A few months ago, Tulane lost against Ole Miss 45-10. And the Green Wave will likely remain a big underdog when they visit the Rebels in a first-round College Football Playoff game on Saturday.
As of this writing, Tulane was a 17.5-point college football betting odds underdog via BetMGM.
So the question is: Can Tulane close the gap from the first meeting? And even more, could the Green Wave possibly pull the upset?
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One way toward an upset is if quarterback Jake Retzlaff becomes Superman.
Retzlaff had been slowed by injury for a few weeks, although he didn’t miss any games. During Tulane’s 34-21 win over North Texas in the American Conference Championship, Retzlaff gained traction with the ground game.
In the three games prior to the win over North Texas, Retzlaff rushed 16 times for just five yards. He did score four touchdowns.
Against North Texas, he rushed for 49 yards on 15 carries and scored twice. His mobility looked much better, and it showed that Retzlaff can be a dangerous threat on the ground.
Yet for Tulane (11-2) to have a chance, Retzlaff likely has to do a much better job in the passing game.
Against North Texas, he was missing some seemingly easy throws and finished 13-of-22 passing for 145 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.
That likely won’t cut it against an Ole Miss team that enters the postseason as the SEC’s third best team in passing defense, allowing 182.58 yards per game.
The Rebels (11-1) have allowed 13 touchdown passes this season, slightly more than one per game.
On the surface, Retzlaff has enjoyed a fine season in his first year at Tulane after transferring from BYU. He has completed 62.4% of his passes for 2,862 yards, 14 touchdowns, and six interceptions. Retzlaff has rushed for 610 yards while setting a single-season school record of 16 rushing touchdowns by a quarterback.
In Tulane’s two losses, however, Retzlaff has struggled.
During the 45-10 defeat at Ole Miss, he completed just 5 of 17 passes for 56 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. He did rush for 51 yards on eight carries.
Tulane’s other loss was a 48-26 defeat at UTSA on Oct. 30. In that game, Retzlaff completed 14 of 28 throws for 194 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. He also rushed for 63 yards on seven carries and scored the game’s first touchdown on a 1-yard run.
In both losses, he ran the ball effectively. But to upset a team such as Ole Miss, Retzlaff may have to be a major dual-threat performer.
The good news is that he will have more than two weeks off since the North Texas win, a chance to regroup and get healthier.
One other key will be Retzlaff’s mobility. In the first game, Ole Miss failed to record a single sack. The Rebels entered the postseason tied for 10th in the SEC with 25 sacks.
If Retzlaff has time to throw, he may have to make some of the layups.
More accuracy may be needed in this game after the difficult regular season meeting with Ole Miss and also in the American Conference Championship win over North Texas. Tulane could have a better chance to be competitive, although upsetting the Rebels remains a tall task.
