You could make a case for the Vanderbilt Commodores to be in last place in our SEC Power Rankings. After all, they remain the only winless team in the conference after a 66-38 blowout loss to the LSU Tigers this past weekend. And yes, it was a lot uglier than it even looked for Derek Mason’s team on the day.
However, Vanderbilt has played three Power Five schools, including two top five programs in the Georgia Bulldogs and LSU Tigers and the other one, the Purdue Boilermakers, on the road. So they have by far played the toughest schedule in the nation. That’s not enough for us to put the Vols, who have played one Power Five program and have yet to beat an FBS school, ahead of them.
Vandy actually appears to have a decent offensive attack with Riley Neal starting to get things going, and Ke’Shawn Vaughn is still a very solid back. As a result, that offense with those two and Kalija Lipscomb gives them a chance to turn things around when the schedule gets easier.
That starts this week, when the Northern Illinois Huskies come to town. Following that, they take a trip to Oxford to face the Ole Miss Rebels, then they host the UNLV Rebels and Missouri Tigers before visiting the South Carolina Gamecocks. This is a five-game stretch that will define their season, and if they can win three games, a bowl could be in play.