Jeff Duncan: Tulane is on the brink of history thanks to the best coaching job of Jon Sumrall’s career

All that stands in their way is a win over Charlotte on Saturday. The Green Wave is a 30-point favorite against the 1-10 49ers, who are playing out the string in coach Tim Albin’s first season.

“We’re playing a really important football game (Saturday night),” Sumrall said in what qualifies as the understatement of the year.

There’s more on the line than just Senior Night for the Green Wave. A win would secure the right to play host to the American Conference championship game on Friday, Dec. 5 at Yulman Stadium. Win that game, and Tulane would almost certainly make history by earning a spot in the College Football Playoff the following week.

Tulane has played football for 121 years. The Green Wave is now two wins away from doing things it has never done before:

• A fourth consecutive season of nine or more wins

• A fourth consecutive appearance in a conference championship game

• A potential berth in the College Football Playoff.

“I talked to them last week and (Monday) about, we’re not in a playoff right now, we’re in a play-in,” Sumrall said this week on his weekly podcast. “We’re able to play our way into this. You want to have opportunities to do cool things? Keep winning.”

That Tulane is in this position is remarkable given the circumstances. The attrition from a year ago was unprecedented. In addition to Mensah and Hughes, the exodus included tight end Alex Bauman, cornerback Rayshawn Pleasant, defensive tackle Parker Petersen, edge rusher Matthew Fobbs-White and defensive tackle Adonis Friloux, who are starting or playing key roles at Miami, Auburn, Wisconsin and Baylor, respectively.

Then there was the schedule, which included matchups against Power Four conference foes Duke, Ole Miss and Northwestern, a trio that has gone a combined 22-11 this season.

That Tulane has not only survived but thrived this season is a credit to fifth-year seniors like Bryce Bohanan and Bailey Despanie, whom Sumrall singled out Tuesday for their roles in helping to establish a winning culture on Willow Street. It’s also a testament to recent transfers like Sam Howard, Jake Retzlaff and Jack Hollifield, who have seamlessly incorporated themselves into the Wave’s leadership hierarchy.

“The goal is always to chase perfection,” Sumrall said. “The last few weeks, we’ve looked like a football team that understands we’ve got something to play for, and we have to embrace what our purpose is moving forward.”

For that, Sumrall deserves praise. Instead of complaining about the disruption caused by the transfer portal and pay-for-play, he has embraced the new world order. And Tulane has thrived because of this progressive mindset.

Of Sumrall’s many strengths as a coach, his ability to galvanize teams, eschew excuses and instill them with a mental tough mindset stand out. Those traits were tested this season, especially after Tulane was blown out at Texas-San Antonio a month ago. That loss sank the Wave to 6-2 and left it with no margin for error.

In the wake of the ugly loss and as rumors swirled about Sumrall’s uncertain future in New Orleans, Tulane easily could have packed it in. Instead, it pulled together, reeling off three straight impressive wins. In outscoring Memphis, Florida Atlantic and Temple by a collective score of 110-69, Tulane never trailed for a single minute.

“Sometimes in life, you need somebody to bloody your lip,” Sumrall said. “Our guys’ response from the embarrassing performance against UTSA has created a different urgency, a different edge, a different focus and mindset. That’s been a sort of galvanizing marker in this season for our players.”

All things considered, this might be the finest coaching job of Sumrall’s career, and that’s notable, given his teams have won or played for a conference title in each of his four seasons as a head coach.

“I believed we could do this,” Sumrall said. “I knew there had to be a lot to go right to put us in this position, in regards to the locker room dynamic, the chemistry, the culture. It’s really cool to see this team bind and come together and become a team.”

Sumrall kidded this week that he’s out of “hype speeches.” At this point, they’re unneeded. His players know what’s on the line. They realize the opportunity available to them. They’re two wins away from doing something unprecedented.

“If we want to continue to pursue championship goals or aspirations, we have to play our way into it,” Sumrall said. “We are in control of our own destiny. That’s an exciting place to be.”

And Tulane is in this position largely because of Sumrall. His steely, unwavering guidance has the Green Wave on the precipice of history.