Tulane
Football
The opening round of the College Football Playoff features a matchup in Oxford, where Ole Miss (11–1) welcomes Tulane (11–2) to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET. The Rebels enter the contest as a 17.5-point favorite, with the over/under listed at 56.5 points.
NEW ORLEANS — Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall, who is set to depart after the season, said he’s embracing the rare chance to stay fully invested in two programs for a little while longer — and enjoying every second of it. Behind two short rushing touchdowns from Jake Retzlaff and a strong night from Jamauri McClure, who piled up 121 yards and a score on the ground, Tulane pulled away from North Texas for a 34-21 win in Friday night’s American Athletic Conference championship. The victory all but locked up a spot in the College Football Playoff. “I’m thrilled for our players,” Sumrall said. “And on a personal level, I’m thankful I get to keep wearing two hats a bit longer. I’m really soaking in every moment, every conversation, every snap.” After agreeing to become Florida’s next head coach last weekend, Sumrall made it clear he would remain with the Green Wave through the postseason if Tulane earned a place in the expanded 12-team CFP. Entering the weekend as the highest-ranked team from outside the power conferences at No. 20, Tulane (11-2) left little doubt with its championship performance.
NEW ORLEANS — Jake Retzlaff found the end zone twice on short runs to set a new Tulane single-season mark for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback, as the Green Wave blanked Charlotte 27-0 on Saturday night. The win allowed Tulane to finish in a share of first place in the American Athletic Conference and secured the program the right to host next week’s conference championship game. Tulane (10-2, 7-1, CFP No. 24) held the tiebreaker advantage because the AAC relies on College Football Playoff rankings to sort teams with identical league records, and the Green Wave were the only conference member ranked by the CFP committee.
MEMPHIS, Tenn.- Tulane strengthened its postseason résumé Friday night with a gritty 38–32 road win over No. 22 Memphis, leaning on a big passing performance from quarterback Jake Retzlaff. Retzlaff carved up the Tigers’ defense for 332 yards and three touchdown throws as the Green Wave built a commanding lead and withstood a late surge. After going up by three scores midway through the third quarter, Tulane had to dig deep as Memphis mounted a fourth-quarter rally to make it a one-possession game. The Tigers threatened to complete the comeback in the final minutes, but a failed fourth-down attempt inside Tulane territory sealed their fate. The win kept Tulane firmly in the hunt for the Group of Five’s path to the College Football Playoff, while Memphis saw its home winning streak come to an end and its CFP hopes take a significant hit.