If you can't get hyped at your introductory press conference, when can you?
New Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall introduced himself to Green Wave Nation by pledging to bring a national championship celebration to Yulman Stadium.
"Our vision here is, we are going to win conference championships, we are going to win bowl games," Sumrall said, via WWL-TV. "I'm telling you right now, I'm speaking it into existence, we are going to make the College Football Playoffs, and we are going to win it."
Sumrall, 41, took the job after going 23-4 with two conference championships in two seasons at Troy. The former Kentucky linebacker and Alabama native coached at Tulane from 2012-14 as a co-defensive coordinator.
The upcoming College Football Playoff expansion will make it much easier for Tulane to reach the field.
The Playoff is expected to adopt a 5+7 model for the 2024-25 seasons, in which the five highest-rated conference champions -- remember, there will be only four "Power" conferences with the collapse of the Pac-12 -- will be joined by seven at-large bids. (There is no Playoff contract in place beyond the 2025 season.)
This year, Liberty would be in the field as the 12 seed, but Tulane would've reached the field following their 2022 American championship, and would've returned had the Green Wave defeated SMU in the 2023 AAC championship. SMU was ranked one spot behind Liberty in the final 2023 CFP rankings.
The AAC will likely place its champion in the Playoff more years than not.
As for winning it? This year, Tulane would have to beat 13-0, ACC champion Florida State at Doak Campbell Stadium, then defeat 12-1, SEC champion Alabama in the quarterfinals.
After that, Tulane would likely get 14-0, Big Ten champion and top overall seed Michigan in the semifinals, and then either Washington, Texas, Georgia or Ohio State in the title game.
Will Tulane ever pull that off?
It's a time for optimism in the Green Wave community. Let's leave the reality for tomorrow.