South Florida Bulls • The Tulane Hullabaloo

Yoav Katz

The Tulane University Green Wave football team’s narrow 33-31 win against the University of South Alabama was not the American Athletic Conference’s most significant win this past Saturday. 

Rather, the University South Florida Bulls’ win over their in-state rival, the at-the-time No. 13 ranked University of Florida, took the cake. The Bulls’ impressive start is a cause for concern for the Green Wave and their College Football Playoff aspirations.

With the new college football playoff format, the highest ranked team from the Group of Five conferences is guaranteed a spot in the playoff. Last year, Tulane’s late-year losses against the University of Memphis and United States Military Academy allowed for the Boise State University Broncos to be ranked ahead of them and snatch the Group of Five bid.

But, this year, it is starting to look like Tulane’s competition is coming from inside the conference.

South Florida has taken down two ranked opponents, Boise State and Florida, to start the season. After they face the No. 5 ranked University of Miami Hurricanes next week, the rest of their schedule consists of relatively lighter in-conference play. They are currently the highest ranked Group of Five team at No. 18 with no signs of slowing down. 

Tulane’s two wins, although impressive, do not stack up to what the Bulls have done. With games against Duke University and the University of Mississippi, the Green Wave has a lot to prove. Losses to these major teams may make it hard to argue for Tulane’s spot above South Florida, assuming both teams are successful throughout their conference games. 

A possible outcome for the two teams success is a head-to-head matchup in the American Athletic Conference Championship. If Tulane and South Florida were to compete for the championship, this would have huge implications for the Group of Five playoff spot, especially if their resumes are comparable by the end of the season. 

But, for now, Tulane has major hurdles to climb with Duke and Ole Miss. These games are imperative for the Green Wave to assert themselves as the American Athletic Conference frontrunner. 

“If this is our performance the next two weeks, we’re gonna be embarrassed on the scoreboard,” head coach Jon Sumrall said to WGNO News on Tuesday. 

As for South Florida, Tulane fans will keep a close eye on their game against Miami and maybe even cheer on Hurricanes’ quarterback Carson Beck as he looks to end the Bulls’ win streak. 

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