The Tulane Green Wave will face Ole Miss in the first round of the College Football Playoffs on Saturday. The Wave enters the game as a 17.5 underdog, but according to one analyst, that line may be off the mark.
"It just doesn't really take into account all Tulane has done to come together all throughout the year," Tulane sideline reporter Maddie Hudak said.
Hudak says the first time the Green Wave and Ole Miss played, quarterback Jake Retzlaff was still learning his teammates and trying to get a handle on his role. She also says the team's loss to UTSA appeared to make them more focused.
"I think you've seen a completely different, inspired team ever since," Hudak said, adding that the Green Wave learned from their mistakes in their first trip to Oxford. "It kind of the thing where it can't get worse than that and it's the devil you know, and I think all of that is kind of why people say it's hard to beat the same team twice."
Even though he's leaving for the head coaching job at Florida, Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall is sticking around to coach the Green Wave through the playoffs. That, Hudak said, gives Tulane an early advantage over an Ole Miss squad who's head coach has already left town.
"This team is closer together than ever," Hudak said. "You can tell how much these guys are playing inspired football around Coach Sumrall and that they all really want to finish this season out the right way and do it together."
Hudak notes that Ole Miss is at a disadvantage because Lane Kiffin has skipped town to take over the LSU program and because their new head coach, Pete Golding, has never been a college head coach before. However, Hudak says Golding's inexperience could cause some problems for Tulane.
"Sumrall said something about you don't know if they're going to call more fake punts or try to get an edge in that aspect."