Take In The Epic Scene After Tulane's AAC Title Win As The Green Wave Cap One Of College Football's All-Time Turnarounds
Did you know that Tulane used to be in the SEC? It was a long time ago, but still — the Green Wave have exploded onto the NCAA gridiron scene in 2022 out of nowhere and just knocked off UCF to win the AAC championship.
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For a program that returned most of their starters on offense and defense (all but four or thereabouts?) from last year's 2-10 team, it's truly mind-boggling that all these players managed to band together, produce a double-digit win campaign and cap it off with a revenge victory over one of the adversaries who defeated them. UCF trailed 31-14 early in the fourth quarter but staged a furious rally that ultimately fell short.
That comeback was to be expected. The Knights are the upstart underdog who've been in positions like this before. They had all the momentum and it had the makings of an epic Green Wave collapse. Nevertheless, Tulane pulled through when it mattered, which is a testament to what Willie Fritz has built in New Orleans.
Think about this for Tulane: They defeated Kansas State on the road earlier in the season. The Wildcats just knocked off previously undefeated TCU to win the Big 12 today.
Oh and by the way, not to bury the lede, but as you saw in the tweet that led this blog, the Green Wave are now set to face off against USC and (hopefully, health permitting) probable Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams. The Trojans were on the precipice of the College Football Playoff themselves before last night's stunning loss to Utah in which Williams got banged up.
It doesn't even matter if USC mops the field with the Green Wave's guts in the Cotton Bowl. The fact that Fritz and Co. are in position to face Lincoln Riley, Williams and a reputed powerhouse like the Trojans shows just how far they've come in such a short amount of time.
What a fucking run, and one hell of a performance to knock off UCF, as Tulane piled up a whopping 648 yards of total offense, thanks largely to Michael Pratt's 399 yards passing and four TDs and 199 rushing yards from Tyjae Spears. Give 'em the extra yard, statisticians! An even four and two bills respectively would be nice.
The Green Wave deserve to be acknowledged, however little regard you had for them before tonight notwithstanding. Please take a moment, wherever you are, and pour one out, stand up and give a quick clap, or let out a primal howl at the moon. New Orleans is about to be LIT. We've just witnessed a historic one-year flip for a program that damn near dissolved a couple decades ago.
Twitter @MattFitz_gerald/TikTok