The expanded College Football Playoff was supposed to open doors for Group of Five programs. But the debate over who claims the single golden ticket is still as cutthroat as ever. Last season, Boise State made room for itself, locking up the Mountain West crown and storming to a No.3 seed in the playoffs. They finished with only one loss. And that was a nail-biter against No.1 Oregon. But who’s got the juice this season? National analyst Tim Brando has added his voice to the playoff conversation, naming the program he believes is best positioned to seize this year’s G5 spot.

Boise State enters 2025 as the familiar measuring stick for the G5. After last year’s breakthrough run, they’ve got the blueprint to chase another ticket. But CFB rarely follows a script. And Brando isn’t pointing at the Broncos this time. He is waving a green flag for the Green Wave, calling them his pick to represent the G5 in the playoffs.

But Brando has a clear reason for making the Green Wave his front-runner, carrying the CFP hopes. “He’s the reason I’ve picked the Green Wave to rep the G5 in the @CFBPlayoff,” he writes about starting QB, Jake Retzlaff. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say Jake Retzlaff has had an eventful off-season. He went from being BYU’s top guy under center to shaking up the transfer cycle, packing his bags for Tulane just weeks before the season. Retzlaff was staring down a seven-game suspension at BYU for violating their honor code. After that whirlwind, Tulane’s coach Jon Sumrall, who recruited Jake way back when he was at Troy, swooped in.

Tulane didn’t even have a scholarship for him, but Retzlaff landed in New Orleans ready to compete as a walk-on. He was ready to prove himself all over again. “Jake Retzlaff will be Tulane QB1,” Tulane posted on X. “You can’t sit a guy like this on the bench. Too much experience, talent, and he’s a proven winner in huge games. Plus, he’s learned the offense very well.” Tulane needed QB help after their starter, Brendan Sullivan, got sidelined due to an injury.

As for stats, Retzlaff rolls in with a career total of 4,128 combined passing and rushing yards. This total includes 3,595 passing yards and 533 rushing yards in the last two years. During the Tulane scrimmage, Retzlaff was flawless. He went for a perfect 4-for-4 passing while leading a touchdown drive. When Sullivan went down with an ankle injury in practice, Retzlaff and fellow contender Kadin Semonza took over the reins. Now Semonza struggled a bit under pressure, taking sacks and missing throws after the offensive line faltered.

Retzlaff, on the other hand, kept his cool. Even when he bobbled a snap, he smoothly turned it into a positive by handing off rather than fumbling it away. And on a crucial third-and-18, he delivered a sharp 11-yard pass to Maurice Turner, showing he can make the big-time clutch plays. Retzlaff credits the quick adjustment to Tulane’s offensive wizard, coach Alex Craddock. His system is built for versatility and creativity. Jake described the offense as “pretty awesome,” marveling at how one play call can open up three or four different routes and options. That in turn gives him the freedom to be dynamic and unpredictable. And that’s exactly the kind of offensive weaponry that can push Tulane into the thick of playoff talks this season.

Jake Retzlaff’s chance to shine after Brendan Sullivan’s injury

Brendan Sullivan’s injury this preseason has turned into a bittersweet moment for Tulane football. Sullivan was having a solid training camp. He looked like he was locked in to be the starting quarterback for the Green Wave. The Iowa transfer was bringing experience and consistency, making a strong case to lead Tulane into the new season. But then, during a live goal-line drill in practice, he took a hard hit and went down with an ankle sprain and a bone bruise.

While the injury wasn’t severe enough to require surgery, reports suggest that Sullivan won’t be suiting up for Tulane’s upcoming scrimmages. And can also be sidelined for some weeks with no clear return timeline yet. Head coach Jon Sumrall expressed his sympathy for Sullivan. “It could be a week or it could be two weeks,” Sumrall stated. “I don’t know that yet. I hate it for him because he’s had a really good training camp to this point, but shutting him down is the right thing to do. I would love for him to be available for Game 1, but we’re going to do what’s best for him in the long haul.”

With their main guy out, the door swung wide open for Jake Retzlaff. He took most of the first-team reps and played nearly flawless football during scrimmages, showing off the talent that led BYU to an 11-win season last year.