Tulane Making waves: Coming off bowl win, Tulane primed to exceed outside expectations

[Brad]

Making waves: Coming off bowl win, Tulane primed to exceed outside expectations

 

• BY GUERRY SMITH | CONTRIBUTING WRITER
• JUL 13, 2019 - 1:53 AM

 

Despite tying for the top of the American Athletic Conference West last season, the Tulane football team did not convince the skeptics it was a legitimate challenger for a championship.

If the preseason magazines are any indication, the Green Wave will finish a distant third to fellow 2018 West co-champions Memphis and Houston in the annual poll during AAC Media Days June 15-16 in Newport, Rhode Island.

That is exactly where Athlon’s, Phil Steele’s College Football Preview and Street & Smith’s tab Tulane, with Lindy’s going a rung lower at fourth behind Navy, too. Fourth-year coach Willie Fritz receives plaudits for his turnaround job at a program with a long history of losing, but the real buzz surrounds Houston and new coach Dana Holgorsen, who left Power-Five West Virginia for the job, and Memphis, which is coming off back-to-back appearances in the AAC Championship Game.

Rest of Story