College Football Rankings 2020: Projected AP Top 25 for Week 9
By Zach Bigalke
Entering Week 8, Tulsa was positioned as the third-best team among others receiving votes in the AP Top 25. Then the Golden Hurricane came out on Friday night and took down South Florida 42-13 in Tampa. Given all the other results around college football this week, Philip Montgomery’s team is projected to vault above the cut line this week for the first time since 2010.
Deneric Prince ran for 109 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 15 carries. Right behind him on the stat sheet, Corey Taylor II added 67 rushing yards and two more scores on the ground in his dozen touches. Zach Smith balanced the offense with a 16-of-24 performance for 233 passing yards with a touchdown and an interception. Tulsa’s defense forced three turnovers and held South Florida to 305 total yards of offense.
As one of just three teams still undefeated in American Athletic Conference play, Tulsa is in control of its own destiny. The Golden Hurricane host East Carolina on Friday night in Week 9, a game where they will be heavily favored. That should set up Tulsa in the AP Top 25 entering a November stretch that includes Navy on the road, SMU at home, and Houston on the road.