It was an extended shot, however the No. 17 Tulane Inexperienced Wave nonetheless had a considerably reasonable path to the Faculty Soccer Playoff coming into Thursday’s recreation in opposition to Memphis.
That path is now just about gone following an unpleasant 34-24 defeat that handed them a 3rd loss on the season and can nearly actually drop them down the rankings within the subsequent Faculty Soccer Playoff rankings that will get launched on Tuesday.
Tulane was already going through a tricky path given the power of the AAC and the very fact it already had two losses on the season and misplaced its solely two video games in opposition to ranked opponents. But when it beat Memphis on Saturday after which gained the AAC Championship Sport in opposition to Military subsequent week, it might have had an opportunity, relying on what occurred with the Huge 12 convention.
The way in which the expanded playoff subject works is the 5 highest-ranked convention champions all earn computerized bids into the playoffs. Tulane had an opportunity to steal a kind of computerized bids from the Huge 12. Tulane was only one spot behind the highest-ranked Huge 12 crew (No. 16 Arizona State) within the newest rankings.
Given how the Huge 12 championship recreation continues to be up for grabs with 9 groups within the operating, it might not have been onerous to think about Tulane profitable out and sneaking into a kind of computerized playoff spots.
However now that concept is totally gone.
It was additionally not a very shut recreation.
Tulane was statistically dominated throughout the board, being outgained 454-374, permitting 26 first downs whereas recording simply 15 of its personal and turning the soccer over thrice whereas getting zero takeaways of its personal.
That doesn’t imply Tulane has nothing to play for in subsequent week’s AAC Championship Sport or a postseason recreation.
The convention title continues to be up for grabs, and if Tulane can win it, that will be two AAC titles in a three-year span. Beating Military and profitable a bowl recreation would additionally give Tulane its third consecutive 11-win season. Previous to the 2022 season, when this run began, this system had gained 11 video games simply three complete instances in its existence, and two of these have been all the way in which again within the Nineteen Thirties. It isn’t a stretch to say that is essentially the most profitable period of Tulane soccer ever.
A playoff spot would have been an unimaginable accomplishment, however there’s nonetheless quite a bit to play for, even with out that.
