinnati are coming up for the Green Wave, and all four of those teams may be better than anyone Tulane has faced to this point.
If they can knock off Memphis this upcoming Saturday, then it may be time to consider Tulane as a potential Cinderella candidate for the AAC title. There's still much to be proven, however.
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