The Tulane Green Wave won't be surprised by the bright lights at Ole Miss' stadium this time. Here's why a rematch could lead to an upset.
There’s a reason that in the NFL, divisional opponents often go 1-1 in their respective series. It doesn’t often happen in college football outside of conference championship games, but when the Tulane Green Wave head to play the Ole Miss Rebels in the first round of the College Football Playoff on Dec. 20, it won’t be their first face-off. That might help offset some of the jitters of the program’s first-ever CFP appearance – as will back-to-back conference title game appearances for a core of seniors who know how to handle bright lights.
They proved to be too bright for the North Texas Mean Green, with a quarterback who hadn’t been a starter for his team until this season since he was in 9th grade. The Mean Green didn’t play one single Power Four team. Tulane played three and beat two. Yes, one of them was the Rebels, and it was a brutal loss. But immediately at kickoff in the American Conference Championship, there was an air on the Green Wave sideline that one team firmly had an edge. The moment was too big for North Texas. Tulane can’t have that happen next Saturday.
But running out onto an SEC field that they’ve already played on this season, in a stadium in which they’re aware of the acoustics and crowd noise level in, might make that mental load less challenging. Back in September, this Green Wave team barely knew each other. The roster turnover has been discussed, rightfully so, but the psychological makeup of the team was completely different.
Then there’s also the edge of having a coach who has called a game before. Defensive coordinator Pete Golding will be in his first game as new head coach of Ole Miss. While offensive coordinator Charlie Weiss Jr. will call plays for the offense still, but there’s a rhythm and style to how head coaches handle in-game decision-making. Will Golding be aggressive on fourth down? Will he value clock control over early tempo? There’s also the trade-off of Tulane not really knowing how to account for that, but neither really can Golding until the moment hits at kickoff. How bright will the lights be?
The identity of the Rebels is a bit shakier in December than the Green Wave’s, despite both programs losing their head coaches. Both teams are in a vastly different place than they were in September. For Tulane, they weren’t player-led yet. They have two weeks to come down from their emotional high of winning the conference championship, while Ole Miss has been sitting at home since the Egg Bowl on Nov. 28.
While the Rebels might be favored by speed, talent, and personnel, the Green Wave aren’t going to be surprised again by that this time. They won’t be caught off guard by the extensive travel it takes to get to Oxford from any nearby hotel capable of hosting an entire football operation. They’ll know how the lights at Vaught Hemingway Stadium shine. Should they hope for an upset, they’ll have to know how to play under them whether they’re bright or dim.