Opinion: Why Charlotte Win Still Doesn't Move the Needle for Tulane

The Tulane Green Wave got it done over the weekend, winning 38-31 over the Charlotte 49ers in overtime to improve to 4-4 on the season and 2-2 in American Conference play.

On paper, a win is a win. It's worth acknowledging as a success and using it as something to build on moving forward. There were strong performances from a handful of young players, and it is always exciting to see that the future of the program is in good hands.

However, the Charlotte win was certainly far from satisfying. This is a team that Tulane has taken down with ease in previous matchups; the 49ers consistently are among the worst teams in all of FBS, with a bigger talent gap and fewer resources available. That all went out the window on Friday night, with Tulane working from behind through much of the matchup. It took a touchdown in the final seconds to tie the game and give the Green Wave a shot at clinching the victory in overtime, though the program did look like the much more dominant team in that OT period. 

The game just didn't live up to the Olive Green and Sky Blue standard -- and in all honesty, that standard feels so far out of reach right now. Even with Tulane's struggles this year, it should've been a more competitive game at the very least. 

It's hard to look at the win and feel like the team has turned some corner. Maybe it's because it comes on the heels of a lopsided loss to the UTSA Roadrunners. Or, perhaps it's obvious that the problems that the Green Wave has had all year remain largely unaddressed, even though there's only one month of games remaining. Maybe, deep down, there's a lingering thought that Tulane didn't outright win... Charlotte merely beat itself in the end with late mistakes and poor clock management down the stretch. 

It's hard to feel empowered by the victory when you look at where the program stood just one year ago and realize the magnitude of the current fall from grace.

That's not to say that these student-athletes deserve any less support, because there is no doubt that they are itching for success. Ultimately, many of the team's issues seem to start at the top, and it's up to Tulane to fix it. 

If the Green Wave can somehow muster a handful of massive wins through the month of November, then this conversation might look a whole lot different in the offseason. At this point, however, it's important to acknowledge that overtime wins against one of the American's weakest programs aren't going to cut it.