Tulane visited Cincinnati and came away with a 27-24 win Friday, marking the first time since 1984 that the Green Wave defeated an AP-ranked opponent. No. 19 Tulane (10-2, 7-1 AAC) will host next Saturday’s AAC Championship Game in New Orleans against either No. 25 UCF or No. 21 Cincinnati. Here’s what you need to know.
- Tulane’s win against Cincinnati ended a streak of 61 consecutive losses to AP-ranked opponents (the longest streak in AP poll history).
- This is Tulane’s first win in an AP ranked vs. ranked matchup since 1956 at Ole Miss.
- Since 1982, the only team Tulane has beaten that went on to finish ranked in the AP poll was Navy in 2004. Kansas State and/or Cincinnati could end up ranked at the conclusion of this season.
- At 10-2, Tulane has recorded its first double-digit win season since 1998.
Backstory
Tulane’s last victory over an AP-ranked opponent occurred on Oct. 6, 1984 when the Green Wave defeated Vanderbilt (ranked No. 19 at the time) 27-23. Earlier this season, Tulane beat now-No. 15 Kansas State 17-10 on Sept. 17, but the Wildcats were unranked at that point.
Entering Friday’s matchup, Cincinnati declared starting quarterback Ben Bryant out for the season with a foot injury he suffered last week against Temple. Redshirt sophomore QB Evan Prater took over, completing 10-of-26 pass attempts for 102 yards and an interception.
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Tulane QB Michael Pratt went 12-for-22 for 162 yards and one touchdown en route to the road win at Nippert Stadium.
After a 2-10 campaign in 2021, the Green Wave have completely turned things around with wins over Houston, USF and Memphis this season. When Tulane hosts the AAC title game next week, it will be its first-ever appearance in the championship.
Tulane vs. AP-ranked teams:
1982 win at LSU
1983 win vs. Florida State
1984 win at Vanderbilt
-61 losses in a row-
2022 win at Cincinnati— Matt Brown (@MattBrownCFB) November 25, 2022
The Bearcats still could make their fourth-consecutive AAC title game appearance, but they must now rely on USF. If UCF beats USF, the Knights earn the spot opposite Tulane. If USF wins, Cincinnati will return to the conference championship game for a rematch against Tulane.
Required reading
- What’s behind Tulane football’s breakthrough season and CFP ranking? G5 Drive
- College Football Playoff expansion timeline: What to know as decision on 2024, ’25 nears
- Ranking 131 college football teams after Week 12: TCU keeps proving it belongs
(Photo: Katie Stratman / USA Today)