Tulane football has won SEC championships, seen undefeated seasons, and checked into the top 10 of the polls to end the season. But one thing the Green Wave program had never done was open a season with a number next to its name in the AP Poll.
Coming off a storybook 2022 complete with a Cotton Bowl victory, an AAC title, and a season-ending No. 9 ranking, the expectations were loftier than ever as Tulane checked into 2023 with a No. 24 in the preseason AP Top 25.
That status was more than justified Saturday night in New Orleans.