Predictions as Tulane Green Wave Face Huge Contest vs. Oklahoma Sooners
The Tulane Green Wave get a second shot at upending a Top 25 power conference team when they face the Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday.
The contest is in Norman, Okla., a notoriously difficult place to play. Tulane (1-1) coach Jon Sumrall has enlisted some coaches in helping him learn how to deal with it, including the coach of the team his Green Wave just lost to — Kansas State’s Chris Klieman. He has experience going into Oklahoma (2-0) when the Sooners were in the Big 12.
This is just the third meeting all time between the Green Wave and the Sooners and it’s been a rough week of preparation for Tulane as it had to deal with Hurricane Francine blowing through New Orleans earlier in the week.
The last time the Green Wave went on the road to face the Sooners they lost by less than a touchdown. This contest looks like an interesting one going into Saturday.
Here are the staff prediction for the game from the Tulane Green Wave On SI staff.
John Burrows, Staff Writer
Tulane 34, Oklahoma 24
If there was ever a time to catch Oklahoma, it’s right now. The Sooners likely had the best receiving core Tulane was scheduled to face all season, but now it appears as many as five of the top six could be out Saturday. Oklahoma also had a poor offensive line before the injuries on the interior began to kick in and is starting two true freshmen on the defensive line.
While Oklahoma has elite safeties, the weakness of their defense is their cornerbacks, and Tulane has the receivers to take advantage of it. Jackson Arnold is an inexperienced quarterback and not mobile enough to succeed behind the Sooners’ poor offensive line. Tulane needs to minimize their pre-snap penalties, but I like Tulane to upset the Sooners.
Matthew Postins, Staff Writer
Oklahoma 27, Tulane 24
I would agree that the Oklahoma offense doesn’t look right. I’m not sold on quarterback Jackson Arnold being the guy. The Sooners have always had a quarterback-centric offense. Are they trying to shift to more balance? I’m not sure.
But that defense is elite. The Oklahoma defense has forced eight turnovers in two games and the offense, for all its foibles, has only turned it over once.
Still, Tulane has the horses to keep up and it will up until the fourth quarter when the Sooners do enough to protect a slim lead. It’ll be another heartbreaker for the Green Wave — but it will make them better in league action.
Dylan Sanders, Staff Writer
Oklahoma 38, Tulane 31
Losing both early season Top-25 games by one possession each is not how Jon Sumrall will have wanted to start out his tenure. It'll be tough for Mensah to travel into Norman and topple the Sooners, but he has yet to waver since surprisingly winning the starting job. Another nice day for him against Oklahoma would have to have the Green Wave feeling good heading into their last game before conference play. The offense will have a better day than most are expecting, but that still might not be enough to take down the Sooners, who will have some frustration to let out after their weak showing last week.
MATTHEW POSTINS