Tulane started practice about an hour later than normal today because there are no classes during Thanksgiving break, and it is amazing how healthy this team has been all year. I believe some of the credit goes to new strength and conditioning coordinator Rusty Whitt and his staff, some of it goes to Jon Sumrall's meticulously careful approach to practice schedules and some of it is pure luck. This team has not had an injury that has sidelined an offensive lineman for a game this season-- a huge plus because it is the most depth-shy spot on the team--and other than minor injuries to Alex Bauman, Adin Huntington, Terrell Allen, Caleb Ransaw and Shaadie Clayton-Johnson, no one significant has missed time. By my count, 36 players have participated in every game, and Patrick Jenkins would make it 37 if he had not missed a game after his mom died. The last truly significant injury was the hamstring pull Shazz Preston had before preseason camp started, and he is back as a potentially valuable addition down the stretch, giving Tulane four speedy wideouts the coaches can trust.
Clayton-Johnson is back at practice this week, so the only possible absent player will be reserve defensive end Michael Lunz, who missed the Navy game with an unspecified injury.
I hear a lot of fans doubting whether the selection committee would bypass the Big 12 champion for Tulane if it is warranted, but I do not share in their skepticism. Yes, if it's really close, that probably would be true, but if Tulane is clearly the most worthy team, I believe they would pick the Wave. Right now Tulane's issue is less of perception than of resume'. Six of the 11 teams it has faced thus far will not make bowl games, and two of the five that will go to bowls beat the Wave. A two-loss Iowa State and a two-loss Arizona State and a two-loss BYU compare favorably to Tulane if you go by wins and losses and schedule. BYU beat SMU and clobbered Kansas State. Iowa State beat Iowa and will have beaten Kansas State if it remains a two-loss team. Arizona State beat Kansas State and BYU, so all three of those teams beat a tam that won on Tulane's home field (the NCAA does not take into account questionable offensive pass interference calls).
Tulane, however, wins the sight test over all three, and this committee, unlike the NCAA tournament selection committee for basketball, has indicated a willingness to use the sight test. If Tulane wins the next two, I still think Iowa State, Arizona State and BYU have to lose again, but we will find out what the committee thinks by where all of those teams are ranked tomorrow. None of them have true cache in college football, so that should help Tulane., which will improve its resume considerably by beating Memphis and Army. Tulane and Army, by the way, are the only teams in the country that have never trailed in the fourth quarter of a conference game. Neither of them have trailed in the second half . That's obviously a commentary on the lack of quality in the AAC, which has seen six coaches fired and at least one more (Trent Dilfer) who likely will be gone soon, but also a commentary on Army's and Tulane's dominance. That stuff matters, too, particularly if Tulane keeps the stat alive against Memphis and Army.
Will Hall observed practice again today. So did Jay Uhlman, and I talked with him a bit to get some info about the team I will post next week. I went to most of the Friday game 2 of the Fall Ball World Series.
Sumrall was not available after practice today because he was doing interviews with ESPN, but Tyler Grubbs, Sam Howard, Dickson Agu, Alex Bauman, Vincent Murphy and Tayler Polk talked. I will transcribe them as the day goes along.
Jesus Machado was in uniform and a helmet today. He did not practice and I do not expect him to play this year, but I will ask Sumrall tomorrow.
