Tulane Green Wave Falls In College Football Power Rankings Despite Bye Week
The Tulane Green Wave comes off its off week gearing up with a showdown against the Rice Owls at home this Saturday, in what will be Tulane's third conference matchup of the season.
Having gone 2-0 in the first two, with dominating victories over the South Florida Bulls and the UAB Blazers, the Green Wave looks to put on another dominant showing against the Owls, who enter the week with a 2-4 record, and 1-2 in conference play.
First-year head coach Jon Sumrall has led Tulane to victory early and often, with the only two losses this year coming against (at the time) ranked opponents in the Oklahoma Sooners and the Kansas State Wildcats, but kept it close with a combined score across those games of 68-46.
As a Group of Five school, losing to two ranked Power Five schools by only a combined 22 points is impressive, and it has seen the Green Wave gain national recognition early in the 2024 campaign.
Even with their success, and coming out of the bye week, Tulane's ranking in The Athletic's college football power rankings took a hit this week.
After sitting in 46th in last week's college football power rankings, the Green Wave now finds itself in 47th as other teams behind Tulane took massive jumps with their wins.
While it is not a big drop, only one position, it is a stark reminder of the lack of respect that Group of Five teams receive on a yearly basis, especially in football.
A Power Five team like the Alabama Crimson Tide can lose to the Vanderbilt Commodores and remain in the top three, while a Group of Five school will drop in the rankings after dominating on both sides of the ball in all of their victories and without playing a game in the week of those rankings.
The Green Wave is not a program to be taken lightly this season, as they have shown time and time again in their victories as well as their defeats.
They have shown that they can compete with Power Five schools, and have dominated every Group of Five opponent, with a balanced offensive attack and a defense full of ball hawks.
With their next contest coming against Rice at home, a team that ranks 117th in this week's power rankings, another easy victory should be on the horizon.
With just two more wins this season, Tulane will become bowl eligible.
But it will not end there, as the Green Wave could become the Group of Five representative in the 2024 College Football Playoffs by winning out including the conference championship.
With what the team has shown us so far this year, that is a real possibility.
