Tag: Tulane Green Wave

Penn State moves ahead of falling Oklahoma in updated US LBM Coaches Poll

After five ranked teams took a loss this weekend, here’s how the updated US LBM Coaches Poll looks following Week 9.

There was some turbulence in the weekend college football schedule in Week 9. Five ranked teams took a loss this weekend, leaving some room to rework the rankings a bit just days before the first release of the College Football Playoff selection committee’s rankings this week. The US LBM Coaches Poll had some changes to address after this weekend’s college football results.

Oklahoma was the only team ranked in the top 10 to suffer a loss. The setback by the Sooners against Kansas was a notable development in the Big 12, although the Sooners remain on top of the Big 12 standings going into November, and don’t forget that they own a key head-to-head victory over Texas and Iowa State.

With Oklahoma dropping five spots this week, that allowed Penn State to move up one from no. 10 last week to no. 9 this week. Penn State sits one spot behind Alabama, who maintained its ranking from a week ago at no. 8. No. 7 Oregon passed the Crimson Tide this week after a dominating win at Utah.

There were no changes with the top five with Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, Florida State, and Washignton keeping their rankings, respectively.

Losses by North Carolina and Duke also led to some changes in the bottom half of this week’s US LBM Coaches Poll top 25 with Duke dropping out entirely. And a late-night loss by Oregon State left some room for more reshuffling of the rankings this week.

Here is a look at this week’s US LBM Coaches Poll.

Penn State falls behind Washington in new US LBM Coaches Poll

The new US LBM Coaches Poll is out. Penn State drops despite a blowout win this week. Here is the new top 25.

While Penn State was busy taking care of business at home against a clearly overmatched opponent, the Washington Huskies were coming through with one of the biggest wins so far this regular season in all of college football. Washignton’s thrilling victory over rival Oregon on Saturday afternoon led to the Huskeis moving up one spot in the brand new US LBM Coaches Poll released Sunday following the results of Week 7. As a result, Penn State stepped down one spot in the coaches poll as Penn State and Washington flipped spots within the top 10.

Penn State stepped down to no. 6 in this week’s coaches poll. Washington moved up to no. 5 after their big win over Oregon.

Georgia remains the top team in this week’s coaches poll with a decisive 58 first-place votes in their favor. Michigan remains no. 2 and Ohio State comes in at no. 3 once again. Penn State will visit Ohio State this weekend for a chance to shake up the top of the rankings a little bit more in next week’s voting.

The bottom of the top 10 saw some movement as well after Oregon and USC each took losses on the road. Texas and Alabama are actually tied for no. 8 in the new US LBM Coaches Poll this week (we’ll give the tiebreaker to Texas due to their head-to-head win). Texas moved up three spots to rejoin the top 10 at no. 8, tied with Alabama. North Carolina rounds out this week’s top 10 after their win over Miami on Saturday night.

Oregon fell three spots to no. 11 but USC was dropped hard from no. 9 all the way down to no. 16 after getting blown out by Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish moved up just three spots in this week’s coaches poll though, from no. 21 up to no. 18, thanks to having two losses already.

Washington State, Kentucky, and Kansas all fell out of this week’s coaches poll. That left room for Iowa to come back into the mix at no. 23. Air Force also cracked the top 25 at no. 22 and Tulane has returned with the no. 24 spot in this week’s poll. Future Big Ten member UCLA barely held on to the no. 25 spot after its second loss of the year. They are just three points ahead of James Madison, the top team in the others receiving votes category.

Here is the full US LBM Coaches Poll for Week 7.

2024 NFL Draft prospect Michael Pratt shows flashes, how knee injury is still affecting him into Week 5

Tulane QB Michael Pratt continues to be limited after his return from a knee injury.

Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt entered the 2023 season as one of the top-rated signal-callers ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft.

He’s since fallen some spots in the national rankings — in some outlets more than others — after he was sidelined for the biggest game of the season both on the Tulane schedule and for his own draft stock.

That contest was the eventual 37-20 loss to Ole Miss in what some believed would have been a winnable game if Pratt had been able to play and he was also ruled out of the game against Southern Miss, though head coach Willie Fritz did indicate that he was close to being able to play.

The reasoning behind Pratt’s absence was a knee injury he sustained in garbage time in the fourth quarter when Tulane has already built an extensive lead in the 37-17 victory over South Alabama in Week 1.

Since Pratt has come back, he’s had some uncharacteristic misses due to the way lower-body injuries affect a quarterback considering that accuracy starts from the ground up with sound lower-body mechanics.

Looking at the film between when Pratt was at full capacity in 2022 as well as the season opener in 2023 compared to the past two games tells the story of an issue that can only be attributed to the limitation of injury, rather than something more specific within his own control.

Among the misfires that stood out the most was an underthrown pass in the end zone that was intercepted by Nicholls State defender Markeyvrick Eddie in Week 4 after he had nearly thrown an interception to Eddie earlier in the game.

Pratt had multiple passes that sailed outside of the reach of his receivers during the 35-23 win in UAB in Week 5 as he was limited beyond his usual capacity on the ground as well due to the injury, though he did have two strong highlights in a 26-yard rush to move the chains for Tulane and a beautifully thrown 32-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Lawrence Keys to put the game on ice in the fourth quarter.

“Yeah, I think any injury at any position is kind of tough,” Pratt said after the game when asked about how the injury was affecting him. “You just have to kind of take it day by day and do what you can and I think the knee is getting a lot better, so I’m excited about that.”

The transition from the 2021 season to the 2022 season in which Pratt led the most remarkable turnaround in college football history was the perfect showcase of just who he is as a player when he can remain healthy.

With a better supporting cast both that season and in the midst of this one, he’s going to need to continue to make preserving his health top priority to remain a prospect who can be in the mid or late-round conversation in the upcoming draft or the one after that.

Pratt has an additional couple of weeks to get healthy as he and the Green Wave have an open date in the upcoming week with what is set to be their toughest in-conference matchup against the Memphis Tigers on Friday, Oct. 13.

Oklahoma Sooners drop one spot in latest AP Poll; remain a top 20 team

Oklahoma gets leapfrogged by Colorado and Ole Miss in latest AP Poll.

Despite winning their game on Saturday, the Oklahoma Sooners dropped in the latest AP Poll that dropped on Sunday.

Oklahoma fell to No. 19 and was passed by Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes, who moved up four spots to No. 18.

Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss Rebels also passed the Sooners after they dispatched  Tulane, the only Group of Five team in the top 25.

At the top, there were a few new top-five teams. After dismantling Ball State, Georgia remains the top dog in the NCAA. Michigan is No. 2. FSU moves up to No. 3 while Oklahoma’s biggest rival, Texas, finds itself at No. 4. The Longhorns made the trip to Tuscaloosa and manhandled the Alabama Crimson Tide.

USC slides into the top five while Ohio State ranks No. 6. Penn State, Washington, Notre Dame and Alabama round out the top 10.

Big 12 foe Kansas State stays steady at No. 15, while UNC, Duke, and Miami all give the ACC nice representation at the bottom of the top 25.

At this rate, the Sooners will not take on a ranked opponent until they meet the Texas Longhorns in Dallas. That game will have major College Football Playoff and Big 12 implications if both schools stay undefeated until the Red River Rivalry.

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5 under-the-radar candidates for the Heisman Trophy after Week 1

Is Shedeur Sanders among the sleepers for the Heisman Trophy after one game?

Week 1 of the 2023 college football season is officially in the books, and even at the tip-top of the schedule, the Heisman Trophy picture has already been shaken up some.

The projected frontrunners like USC quarterback Caleb Williams, Florida signal-caller Jordan Travis and UNC passer Drake Maye all remain intact as expected, but some other names made huge waves.

Here’s a look into five players to watch who may not be largely listed in the top spots in the Heisman odds for right now, but could potentially make a run for it.

Ducks projected to appear in New Year’s Six bowl after successful 2023 season

Ducks projected to appear in New Year’s Six bowl after successful 2023 season

For the months of July and August, everyone has their own predictions of how the college football season is going to go. Some predictions are right on and some are way off. That’s why they’re fun.

With the Oregon Ducks football season beginning in under two weeks, those predictions are coming fast and furious. According to The Action Network’s Brett McMurphy, the Ducks are going to Atlanta for the Peach Bowl and face Tulane.

If that name sounds familiar, it should. The Green Wave shocked the football world as they rallied late to upset USC in the Cotton Bowl last season.

This is the analysis McMurphy provided when discussing a possible Oregon-Tulane matchup.

Tulane played major spoiler last season when the Green Wave took down USC to end Lincoln Riley’s first year with the Trojans. Can they do so again against another Pac-12 opponent? Oregon has bigger fish to fry, such as a potential playoff appearance with a Pac-12 title. But based on the projections, the Ducks won’t get that far. Don’t underestimate Tulane at the end of the year.

Going to the Peach Bowl, a game the Ducks have never participated in, would be a fun experience and hopefully, Oregon would avoid the late collapse that plagued the Trojans. The Ducks have bigger goals than playing Tulane in the Peach Bowl, but nobody in the Ducks’ orbit would complain if that matchup should occur.

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Countdown to Kickoff: 7 best Group of Five players

The countdown to kickoff continues with the seven best Group of Five players in the country.

Through College Sports Wire’s countdown to kickoff, the Power Five has been overwhelming the focus, and rightfully so. It’s time to look at the Group of Five and its top seven players entering this fall.

The Group of Five’s place in today’s college football landscape is interesting. Thanks to the transfer portal, many of the top players from Group of Five player programs eventually end up at Power Five programs. This was one major worry about the transfer portal and its potential impacts.

There are Groups of Five stars who still have chosen to stay at their respective programs – which is excellent news for college football. While the Group of Five has rarely produced true competitors for national championships, it remains a vital part of college football and what makes the sport special.

This caliber of players choosing to stay at Group of Five programs will only ensure that college football, despite widespread changes, remains healthy from top to bottom.

Honorable mentions for players who just missed the cut in today’s list include Southern Mississippi’s Frank Gore Jr., Colorado State’s Tory Horton, and Western Kentucky’s Malachi Corley,

Tulane QB Michael Pratt mourns loss of brother, releases details of how to donate to 7-week old niece

2024 NFL Draft prospect Michael Pratt announced the passing of his brother via social media earlier this month.

Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt enters the 2023 season as a potential top 2024 NFL Draft prospect with high expectations but with an equally high level of adversity.

Pratt took to Instagram on Monday, announcing the death of his late brother, David.

He leaves behind Pratt’s niece, Aria, who was born seven weeks ago.

“It’s now been just a little over a month without you,” Pratt wrote.

“You own a part of my heart that can never be taken away from me. In this world there is nothing like a big brother, and you have been the best big brother anyone could ever have. The single most important thing in your life was always family. The way that you looked after our sisters and our mom is was one of the most important lessons you ever taught me. You didn’t just talk about it, you showed me how important that was in everything you said and did. You spent countless hours everyday playing basketball, baseball, football, and any sport we could ever make up with Hannah and I. You always encouraged me on my good days and bad. You knew everything about every game that Hannah or I played. You introduced me to your friends, coworkers and customers and somehow they knew more about me than I even knew about myself. You poured your heart out into making me the person, athlete and most importantly the man that I am today. To me, the greatest compliment I could ever give someone is relating them in any way to our momma, and you are one of the only people whose heart is just like hers. You and mom have always been the kindest, most loving, and most caring people in my life. Proverbs 17:17 says “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” I know that throughout all times of adversity I will always have you in my heart. I’ve got a go fund me in my bio for my big brothers baby girl Aria who was born 7 weeks ago.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cvn9h_vOQcT/

All interested in donating can follow this link.

Pratt looks to be a quarterback on a continued, highly upward rise in 2023 after he completed 63.6% of his passes for 3,010 yards with 27 touchdowns and 5 interceptions in a historical 2022 season.

Tulane opens the 2023 season against South Alabama on Sept. 2 at 7 p.m. CT  in Yulman Stadium.

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Jalen Cook was a transfer portal steal for LSU, per On3

The Tulane transfer returns to LSU after beginning his career in Baton Rouge.

After a very disappointing first season under coach [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag], LSU hit the transfer portal hard once again this offseason in search of improvement.

The Tigers landed several potential impact players, but one of the more interesting players in that group is guard Jalen Cook. The senior began his college career in Baton Rouge before transferring to Tulane, where he became an All-AAC player.

Now, Cook is back where it all began looking to lead the Tigers to SEC contention. He’s expected to be one of the top offseason additions for LSU, and the 6-foot, 205-pound player was named one of 10 transfer portal steals in college basketball by On3’s Jamie Shaw.

Jalen Cook started his college career at LSU before transferring to Tulane and finding boatloads of success. Cook is a two-time first-team All-AAC recipient after finishing top five in the league in points, assists, and steals last season. LSU struggled at the guard spot last season, and Cook brings some electricity to the Tigers lineup. Matt McMahon found and cultivated Ja Morant at Murray State, his teams are at their best when they have a dynamic point guard at the helm. The Tigers re-tooled their roster, bringing in two new freshmen and six new players from the portal. The keys will be handed to Cook.

The Tigers will hope players like Cook allow the team to improve upon an abysmal 2-16 conference record in 2022-23 as McMahon aims to bounce back from a disastrous Year 1.

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Oklahoma adds two nonconference opponents to the 2024 schedule

The 2024 non-conference schedule is set as the Sooners will play Houston and Maine.

The [autotag]Oklahoma Sooners[/autotag] have secured its final two nonconference opponents for 2024. They will take on the [autotag]Houston Cougars[/autotag] to fulfill the SEC’s Power Five requirement and the [autotag]Maine Black Bears[/autotag] of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).

University of Oklahoma Vice President and Director of Athletics [autotag]Joe Castiglione[/autotag] announced these two additions to the schedule on Friday.

Oklahoma will host both teams in Norman giving them seven home games for just the seventh time in program history.

The game against Houston is scheduled for Sept. 7, 2024, and is part of a home-and-home series, with OU expected to play at Houston on Sept. 16, 2028. However, the date for the game against Maine will be determined once the Sooners’ SEC schedule is finalized.

”We’re excited to add Houston and Maine to our 2024 schedule” Castiglione said. “We always strive to schedule non-conference opponents in a manner that positions us for success and creates a fun environment for fans. It was always going to be a challenge to find two programs at this late stage that had open dates, but we’re happy with the result of that process and are thrilled to give our fans seven home games in 2024. A big thank-you to Houston athletics director Chris Pezman and Maine AD Jude Killy for their cooperation, and, in Maine’s case, its willingness to be flexible on a game date.”

The Sooners have never faced the Black Bears. They’re 3-1 all-time against Houston.

Both of these games will join the [autotag]Temple Owls[/autotag] and [autotag]Tulane Green Wave[/autotag] on Oklahoma’s nonconference schedule for 2024.

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