After defeating Tulsa 38-26, Tulane is bowl eligible in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the 1990s. After reaching this milestone, Tulane football is looking to improve on an already successful season.

In front of a large, raucous homecoming crowd of over 27,000, Tulane successfully held off a fourth quarter Tulsa rally. 

Winning a conference championship is at this point nearly impossible since Tulane would have to win its three remaining games and have Memphis, SMU, and Navy drop games down the stretch. With a 3-2 conference record, however, Tulane has the potential to control what bowl game it will wind up in. 

The American Athletic Conference does not have a set order for bowl ties based on conference rankings. For Green Wave fans, playing in the Birmingham Bowl against an SEC team, the Military Bowl against an ACC team, or the Hawaii Bowl would be ideal. To qualify for any of these three bowl games, Tulane likely needs to win out against a tough schedule.

Congrats to the WAVES of the Week/Juice Squad from our WIN over Tulsa! #NOLABuilt 🌊 pic.twitter.com/oJ87Wdf7lQ

— Coach Willie Fritz (@CoachWEFritz) November 6, 2019

After this bye week, Tulane will first have to go on the road to play Temple. The Owls sit at 5-3, having lost two straight games after defeating Memphis. Considering the Green Wave was handily defeated by Memphis earlier this season, Temple certainly has Tulane’s attention. Fortunately for Tulane, having two weeks to prepare for this game will give head coach Willie Fritz and staff an advantage.

After Temple, Tulane hosts arguably its biggest home game of the season against UCF. Although UCF is not competing for a national championship this season, the Black Knights are still a formidable opponent. Tulane was unsuccessful in its last matchup with UCF back in 2016, losing 37-6. Pulling out a win at home could be one of the biggest victories in the history of Yulman Stadium. 

To end the season, Tulane will go on the road to play No. 23 SMU. The Mustangs have been one of the biggest surprises this season, with Texas transfer Shane Buechele leading the offense. SMU defeated Tulane last season, 27-23.

If Tulane can win out, a high-level bowl game likely awaits the team. Making a bowl game is always important, but a strong finish to the season will set up the Green Wave for an enticing postseason matchup.