Huge implications for Tulane, Nicholls in Thursday showdowns

Back before the NFL took over Thursday nights on the football calendar, the night was mostly reserved for a handful of high school games and college action.

While most football fans in America will tune in to the professional action in Seattle, there are two huge college games for the locals to watch – Tulane at Houston, at 7 p.m. on ESPN, and Southeastern Louisiana at Nicholls, at 6 p.m. on Cox Sports Television.

For both the Green Wave and Colonels, it’s arguably their biggest regular season games in more than a decade. And both head into Thursday’s showdowns on a roll.

Tulane was 2-5 just three weeks ago before putting together its first three-game winning streak in five years. The Green Wave got some help from the rest of the American Athletic Conference’s West Division to move into a three-way tie for first place, along with Houston and SMU.

If the Green Wave can defeat the Cougars on the road and then get help from Memphis against SMU on Friday, the stage would be set for Tulane to clinch the West with a win over Navy at Yulman Stadium Nov. 24.

The winning streak has coincided with Willie Fritz’s decision to go with LSU transfer Justin McMillan as his starting quarterback.

“He’s really starting to expand on what the other guys are doing and is having good interaction with our coaches on the sideline about what we’re doing and what he’s seeing,” Fritz said Tuesday. “We really feel like he’s just going to get better and better.”

McMillan’s opposite on Thursday is one of the best in the country – Houston’s D’Eriq King, who has passed for 2,900 yards and 35 touchdowns and rushed for 592 yards and 13 more scores.

King and the Houston offense has put up at least 40 points in nine of 10 games this season, while Tulane is one of four teams in the country to hold each of its last three opponents below 20 points.

The good news for the Green Wave is that Houston All-American defensive tackle Ed Oliver will miss his fourth consecutive game with a bruised knee. Without Oliver in the lineup, the Cougars have allowed an average of 46.7 points per game in games against USF, SMU and Temple.

Meanwhile, in Thibodaux, Nicholls and Southeastern close the regular season in the River Bell Classic. For the Colonels, it’s simple – win and claim a piece of the Southland Conference regular-season title for the first time in 13 years and the league’s automatic berth in the NCAA playoffs.

While the NCAA playoff bracket officially gets unveiled Sunday – and like a year ago, there’s a chance the Colonels make the playoffs win or lose on Thursday – the single-elimination portion of the season has been underway for Tim Rebowe’s club since mid-October.

At that point, the Colonels were 4-3 after a loss at Abilene Christian and 3-2 in league play, two games back of McNeese in the loss column.

Since its bye on Oct. 20, Nicholls has reeled off wins over league co-leader Incarnate Word, Houston Baptist and Stephen F. Austin by a combined score of 136-55.

“The playoffs began (with the UIW game),” Rebowe said last week. At that point, he felt like four losses might be too much to overcome to make the 24-team NCAA field.

Though parity across the country in FCS football has opened the door for several four-loss teams to see their name on the bracket Sunday morning – the announcement comes at 11:30 a.m. on ESPNU – the path now is simple: win and you’re in.

This one figures to be much closer than the previous three Colonel wins. Each of the last three games between the Colonels and Lions has come down to the game’s final play.

Southeastern is coming off an impressive defensive effort in a 23-6 victory over McNeese on Nov. 3. While Nicholls defeated SFA last Saturday and now prepares for the Lions on a short week, Frank Scelfo’s team was off.

Outside of Hammond, the biggest Southeastern fans will be in San Antonio, where UIW can claim an outright conference title and the Southland’s automatic NCAA berth with a Lion victory.