Vanderbilt football is teetering on the edge of something wild after a gritty 17-10 win over Missouri. With that, the Commodores now sit at 7-1 and 2-1 in the SEC, which honestly feels surreal for longtime fans.
This puts them in a decent spot for a possible College Football Playoff (CFP) berth. But let’s not kid ourselves—the rest of the season is a gauntlet, with Texas, Tennessee, and Auburn all coming up.
Let’s dig into where Vanderbilt stands, what’s been working, and what would need to break their way for a shot at the CFP.
Vanderbilt’s Path to the College Football Playoff
After back-to-back home wins against LSU and Missouri, Vanderbilt’s getting some real buzz as a playoff contender. The 7-1 record looks great on paper, but the job isn’t done yet.
They’ll have to keep their foot on the gas to keep those playoff hopes alive. There’s really no room for slip-ups from here on out.
Key Wins and Remaining Challenges
That Missouri game? It was a different look for Vanderbilt. Even with quarterback Diego Pavia having a rough outing, they found a way to win.
It says a lot about their ability to gut it out, but there’s no time for back-patting. Texas and Tennessee are looming, and Auburn could easily turn into a trap game if they’re not careful.
Here’s the tricky part: Vanderbilt doesn’t actually control its own fate for the SEC title game. Alabama and Texas A&M are still unbeaten in the conference, and they don’t play each other.
Plus, if Georgia only loses once, they’d win a tiebreaker over Vanderbilt unless a weird set of results happens—like Florida losing to both Kentucky and Tennessee and LSU beating Oklahoma. Still, making the SEC title game isn’t a must for the playoff.
There’s a real path as an at-large bid if Vanderbilt finishes in the top seven non-champions in the CFP committee’s rankings.
Defensive Performance and Areas for Improvement
The defense has been all over the place this year. Against Alabama and LSU, they looked shaky, but the Missouri game was a step up.
They kept Missouri’s running back Ahmad Hardy under 100 yards and held the Tigers to just 4.1 yards per play. That’s a big jump from the 6.6 and 7.0 yards they gave up to LSU and Alabama.
Consistency and Intensity
The big question: Can Vanderbilt keep that defensive intensity for a full game? Too often, they’ve faded in key moments.
But CJ Heard’s forced fumble in the fourth quarter against Missouri? That’s the kind of spark they’ll need in crunch time.
Time of Possession and Offensive Efficiency
Even with the defense stepping up, time of possession was a problem. Missouri had the ball for over 36 minutes, while Vanderbilt only managed about 24.
Missouri didn’t break off many big plays, but they kept converting short third and fourth downs. Vanderbilt’s got to fix that.
- Get opponents behind the chains: If they can force more second-and-longs, those short conversions get a lot tougher. They’ve been just okay at sacks, and a bit better with tackles for loss, but against Missouri, it just wasn’t there.
- Improve offensive performance: Too many three-and-outs left the defense gasping. The offense looked out of sync, and you can bet future opponents will study that Missouri tape to figure out how to slow down Pavia and company.
Penalties and Discipline
Penalties have been a thorn in Vanderbilt’s side all season. They’re ninth in the SEC for total penalties per game, but 13th in penalty yards, which means they’re getting flagged for the big stuff—think 15-yarders.
Against Missouri, they racked up eight penalties for 83 yards. That’s just too much free yardage to give away, especially with tougher games ahead.
Looking Ahead: Key Matchups
What’s left? Texas, Auburn, and Tennessee. None of them have terrifying offenses, but neither did LSU, and we all saw how close that was.
The Tennessee game in late November could end up being a de facto play-in for the CFP. That’s a wild thought, but hey, isn’t that what makes college football so much fun?
Conclusion
Vanderbilt football has made some real progress this season. They’re suddenly in the conversation as a possible College Football Playoff contender.
But let’s be honest, they’re not out of the woods yet. The team still has to keep up the intensity—especially when it comes to time of possession and avoiding penalties.
Defense has been a strength, but it’s going to get tested. Big games against Texas, Auburn, and Tennessee are looming.
Can the Commodores prove they belong with the best? We’ll see soon enough.
For more details on Vanderbilt’s playoff chances and what’s next, check out the full article on The Tennessean.
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