With ESPN "College GameDay" coming to town, any Vanderbilt fan will tell you Saturday's game against No. 13 Auburn (3-1, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) is more than just a regular season game.
Talk to a player on the team, though, and you might get a different answer.
"It's another tough game, and that's how we look at it. We just have to play football, regardless of who is or isn't watching," said senior safety Reshard Langford.
His teammate senior receiver Sean Walker agrees.
"Corso will pick us as the underdog or the winner, and it doesn't matter to us," Walker said. "It's nice to get respect as a team, but we never worry about what other people think."
It's this attitude - treating every day like "GameDay" - that has earned Vanderbilt a rank in the top 25 for the second time in 50 years. The constant high level of focus is why
Vanderbilt remains undefeated and, more importantly, why the No. 19 Commodores (4-0, 2-0 SEC) aren't letting the national hype get to their heads.
"Everybody's focused, and that's a great thing to have on a team," Langford said. "Just working hard all the time keeps us level headed."
In addition to focus, the Commodores will play with a sense of redemption against the Tigers after last year's 35-7 loss in Auburn. Vanderbilt coach Bobby Johnson knows memories from last year's game will keep his players motivated.
"Showing last year's Auburn film keeps us grounded," Johnson said. "They sort of took us to the woodshed. Our guys know what we have to do to win."
To beat Auburn, the Commodores will once again rely on a stingy defense that has allowed only 10 second-half points all year. The Tigers have struggled in the passing game, but preseason All-SEC running back Ben Tate has kept opposing defenses honest with 393 rushing yards. Johnson believes an aggressive defensive scheme will be vital to stopping the Tigers on offense.
"Our defensive staff has does a fantastic job of being aggressive, and it's a mindset of ours now," Johnson said. "We'll be aggressive no matter what the other team does, and when it happens we've got opportunities to make big plays."
The offense will look to build off of an unspectacular, yet efficient effort against Ole Miss. Thanks to last weekend's bye, the Commodores were able to rest some injured players, most notably starting quarterback redshirt senior Chris Nickson and senior captain George Smith. Nickson left the game against the Rebels with a shoulder injury but will start against Auburn on Saturday. Smith, the team's most experienced wide receiver, will return after injuring his foot during summer camp.
Johnson said he thinks Smith's contributions will be felt both on the field and on the sidelines.
"Having George back, his personality, his leadership, it will definitely be a big boost for us," Johnson said. "He's a good player - he's tall, he can run, he can catch, and that puts pressure on anybody's team. Hopefully we'll get him out there and get him back in the swing of things."
With a healthier team and a national audience watching, the Commodores are poised for a hard-nosed, exciting game on Saturday. Though the players and coaches insist "GameDay's" presence doesn't affect their preparation or focus, they do recognize the importance of the recognition to the Vanderbilt faithful.
"'GameDay' is a big part of college football - it's a part of any football fan's Saturday," said senior kicker and Nashville native Bryant Hahnfeldt, who has yet to miss a field goal this season.
"Having it here in Nashville is a really special thing. We won't take it for granted."
