Tulane upset by Memphis: How it affects the College Football Playoff

Some chaos in the AAC after Tulane lost to big underdog Memphis could have an impact on what the College Football Playoff eventually looks like.

Tulane' loss to Memphis shakes things up in the College Football Playoff picture entering Rivalry Week. / Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Thanksgiving football brought some early clarity to the playoff race entering the final week of the regular season, and proved a damning moment for would-be Group of Five hopeful Tulane.

All the Green Wave had to do was take out AAC challenger Memphis and put on a good show in the conference championship game to get the College Football Playoff selection committee’s attention.

Instead, Memphis upset the Green Wave in a stunning 34-24 decision on Thursday night that could have some important consequences on the playoff picture going forward.

Entering the game, there was a slight chance that Tulane could have emerged as the fifth highest-ranked conference champion and thus move into College Football Playoff consideration.

Tulane had moved into the No. 17 position in the selection committee’s most recent rankings this week, having already clinched a spot in the AAC Championship Game.

And while the Green Wave was still outside the top dozen in the latest bracket projection, there was a chance that a win against Memphis and another over Army to secure the AAC title would have been enough to more credibly be considered for the playoff.

Now, after coming out the wrong end of Thursday’s big upset, that (admittedly unlikely) opportunity has been effectively destroyed, regardless of how Tulane plays against Army in the AAC title game, and clears a path for the Big 12 champion to earn an automatic bid in the playoff.

Clarity is something the Big 12 desperately needs entering this weekend.

There are currently four teams -- Arizona State, BYU, Iowa State, and Colorado -- that are tied for first place in the Big 12 standings, and nine schools technically in the mix for the league title game.

Of those teams, Arizona State and Iowa State more thoroughly control their proverbial destiny. If both win their games this weekend, they’ll play for the Big 12 championship.

But if both lose, there are plenty of other teams waiting to take advantage.

Another big winner in Tulane’s loss? That’s UNLV, which can now put itself in College Football Playoff contention if it beats Nevada this week.

By doing so, it would clinch a spot in the Mountain West Championship Game against Boise State, the winner of which should earn a spot in the playoff as the highest-ranked Group of Five team.

College Football Playoff rankings for Week 14

1. Oregon
2. Ohio State
3. Texas
4. Penn State
5. Notre Dame
6. Miami
7. Georgia
8. Tennessee
9. SMU
10. Indiana
11. Boise State
12. Clemson
13. Alabama
14. Ole Miss
15. South Carolina
16. Arizona State
17. Tulane
18. Iowa State
19. BYU
20. Texas A&M
21. Missouri
22. UNLV
23. Illinois
24. Kansas State
25. Colorado

What the College Football Playoff looks like today

Playoff seeding is not necessarily the same as the CFP top 25 rankings position, given some teams will be given higher seeds as conference champions

First-Round Byes

No. 1 Oregon
Projected Big Ten champion

No. 2 Texas
Projected SEC champion

No. 3 Miami
Projected ACC champion

No. 4 Boise State
Projected Mountain West champion

First-Round Games

No. 12 Arizona State at
No. 5 Ohio State
Winner plays No. 4 Boise State

No. 9 Tennessee at
No. 8 Georgia
Winner plays No. 1 Oregon

No. 11 Indiana at
No. 6 Penn State
Winner plays No. 3 Miami

No. 10 SMU at
No. 7 Notre Dame
Winner plays No. 2 Texas

First team out: Clemson

Second team out: Alabama

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