This week's picks

Tulsa vs. Tulane Prediction and Pick, Week 10 2026

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Data updatedNov 1, 2026
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The numbers sayTulsa

44% chance to win

  • Tulsa's early-down defense has the edge on Tulane's early-down offense. Tulsa is above average (35th) in SUPLEX allowed, and Tulane is bottom-20 (126th) in SUPLEX.
  • Tulsa's run-stopping front has the edge on Tulane's offensive line. Tulsa is above average (46th) in line yards allowed per carry, and Tulane is bottom-20 (129th) in line yards per carry.
Preview

Tulsa at Tulane

Kickoff: Sat, Nov 7, 12:00 PM ET
TV: ESPNU
Location: Yulman Stadium, New Orleans, Louisiana
Matchup: Tulsa (4–4) at Tulane (4–4)
Series: Tulsa leads 13–8
Last meeting: Tulane 31–14 in 2025
SP+Tulsa by 3.560% chance to win
PRIMETulsa by 0.852% chance to win
EloTulane81% chance to win
The lineNot posted yet
Kickoff
Sat, Nov 7, 12:00 PM ET
TV
ESPNU
Where
Yulman Stadium
Series
Tulsa leads 13–8
Last meeting
Tulane 31–14 in 2025

The ratings and the line

MarginWin chanceTotal
SP+Tulsa by 3.560%52
PRIMETulsa by 0.852%
EloTulane81%

Margins include home field. SP+ is Bill Connelly's rating; Sources has PRIME and Elo. No line posted yet.

SP+ projection
Tulsa by 3.5
60% win chance
PRIME projection
Tulsa by 0.8
52% win chance
Records
4–4 vs 4–4
American Athletic vs American Athletic

How we picked it

Who wins, Tulsa or Tulane?

SP+Grades every play this season
Tulsa by 3.5SP+ rating: Tulsa -2.2 (82nd), Tulane -8.2 (101st). Tulane gets 2.5 points for playing at home. Projected score: Tulsa 28, Tulane 24.
PRIMERates possession by possession
Tulsa by 0.8PRIME rating: Tulsa -5.1 (93rd), Tulane -8.4 (101st). Tulane gets 2.5 points for playing at home.
EloFinal scores only, carried over from last season
Tulane 81%Elo rating: Tulane 1491, Tulsa 1299. Tulane gets 55 Elo points for playing at home.

Three ratings look at a team in three different ways. The numbers' pick is the team at least two of them favor.

Where the game is won

Which matchups decide Tulsa vs. Tulane?

The ratings split and average out to about 50-50, with Tulsa ahead by a hair. Tulsa's best matchup is its early-down defense, 35th in SUPLEX allowed, against Tulane's early-down offense at 126th. Tulane's way back in is its run game, 29th in yards per carry, against Tulsa's run defense at 88th.

Tulsa with the ball

Run game vs run defenseYards per carry
39thvs103rd
Tulsa
Pass protection vs pass rushSack rate
46thvs79th
Tulsa
Ball security vs takeaway defenseInterception rate
14thvs84th
Tulsa
Early-down offense vs early-down defenseSUPLEX
69thvs59th
Even
Offense vs defenseSuccess rate
35thvs60th
Tulsa
Scoring offense vs scoring defensePoints per game
57thvs79th
Even
Big-play offense vs big-play defenseExplosive play rate
59thvs90th
Tulsa
3rd down offense vs 3rd down defense3rd down rate
60thvs118th
Tulsa
Passing game vs pass defenseEPA per pass (opponent-adjusted)
78thvs54th
Even
Offense vs defenseEPA per play (opponent-adjusted)
52ndvs55th
Even

Tulane with the ball

Run game vs run defenseYards per carry
29thvs88th
Tulane
Pass protection vs pass rushSack rate
106thvs86th
Even
Ball security vs takeaway defenseInterception rate
95thvs67th
Tulsa
Early-down offense vs early-down defenseSUPLEX
126thvs35th
Tulsa
Offense vs defenseSuccess rate
119thvs33rd
Tulsa
Scoring offense vs scoring defensePoints per game
107thvs67th
Tulsa
Big-play offense vs big-play defenseExplosive play rate
70thvs36th
Tulsa
3rd down offense vs 3rd down defense3rd down rate
32ndvs36th
Even
Passing game vs pass defenseEPA per pass (opponent-adjusted)
112thvs78th
Tulsa
Offense vs defenseEPA per play (opponent-adjusted)
107thvs56th
Tulsa

Each row puts one team's unit against the unit it faces, by national rank out of all FBS teams. An edge is a gap of 25 spots or more.

Injuries and availability

Who's out for Tulsa and Tulane?

Tulsa

  • Nobody listed. No regular has missed the last two games.

Tulane

Statuses come from the conference availability reports and team news, as of the date shown. "Hasn't played" means a regular (the main passer, a quarter of the carries or 15% of the catches) with no pass, carry or catch in his team's last two games, from the play-by-play. That can be an injury, a benching or a suspension. Linemen and defenders don't show up in that check.

The teams in charts

How Tulsa and Tulane compare, in charts

Each chart puts all 138 FBS teams on two stats; Tulsa and Tulane are lit. Dashed lines are the FBS averages, and up and right is better. Ranks in parentheses. Games through Oct 31, 2026.

The players in charts

How Tulsa's and Tulane's players compare

The scatter charts show the top 40 FBS players at the position by both stats combined, plus the players lit here. Dashed lines are the averages; up and right is better. Ranks are among every FBS player at the position with enough snaps. Takeaways are interceptions plus fumble recoveries. Games through Oct 31, 2026.

RatingsEven 5–5

How do SP+, PRIME and Elo rate Tulsa and Tulane?

On a neutral field, SP+ has Tulsa 6.0 points better (82nd to 101st). PRIME also has Tulsa ahead, by 3.3. Elo, which only sees results, has Tulane ahead (67th to 109th).

-2.282nd
-8.2101st
26.868th
19.4110th
28.994th
28.183rd
-0.292nd
0.62nd
-5.193rd
-8.4101st
-3.5293rd
-7.67123rd
0.1065th
-0.9076th
-4.183rd
-2.771st
-0.894th
-0.583rd
1299109th
149167th

Opponent-adjusted power ratings. These drive the projection.

Opponent-adjustedTulsa 9–7

Who's better once you adjust for the schedule?

Tulsa's offense ranks 52nd in adjusted EPA per play, and the Tulane defense it faces ranks 55th in EPA per play allowed. Tulane's offense ranks 107th against Tulsa's 56th-ranked defense. Neither side of the ball has a clear edge. The biggest edge on the board is Tulane's big plays: 2nd in adjusted explosiveness, against Tulsa's 103rd-ranked defense. That's a mismatch. Adjust for opponents and Tulane's defense climbs from 87th to 55th in EPA per play allowed: it has done its work against good offenses.

+0.1352nd
+0.05107th
+0.1878th
+0.13112th
+0.1133rd
+0.0583rd
38.8%107th
32.7%137th
46.0%82nd
40.7%137th
27.4%123rd
26.3%129th
0.9810th
1.012nd
2.9859th
2.71129th
1.2238th
1.573rd
+0.0956th
+0.0855th
+0.2178th
+0.1754th
+0.0666th
+0.0557th
39.8%40th
41.9%73rd
0.95103rd
0.9591st
2.8946th
3.07106th
1.1987th
1.1164th

The same efficiency numbers, adjusted for the offenses and defenses each team has faced (CollegeFootballData.com). A good number against a soft schedule shrinks; one against a hard schedule grows.

EPATulsa 6–2

Who's more efficient, Tulsa or Tulane?

Tulsa is better running (19th in EPA per rush) than throwing (77th). Tulane's run defense ranks 92nd, so that's a mismatch. Tulane is better running (58th in EPA per rush) than throwing (91st). Tulsa's run defense ranks 71st. On third down, Tulane has the edge: its offense ranks 17th in EPA per third-down play, and the defense it faces ranks 80th.

+0.1850th
+0.1179th
+0.2077th
+0.1591st
+0.2119th
+0.1258th
+0.4572nd
+0.6917th
+0.0756th
+0.1287th
+0.1872nd
+0.1767th
+0.0771st
+0.1192nd
+0.4280th
+0.69132nd

Expected points added per play, from CollegeFootballData.com. EPA measures how much each play changes the points a team can expect from the drive. Zero is break-even; +0.20 is very good. Not adjusted for opponents.

ScoringTulsa 2–0

Who scores more, Tulsa or Tulane?

Tulsa outscores FBS opponents by 5.4 a game, and Tulane is outscored by 2.9. Tulsa's offense ranks 57th in scoring, and the Tulane defense it faces ranks 79th in points allowed. Tulane's offense ranks 107th against Tulsa's 67th-ranked defense. Neither side of the ball has a clear edge.

29.857th
22.5107th
24.467th
25.479th

Per game, FBS opponents only.

OffenseTulsa 10–2

Which offense has the edge?

Tulsa's best matchup is its run game: its offense ranks 39th in yards per carry, and Tulane's defense ranks 103rd in yards per carry allowed. That's a mismatch. Tulane's best matchup is its run game: its offense ranks 29th in yards per carry, and Tulsa's defense ranks 88th in yards per carry allowed.

214.487th
205.696th
168.464th
162.578th
6.7427th
6.5341st
5.5939th
5.7529th
8.4533rd
7.9156th
77.8%4th
65.4%53rd
46.3%35th
38.4%119th
12.6%59th
12.2%70th
41.6%60th
45.5%32nd
4.7%46th
7.6%106th
1.0%14th
2.9%95th
56.3%69th
46.4%126th

Per game and per play, from play-by-play.

DefenseTulsa 10–1

Which defense has the edge?

Tulsa's defense is best placed to win on early downs: it ranks 35th in SUPLEX allowed, and Tulane's offense is bottom-20 in SUPLEX (126th). That's a mismatch.

205.458th
209.464th
217.1131st
218.9132nd
5.3335th
5.8072nd
5.1488th
5.32103rd
5.8718th
6.7856th
37.2%33rd
40.8%60th
9.9%36th
12.2%90th
34.1%36th
45.4%118th
5.4%86th
5.7%79th
2.5%67th
2.0%84th
49.1%35th
52.6%59th

What opponents managed against them.

Up frontTulsa 8–4

Who wins up front?

Tulsa has the better number in 8 of 12. The biggest gap is front-seven havoc allowed, where Tulsa ranks 35th and Tulane 120th.

55.428th
44.7110th
48.577th
45.197th
3.1155th
2.72118th
2.9470th
3.20117th
1.0871st
0.93114th
1.3847th
2.323rd
14.2%23rd
18.7%88th
16.1%106th
16.3%103rd
79.3%27th
84.6%9th
64.0%29th
75.0%93rd
7.9%35th
11.3%120th
7.5%121st
9.2%77th

The lines. Big Uglies is our rating for each offensive line and each defensive front: adjusted line yards (30%), stuff rate (20%), power success (15%), sack rate (20%) and front-seven havoc (15%), against every FBS team. 50 is average, and every 10 points is a standard deviation. Line stats from CollegeFootballData.com, garbage time out.

TurnoversTulsa 7–0

Who wins the turnover battle?

Tulsa is +1.3 in turnover margin a game and Tulane is −0.4. At about five points a turnover, that's roughly a 8-point edge for Tulsa. Turnover margin rarely holds from one month to the next, so don't count on it. Fumble recoveries are mostly luck, and Tulsa's takeaways lean on them (1.0 of 1.9 a game).

0.2511th
0.7574th
0.3842nd
0.88120th
0.6315th
1.63114th
0.8837th
0.6377th
1.005th
0.6339th
1.889th
1.2563rd
+1.36th
-0.495th

Per game, from play-by-play.

TalentTulsa 5–4

Which team has more talent?

Tulane has the more talented roster (70th in the 247Sports talent composite; Tulsa is 84th). But Tulsa plays further above its talent: +0.3 points of SP+ beyond what its roster predicts, to Tulane's −8.4.

622.884th
665.170th
8.7%76th
7.5%82nd
11075th
11729th
36.2%41st
26.3%84th
+0.363rd
-8.4118th
41.3%64th
21.0%99th
69.3%59th
0.0%109th
10.9%103rd
59.5%59th
42.0%61st
28.3%85th
92.890th
68.070th

247Sports team talent composite and 2026 transfer portal class. Star counts cover only the players 247Sports rates, not walk-ons, so they add up to less than the full roster. Ranks are out of all 138 FBS teams.

RECEIPTSEven 2–2

Where did each team's wins come from?

Tulsa is 0.0 wins against a .500 team; the biggest piece is schedule (+1.0). Tulane is 0.0 wins against a .500 team; the biggest piece is coaching (−1.4). Tulane's record is running 0.9 wins ahead of its play on luck alone, so it's not as good as the record says.

0.068th
0.068th
+1.045th
+0.569th
-0.389th
-0.068th
-0.276th
-1.4117th
-0.6101st
+0.924th

Where the wins came from. Every team starts as a .500 team. Then each win (or loss) goes to the schedule, the roster, the coaching or luck, and the four add up to the real record. Wins above or below a .500 team.

FAQ

Tulsa at Tulane: questions people ask

Tulsa vs. Tulane prediction: who will win?

The numbers pick Tulsa, 44% chance to win. SP+ and PRIME agree; Elo has Tulane. Tulsa's best matchup is its early-down defense, 35th in SUPLEX allowed, against Tulane's early-down offense at 126th.

Where can I watch Tulsa vs. Tulane, and what time is it?

Sat, Nov 7, 12:00 PM ET at Yulman Stadium. It's on ESPNU.

What's the projected score of Tulsa vs. Tulane?

SP+ projects Tulsa 28–24. That's from this season's SP+ offense, defense and special teams ratings, with home field worth 2.5 points.

What's the Tulsa vs. Tulane series history?

Tulsa leads 13–8. Last meeting: Tulane won 31–14 in 2025.

Who are the players to watch in Tulsa vs. Tulane?

Tulsa: Baylor Hayes (1,361 passing yards), Damari Alston (422 rushing yards) and Oran Singleton Jr. (539 receiving yards). Tulane: Kadin Semonza (814 passing yards), Johnnie Daniels (486 rushing yards) and Destyn Hill (394 receiving yards). Season totals through Oct 31, 2026.

Who are the quarterbacks in Tulsa at Tulane?

Tulsa's is Baylor Hayes (1,361 passing yards this season); Tulane's is Kadin Semonza (814 passing yards this season).

Who's out for Tulsa at Tulane?

Tulane: Kadin Semonza (QB) hasn't played since Week 6.

Keep going

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Numbers through the games of Oct 31, 2026. SP+ as of Oct 27, 2026. Updated every week.

Ratings: SP+ via CFB Update; PRIME via primecfb.com. Box and play stats computed from CollegeFootballData.com play data (via the public cfbfastR files), FBS games only for scoring. Rushing yards here exclude sacks, so they run higher than official totals. Ranks are out of 138 FBS teams.

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