With one and perhaps two spots in the College Football Playoff on the line, Tulane took care of business against North Texas to most likely lock up one, and James Madison got past Troy to give itself a chance.
In the American Conference title game on Friday night, No. 20 Tulane beat No. 24 North Texas 34-21 with a CFP spot on the line for the winner. It’s the second conference championship in four years for the Green Wave, who beat USC in the Cotton Bowl three seasons ago.
Against North Texas, the Green Wave grabbed five turnovers, including a pick-six and a recovered deflected punt in the final minute before halftime, leading to another touchdown. Tulane also grabbed an interception in the end zone.
“They finished the job,” said Tulane coach Jon Sumrall, who has accepted the Florida head coaching job but will remain working with the Green Wave through the CFP.
At his Tulane press conference two years ago, Jon Sumrall said, “I’m telling you right now, I’m speaking it into existence, we’re going to make the College Football Playoff and we’re going to win it.”
The Green Wave are going to the College Football Playoff. pic.twitter.com/lxMHXfcoP0
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) December 6, 2025
For North Texas, it was a frustrating finish, with a 5-0 turnover margin and some questionable officiating decisions that went against the Mean Green on the deflected punt and the pick-six. North Texas outgained Tulane in total yards, reminiscent of an earlier loss to South Florida when the Mean Green also had five turnovers.
Still, North Texas has won a school-record 11 games and reached the AP Top 25 for the first time since 1959, ending the longest active streak in the country between poll appearances. The Mean Green are expected to see much personnel turnover, with head coach Eric Morris leaving for the Oklahoma State job after coaching this game.
In the Sun Belt Conference final, No. 25 James Madison beat Troy 31-14 on Friday night, and the Dukes still have a chance to make the CFP as the fifth-highest-ranked conference champion if Duke beats No. 17 Virginia in the ACC championship on Saturday night. It’s unlikely Duke would reach the top 25 even with a win against Virginia, as the Blue Devils are 7-5, which could leave the ACC champion short of the CFP field.
JMU’s win over Troy was anything but easy. The Dukes led just 17-14 at halftime and deep into the fourth quarter. It wasn’t until 4:11 remaining in the game that they started to pull away, thanks to a 26-yard touchdown run by quarterback Alonza Barnett III. A defensive scoop-and-score less than a minute later pushed the score to 31-14.
James Madison dominated the box score, outgaining the Trojans 411 to 177 in total yards, while the defense posted eight sacks, leaving Troy with minus-26 rushing yards.
The Dukes are 12-1, with six second-half shutouts and eight wins by at least 17 points. Coach Bob Chesney has accepted the UCLA job, though it hasn’t been officially announced, and he’s also expected to keep coaching JMU if it reaches the CFP.
“It feels like we’re going to be really big Duke Blue Devil fans,” Chesney said on “SportsCenter” after the win.
Another Friday game that could impact Sunday’s CFP rankings, Boise State beat UNLV 38-21 to win its third Mountain West championship game in a row. The victory could be a little more of a boost to No. 10 Notre Dame, which beat the Broncos 28-7 in early October and is hoping to remain ahead of fellow idle No. 12 Miami.
The Big Ten, SEC, ACC, Big 12 and MAC hold their conference championship games Saturday, with the final CFP rankings coming Sunday.
