The American Conference title game is supposed to be Tulane’s comfort zone. Same stadium, same stage, fourth straight appearance, a program that’s gotten used to hanging banners.

North Texas is showing up to flip the script — and maybe the entire playoff conversation.

The No. 20 Mean Green (11–1, No. 24 CFP) roll into New Orleans with a head coach who already has one foot in Stillwater and a roster that absolutely does not care. Eric Morris is headed to Oklahoma State when this is over, but first he has a shot to walk out of Tulane’s house with a championship and a very real argument that North Texas belongs in the 12-team College Football Playoff.

Awkward? Sure. But the “lame duck coach” narrative cuts both ways. Morris and Tulane coach Jon Sumrall are both leaving for bigger jobs — Morris to OSU, Sumrall to Florida — and both were allowed to stay on, unlike Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss. The difference: one of these guys is bringing an offense that can absolutely shred you.

For North Texas, that starts with redshirt freshman quarterback Drew Mastemaker, who’s thrown for 3,835 yards and 29 touchdowns in his first full season. Tulane linebacker Sam Howard nailed it: when Mastemaker is clean in the pocket, he can “rip your defense to shreds.” That’s not coachspeak — that’s fear wrapped in respect.

And lately, the Mean Green haven’t just been an air show. Over the last six games, they’ve averaged 203.2 rushing yards, with freshman back Caleb Hawkins going nuclear: 16 touchdowns in the past four games. Morris, a Mike Leach Air Raid disciple, is now gleefully calling more runs than ever because defenses can’t pick their poison anymore.

Tulane’s style is different. BYU transfer Jake Retzlaff has turned the Green Wave into a QB run headache, setting a school record with 14 rushing touchdowns to go with 14 passing scores. In bad weather, that’s the kind of profile you’d normally love.

But this isn’t some sterile dome game. Yulman Stadium is outdoors, the forecast is soaked, and both staffs know it. Morris joked about moving the game inside so he could “throw the football all over the place.” Sumrall basically prayed for a monsoon, convinced the “Green Wave would play better if it’s wet.”

That’s cute. The reality? North Texas has a quarterback who sees the field like a veteran, a running back on a heater, a head coach with nothing to lose, and a shot to walk into Tulane’s soggy backyard and torch their championship streak — and maybe their playoff dreams — on the way out the door.

WHAT: No. 24 North Texas Mean Green (11-1) vs. No. 20 Tulane Green Wave (10-2)

WHEN: Friday, Nov. 5, 2025 | 7 p.m. CT

WHERE: Yulman Stadium | New Orleans, LA | 30,000

TV: ABC

RADIO: KNTU 88.1 (Denton)

SPREAD: North Texas -2.5

TOTAL: 66.5

MONEYLINE: North Texas -130 | Tulane +110