The Tulane Green Wave can’t dwell on what happened against Kansas State. A trip to Oklahoma is just a few days away.

The Green Wave (1-1) travel to the Oklahoma Sooners (2-0) for a 2:30 p.m. central game on ESPN. Tulane will get a second massive showcase on the biggest network in sports against a power conference team it is capable of beating.

Yep, that’s the only logical assumption after last week — the Green Wave may be underdogs, but they certainly have a chance.

Tulane had every chance to beat Kansas State on Saturday, losing by seven points. The brilliance of their young quarterback, Darian Mensah, was overshadowed a bit by his late fumble, which led to Kansas State’s go-ahead touchdown. But he showed great poise in a game where he was under immense pressure and that bodes well for the rest of the season.

On the other hand, Oklahoma is coming off a 14-12 win over Houston. Sooners coach Brent Venables said they should have lost. And if you watched the game, you’d have to agree with him. The Sooners were able to avert an embarrassing loss against a former Big 12 comrade.

But what happens now? Are the Sooners in trouble? Does that close call jolt them from an early-season funk? No one can be sure until Saturday.

Tulane has been to Norman before and the Green Wave nearly beat the Sooners in their last meeting three years ago. And one could argue that this Sooners team is not as good as the one Tulane nearly beat in 2021.

Here is a preview of the Green Wave and the Wildcats.

Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium

Time: 2:30 p.m. CT

TV: ESPN

Radio: KVDU 104.1 The Spot (flagship)

Coaches: Tulane — Jon Sumrall (1-1 at Tulane, 24-5 career as head coach); Oklahoma — Brent Venables (18-10 at Oklahoma and overall).

Fun fact: Oklahoma joined the SEC this year. Tulane was a member of the SEC from 1932-65. The Green Wave won three SEC titles in 1934, 1939 and 1949. So, college football fans live in a world where Tulane has more SEC titles than Oklahoma.

All-Times Series: Oklahoma leads series, 2-0

Last meeting: Oklahoma def. Tulane, 40-35 (Sept. 4, 2021).

Series notes: Yes, the two teams have only met twice. The 2021 game was supposed to be in New Orleans, but Hurricane Ida forced the game to be moved to Norman.

Last Week: Tulane lost to Kansas State, 34-27; Oklahoma def. Houston, 14-12

About Tulane: No one in New Orleans was happy with the ending to the Kansas State game, but there’s an awful lot for the Green Wave to build on.

It’s clear the decision to start Mensah, a redshirt freshman, was the right one as he built on his performance against Southeastern Louisiana in a big way against K-State. The defense built on the opportunistic brand of ball it played in the season opener.

Perhaps most importantly, Tulane proved that even it lost great players like quarterback Michael Pratt, the Green Wave is still capable of competing with power conference competition. Yes, Tulane is not undefeated anymore. But the Sumrall era is off to a good start.

About Oklahoma: This is year three for Venables and the locals in Norman are starting to get a smidge restless. After years of winning Big 12 titles and making the College Football Playoff under Bob Stoops and Lincoln Riley, the Sooners failed to reach the Big 12 Championship game in the first two years under Venables.

Now, Oklahoma moves into the SEC, where right now it appears to be “just another team.”  That is not Oklahoma’s standard. Things only got more complicated for Venables after his Sooners barely beat Houston on Saturday.

Imagine the embarrassment had the Sooners lost to a Big 12 team, and a second-year Big 12 team at that? Venables has some things to prove.

Next Up: Tulane travels to Louisiana on Sept. 21. Oklahoma opens SEC play at home against Tennessee on Sept. 21.  

A nearly $17 million beautification plan will face the Oklahoma City Council on Tuesday. It’s part of MAPS 4, which voters passed in 2019 and provided an allocation of $32.8 million for citywide beautification projects.

Most of the projects focus on improving areas surrounding high-traffic streets and entrances to the city through landscaping and public art. In the words of MAPS program manager David Todd, the city has “company coming” and needs to “spruce things up.” 

Tourism booms are expected through the end of the decade, which the city attributes to upcoming international flights at OKC Will Rogers International Airport, what will be the newest NBA arena in the league, two 2028 Olympic events, and a more aggressive strategy recruiting conferences, conventions, trade shows, and concerts.

“It’s to beautify those spaces,” Todd added. “If even if just a little bit. It’s not big streetscapes. It’s not major renovations or landscaping, but it’s some trees here and there. It’s some hardscape here and there. And where we’re concentrating are places like right as you come out of the airport; first impression places, well-traveled areas.”

There are 16 projects included in the master plan, which represent 7 of the 8 wards across Oklahoma City.

One of the proposals is more structural than the rest. 

Consultants for the city have proposed creating a plaza and erecting a statue of Ralph Ellison at Northeast 23rd and Martin Luther King, directly across from the Ralph Ellison Library.

Currently, the space is an empty lot.

Ward 7 Councilwoman Nikki Nice said the proposal, as it stands, does not reflect any of her input or that of nearby stakeholders.

“We wanted to acknowledge all of our leaders that came from this part of our community,” Nice said. “That’s what that corner is supposed to do.”

In discussions she has been part of, Nice said the goal had been to erect a Ralph Ellison statue in Deep Deuce, where Ellison was born.

Despite being listed as a potential stakeholder in the project plan, Ralph Ellison Foundation executive director Michael Owens said he was not consulted on the proposal. But as a steward of Ellison’s legacy, he supports the effort to further memorialize his name.

“It’s magnificent to see the city turn their attention to [it],” Owens said. “We have great sports, and we have great entertainers. But also, we have an intellectual capital here in Oklahoma City. And for the city to recognize that with Ralph Ellison and his legacy and how that legacy, not just looking past but looking forward, is something for the future.”

The area has already seen MAPS 4 investment in the form of the Clara Luper Civil Rights Center and city-supported renovation of the Freedom Center which will be the operating partner when the Clara Luper Civil Rights Center opens.

“It shouldn’t just be in this community,” Nice said about the proposed statue. “It should be all of the places of the footprint of Ralph Ellison. And [Deep Deuce] was a core footprint of Ralph Ellison, because that’s where he grew up.”

A monument outside of the Freedom Center commemorates several civil rights figures. Nice hopes that the concept can be expanded when it comes time to develop the NE 23rd and MLK lot.

“There are a lot of unsung heroes in our community that should be lifted up,” she said. “Not to slight anything of Ralph Ellison’s legacy, because we all know who he is and other people should know if they don’t, but how we approach that is where my concern is about this MAPS 4 beautification plan.”

Freedom Center executive director Christina Beatty has worked with Nice to develop a vision for the area’s ties to civil rights history.

“We have so much to be proud of in this city and in this state,” Beatty said. “In terms of our contributions to the civil rights movement here in the city, in the state, and nationally.”

While Beatty said the Freedom Center had received notice from the city consultants about the proposal for the lot, she said the organization was not substantively included in the process.

Her focus is making sure there’s a space for young people to gather and learn wide-ranging lessons about important civil rights leaders.

“That’s the legacy that will continue here at the Freedom Center,” she said. “To teach young people about those who came before them and to teach them how they can contribute to continued efforts moving forward.”

While Nice opposes the current iteration of the proposal near NE 23rd and MLK, she said there are other proposals included in the beautification master plan that she appreciates.

“I am comfortable with how we are able to use and balance and leverage other dollars to have a beautiful street enhancement project for NE 23rd,” she said, referencing the Clara Luper corridor project. “That’s what we want. That’s the intent of street enhancement projects, to get all of the things that we can for this part of our community and for it to look good.”

If the City Council approves the master plan, individual projects are likely to still require further council action in the future as the vision starts to take shape

“The master plan is really just a guide,” Todd said. “As we start to actually design on each of these projects, they could change a little bit. But it’s a guide of what can be done out there.”

A master plan related to MAPS 4 funding for city parks will also be considered during Tuesday’s Council meeting.

It wasn’t quite an easy Week 2 for Oklahoma State, but the Cowboys advanced to 2-0 in a 39-31 win over Arkansas. The two overtime contest left fans on their heels, but Ollie Gordon heroics propeled Oklahoma State to a win in the Big 12/SEC contest.

For a veteran squad, the Cowboys had struggled on both sides of the ball. Still, win and advance — now Oklahoma State can gear up for Tulsa to try and remain perfect through non-conference play. Now ranked No. 13 in the nation, Oklahoma State’s resume should get a boost.

Offense:

Alan Bowman, 73.3 offensive grade: Somehow, someway, Bowman was the highest-graded Cowboy on the offensive side of the ball. He completed 27 of his 48 passes for one touchdown while throwing one interception. He added seven yards in five rushes. Bowman’s performance was far from eye-popping.

Brennan Presley, 70.5 offensive grade: The star Oklahoma State wide receiver hauled in nine passes for 91 yards and one touchdown, adding a rushing touchdown. His two scores helped propel the comeback, setting the Cowboys up for the two-overtime victory.

Defense:

Collin Oliver, 82.6 defensive grade: Oliver was Oklahoma State’s best defender, though he also went down with a season-ending injury. It was a tough blow for the Cowboys, and now the defensive playmaker will miss the season, leaving Oklahoma State with a void to fill. He played just 24 snaps in the game, though he was efficient in doing so.

Lyrik Rawls, 79.6 defensive grade: Playing just 23 snaps, the safety was sound on Saturday with two tackles and two passes defended — being targeted just twice. He moved all over the field, too, lining up in the box, secondary and slot on different occasions.

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