Tulane Green Wave Face Unique Test As Road Warriors Against Army Black Knights

The Tulane Green Wave can accomplish a historical feat on the road against the Army Black Knights seeking their second American Conference Championship title.

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The Tulane Green Wave are on a quest for their first American Conference Championship title on the road against the Army Black Knights and look to accomplish what no college football team has done in 42 years. 

Should Tulane leave victorious from West Point, Ny., they'll defeat the Black Knights for the first time as conference opponents at Michie Stadium on Friday, Dec. 6. Under coach Jon Sumrall, the Green Wave already shut out the Navy Midshipmen at home for the first time since 2012.

That would make them the first team since Boston College in 1982 to beat both service academies on their home turf. 

Both Army and Navy were independents until the Midshipmen joined the AAC in 2015. This is the Black Knights' first year in the conference. Despite years of common opponents, rarely did they receive one that even had the opportunity—most seasons split these as a home and away for each respective team.

The Green Wave are also seeking their first American conference title following a regular season loss in their finale. Sometimes, a chip on the shoulder is the best medicine, and the team operated best throughout this year while in silence. 

Containing outside noise is impossible. Road travel, along with the necessary time allocated for it, eliminates the potential for it to overwhelm a team facing their biggest challenge yet from a mental standpoint.

Instead of worrying about turnout, hosting media conferences the day before the game, crowd noise, and other factors not always considered in preparation, Tulane is frankly better positioned now that all of that has been eliminated.

It will always be impossible to measure psychological effects on games. It would be ignorant to dismiss them outright. 

Taking on the conference title on the road requires a different mindset, particularly with the hostile weather conditions the Green Wave will face temperature-wise. 

The cold forecast is a harsh contrast from their contest against the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns, where temperatures on the field reached 144 degrees back in Week 4. 

It'll be another night game for a team that has markedly played more awake in earlier start times. It's an equal opportunity to learn from the factors that contributed to their Thanksgiving night loss to the Tigers. 

The defense was difficult to recognize on the field against Memphis at times; the urgency was palpable in Monday's practice. They fairly earned confidence from their shutdown of the Midshipmen in a similar offense—and this staff is more experienced against coach Jeff Monken's team. 

Importantly, Jon Sumrall is 2-0 as head coach of Troy against the Black Knights. The director of strength and conditioning, Rusty Whitt, hails from West Point. Greg Gasparato leads Tulane's defense with experience as Army's defensive coordinator. 

Since Thursday night, the Green Wave have had ample time to process their loss to Memphis, reset their mindset, and prepare for the upcoming week. All of these small details can be viewed as competitive advantages with the right mentality. 

That will be the greatest challenge for Tulane after being viewed as the top dogs in the conference less than a week ago. A historical victory to take the conference title back against the Army Black Knights will firmly secure that for the Green Wave.