Vanderbilt Commodores Just Miss Out on First College Football Playoff Rankings
The Vanderbilt Commodores have not-so-quietly put together one of the best seasons the program has had in quite some time.
Currently holding a 6-3 overall record with a 3-2 record in Southeastern Conference play, the Commodores are bowl-eligible for the first time since 2018 and have beaten the Alabama Crimson Tide, while taking the Missouri Tigers and Texas Longhorns to their absolute limits.
The outstanding year so far has earned Vanderbilt a spot in both the AP and Coaches Polls, where they sit 24th and 25th respectively.
Despite the rankings in the other two polls, and beating a team highly favored by the committee, Vandy missed out on being in the top 25 of the initial College Football Playoff rankings that dropped last night.
All is not lost, however, as Scott Dochtermann of The Athletic believes that even though they missed out this week, the Commodores are right on the cusp of that particular top 25.
"Ranked in both polls, the Commodores were left out of the first CFP ranking despite winning four of their last five games," writes Dochtermann, "a win against South Carolina should get Vanderbilt ranked next week."
Winning against the South Carolina Gamecocks this year is easier said than done, as the Gamecocks have been on the trail of playing spoiler, just like Vanderbilt, even doing so in a matchup of their own when they dominated the Texas A&M Aggies 44-20.
If any team can take it to South Carolina, however, it is Vandy, who has kept games against much better competition close, while also beating a team that is right there in line with the Aggies if not better.
This is not to say that the Commodores should be among the teams currently penciled in for a spot in the College Football Playoffs, but the program is more than deserving of a spot within the initial top 25.
The road does not get easier down the stretch for Vanderbilt, so their final chance of making it in that highly respected list could be in their next contest against the Gamecocks.
Vandy then has to go on the road to face the LSU Tigers before closing out the year at home with the Tennessee Volunteers, with both teams currently ranked and inside the top 15.
It has been a magnificent year for the Commodores, and with Clark Lea at the helm, the great seasons may not end anytime soon.
