Past Heisman Trophy Winner Is Rooting for Vanderbilt Against Tennessee
Teams around the country are coming out of Thanksgiving to get ready for their rivalry week matchups, and for the Vanderbilt Commodores, they have a chance to play spoiler.
In the final week of the regular season, the new 12-team College Football Playoff format has programs who are seemingly on the outside looking in still in the mix if some carnage takes place once again like what occurred last Saturday.
Vanderbilt could be at the center of that.
Despite getting dominated by Georgia two games ago, ranked teams getting beaten last weekend has now put Tennessee back into the CFP field with just one contest on their schedule remaining.
The Volunteers have dominated their in-state rivals the past five years, so they are expected to win this game, however, the Commodores are a much different team this season and have competed with SEC programs like never before in recent history, so they will be revved up and ready for this one.
Vanderbilt fans aren't the only ones hoping their team can pull off the upset, though.
2009 Heisman Trophy winner and all-time college football great, Mark Ingram, shared he's rooting for the Commodores on Saturday because it could help his alma mater, Alabama, get back into the College Football Playoff picture.
"Tennessee was the first team out last week (but) they are in right now because of all the (Week 13) upsets, and they have to go to Vandy this week. So, Vandy, let's go! Because I need my Tide, the second team out, to somehow get back into this race," he said on "The Triple Option" podcast.
Ingram and Crimson Tide fans around the country likely aren't the only people not in the Vanderbilt fan base who will be rooting for the Commodores this weekend.
Vandy has become a darling team this year, pulling off an upset against Alabama and coming close against Missouri and Texas.
Diego Pavia was able to take his game to the next level in the SEC after he transferred from New Mexico State, and he has been the face of the underdog feeling surrounding this team.
It will be a tall task for Vanderbilt to beat Tennessee, especially if they can't control early-down situations, but like they have shown throughout the season, they can take down some of the giants in the conference and will be looking to do that on Saturday.
