Tulane University’s football team currently has its second three-game win streak of the year. With an overall record of 6-1, Tulane is on the verge of being ranked in the AP Top 25, earning the second-highest number of votes among unranked teams going into week 10.
Just ahead of the Green Wave are two American Conference teams: the University of Memphis and the United States Naval Academy. Like Tulane, Memphis has one loss, but since it came against an American team, Tulane has an easier path to the American Conference Championship.
Other than Tulane, Navy is the only team undefeated in conference play, but its schedule so far has been relatively easy, and its remaining schedule is difficult. According to ESPN analytics, Navy only has a 3.4% chance of beating the University of Notre Dame. They also have to play Memphis, the University of North Texas and the University of South Florida, both top-tier American teams, that will most likely hand Navy a loss or two.
So Tulane’s situation is fantastic at the moment.
Tulane needs to maintain the current level of performance for the rest of the season, which starts with beating the University of Texas at San Antonio Roadrunners this Thursday, Oct. 30 at 6:30 p.m. CST in San Antonio.
UTSA has gone mostly under the radar. Still, they are one of the best teams in the conference, especially when playing at their Alamodome. The Roadrunners are 21-0 in home conference games under six-year head coach Jeff Traylor.
If Tulane wants to keep its college football hopes alive, they are going to have to do something that hasn’t been done in years.
Tulane will need to watch out for UTSA’s effective quarterback, Owen McCown, who has thrown for 13 touchdowns and only four interceptions on the season. Running back Robert Henry has been one of the most dynamic ballcarriers in all of college football as well. On defense, UTSA has Nnanna Anyanwu, who has five sacks this season.
The Roadrunners enter this matchup with a record of 3-4 overall and 1-2 in conference play. Their performance has fluctuated throughout the season, with their past two games being a blowout win against Rice University and a blowout loss against North Texas.
Tulane has been incredible in regular-season away games against conference opponents, winning every such game since losing to the University of Central Florida three years ago.
Let’s hope they can keep that up.