The first rankings for the College Football Playoff were released by the selection committee on Tuesday night. One team is in serious jeopardy of missing the CFP after suffering a loss on Friday night.
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No. 14 Virginia and unranked Memphis were included in the first bracket of 12 teams despite not being ranked in the top 12, as the selection committee projected them as automatic bids via winning their respective conference championships.
Memphis struggled out of the gate on Friday night against a motivated Tulane Green Wave team that suffered an upset loss to UTSA in Week 10. The Green Wave exploded on offense to take a 35-17 lead over the Tigers at halftime.
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Tulane quarterback Jeff Retzlaff had a strong night, going 16-of-23 passing for 332 yards and three touchdowns.
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Tulane would extend its lead to 38-17 before the fourth quarter, but Memphis would not go away quietly. The Tigers scored two touchdowns on their first two possessions in the fourth quarter to make it a 38-32 game with 7:49 remaining in the fourth quarter.
However, the defense for the Green Wave made a statement on Memphis’ final two possessions, recording an interception of quarterback Brendon Lewis and forcing a turnover on downs with under two minutes to play.
Tulane ran out the clock to improve to 7-2 with a 38-32 win over Memphis at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.
The Green Wave outgained Memphis in total yards, 457-435.
Following the game, Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall told the ESPN broadcast that he was proud of the way his players responded after the loss to UTSA in Week 10.
“They’ve driven me crazy at times this year,” Sumrall said. “I’ve said it all year to y’all, but man, like they’re keeping me young and they’re going to make me grow old real fast… Last week’s sucked.
“We all know that it’s like our worst game we could possibly play, and for them to respond and pick themselves up–they showed how tough they are.”
Tulane will next host FAU in Week 12.
The heartbreaking defeat will hurt the Tigers’ chances of making the CFP, as they have the sixth-best record (4-2 and 8-2 overall) in the American Conference. Memphis will next play on the road against East Carolina in Week 12.
Navy is now atop the conference with a 5-1 record and is 7-1 overall before playing at Notre Dame on Saturday night. South Florida, North Texas, and Tulane are in a three-way tie for second place with 4-2 records before Saturday’s games.
The battle for the Group of 5 automatic bid is wide open in Week 11.
For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.