With it being Jon Sumrall’s first season as head coach, it would’ve been understandable if Tulane had taken a slight step back in 2024. But the Green Wave remained one of the best teams in the American.
They were competitive against nationally ranked teams like Kansas State and Oklahoma during the non-conference part of their schedule. Then they went on to go 7-1 in conference play and made it to the AAC Championship game before falling to Army, 35-14. They concluded the season with a loss against Florida in the Gasparilla Bowl.
But because of that strong first season during Sumrall’s tenure, expectations are remaining high for the Green Wave going into 2025. And they could even be poised to take down a Power Four program in Week 1.
Northwestern vs. Tulane Betting Odds
Tulane is a -4.5 college football betting odds favorite against Northwestern, with the Over/Under being 45.5.
The moneyline for Northwestern is +165, while it’s -200 for Tulane.
Northwestern vs. Tulane On TV
The matchup between Northwestern and Tulane will be televised on ESPNU.
The game will kick off at noon ET on Saturday, Aug. 30. The contest is taking place at Yulman Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Northwestern vs. Tulane Prediction
I predict Tulane will win and cover the 4.5-point spread. I also project the game will go Under 45.5 total points.
Without Darian Mensah, who transferred to Duke, Tulane went and added a few QBs in the transfer portal. That includes BYU transfer Jake Retzlaff, Ball State transfer Kadin Semonza, Iowa transfer Brendan Sullivan, and Illinois transfer Donovan Leary.
But whoever is Tulane’s starter, I don’t think the Green Wave will need to put up a ton of points to win. They should be pretty strong up front and could control the game on the ground. Derrick Graham and Shadre Hurst are among Tulane’s returners on the offensive line after making the All-AAC first team in 2024.
The Green Wave’s defense, which should be bolstered with some transfers, also returns a good amount of experience. Five of their top seven tacklers from a year ago are back.
Among them, All-AAC second-team linebacker Sam Howard is the leading returning tackler after tallying 53 tackles, 5.5 for loss, as well as 2.5 sacks and five fumble recoveries in 2024.
Tulane might be one of the best teams in the American once again, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the Green Wave start the season strong with a double-digit Power Four win.
