Tulane Football: Can Green Wave take next step in 2021?

Schedule will make it tough to get back to a bowl game

In terms of an AAC schedule, Tulane has one of the harder ones in the conference. They play Oklahoma and Ole Miss in the non-conference and play all of the AAC’s top teams, including Cincinnati and UCF. Tulane is talented, but the schedule is a beast.

• Game 1: Oklahoma (L)- It is a good thing for the program that a game like this is at home, but Tulane fans won’t like the result.
• Game 2: Morgan State (W)- This will be a much-needed bounce back for Tulane after the Oklahoma game.
• Game 3: At Ole Miss (L)- Tulane’s defense won’t be able to stop the Ole Miss offense.
• Game 4: UAB (W)- Tulane wins a close game at home vs one of the favorites in Conference USA.
• Game 5: At East Carolina (W)- This will be a shootout with the Pirates, but give me the Green Wave on the road.
• Game 6: Houston (W)- I like the Tulane running game to make the difference and revenge last season’s loss to the Cougars.
• Game 7: At SMU (L)- The first conference loss will come at the hands of the Mustangs on the road.
• Game 8: Cincinnati (L)- Tulane did not play the Bearcats last season, but I don’t think they will have enough to beat the Bearcats, who have their eyes on a playoff spot.
• Game 9: At UCF (L)- It is a tough break that Tulane has to play both the conference favorites in back-to-back weeks and I don’t think they can win either of them.
• Game 10: Tulsa (L)- The Golden Hurricane is going to have an elite defense and that will slow down the Tulane rushing attack.
• Game 11: USF (W)- The Bulls are in for a rough season and this should be an easy win for the Green Wave.
• Game 12: At Memphis (L)- Tulane will need to win this to get to a bowl game and I think that they will come up just short against Memphis.

Final Record: 5-7, 3-5 AAC

I like this Tulane team, but their schedule leaves a lot to be desired. Likely losses to Ole Miss and Oklahoma and Cincinnati and UCF leave little room for error. I have enough questions about the defense and pass rush to give them a 5-7 record.