With the presence of ESPN's College GameDay and the eyes of the college football world upon them, the Commodores delivered a thrilling 14-13 victory over Auburn on Saturday. But this was beyond a victory. Our writers discuss the far-reaching impact of the win that did more than just keep No. 13 Vanderbilt in first place in the SEC East.
Commodores have earned national respect
Peter Letarte
"R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me," soul singer Aretha Franklin once sang. Well Commodore fans, we most certainly are about to find out exactly what it means.
The biggest impact Saturday's victory over Auburn will have on Vanderbilt will be the respect it gains from the realm of college football. On the national level, Vanderbilt is no longer just a top 20 academic institution who gets to play in the nation's most competitive conference. No, we are now a school with a legitimate top 15 football program.
When Lee Corso disrespectfully tossed aside the Commodore's hat in front of a national audience on ESPN's "College GameDay" on Saturday, he reflected the nation's perspective of Vanderbilt football. For many years, Vanderbilt has been cast aside as the perennial doormat of the Southeastern Conference. National sports writers, and especially AP voters, barely gave them a second thought. This had changed slightly this season, but up until the Commodores shocked the world on Saturday, Vanderbilt was just a nice surprise that made for a feel-good story.
Well now the nation has seen what the Commodores can do, and they certainly can't ignore it. Gone are the days when national sports writers can tell us to just wait for Vanderbilt's conference schedule to start and then see how good they are. We did wait, and we did find out how good they are. And they're pretty damn good. Now, however, everyone knows it from ESPN to Mississippi State, and they will be giving us the respect that comes with having a top program.
That respect means Vanderbilt will no longer be able to sneak up on teams to beat them. Everyone knows the Commodores are good and will be looking to beat them when Vanderbilt comes to town. These are the downfalls to having a nationally respected program, but so far the Commodores have handled everything that has come their way. My bet is they can do it again.
Win helps recruiting immeasurably
Mike Kranzler
A big win over Auburn on national television does more than increase Vanderbilt's exposure to voters in the top 25; more and more recruits will start to get interested in the Commodores after seeing them on ESPN and "College GameDay" on Saturday. A major selling point for many recruits is the prestige of a program, which is why schools like Notre Dame, Penn State and Florida State continue to haul in top-rated recruiting classes, even when the team on the field is sub-par.
Vanderbilt has narrowly lost out on several big-name recruits over the last few years to more prestigious programs, such as Notre Dame's Golden Tate and Alabama's Don'ta Hightower. In recent years, the Commodores have even struggled to lock up the best players in Nashville, while some of the top teams often do a great deal of their best recruiting in their own backyards. But with the success the Commodores have been enjoying this season, that is bound to change.
Countless recruits take their official and unofficial visits to Vanderbilt during home games, and VandySports.com reports that close to 60 recruits were in attendance for Saturday's sold-out slugfest. As many as two-thirds of these recruits were underclassmen, which bodes well for the future of this program. Factor in the fact that the crowd on Saturday was possibly the loudest Dudley Field has ever seen (or heard), and recruits are justifiably excited about the future of this program.
Coach Bobby Johnson is building something big in Nashville, and more and more recruits will want to be a part of it as Vanderbilt continues to impress the country.
One great season can turn a program around
David Shochat
How big was Vanderbilt's victory this past weekend against Auburn? It was arguably the biggest football win in school history. After 25 losing seasons, Vanderbilt is 5-0, and fans should not underestimate the impact of this one victory. Sure, Vanderbilt still needs that sixth win to become bowl-eligible; however, if Vanderbilt continues its winning ways, the Auburn game will be looked back upon, years from now, as the game that turned this program around after an unprecedented streak of futility.
Half of you were not around for the 2006-2007 basketball, but let's look back at that season. The basketball team was an unknown entity that year; no one really expected much of them, but they had a breakout year beating No. 1 Florida and going to the Sweet 16. Last year, they built on that momentum, which helped coach Kevin Stallings sign a top 20 recruiting class, and now Vanderbilt basketball is on the map.
The same thing is about to happen with Vanderbilt football. This season was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the program after losing all five starting offensive lineman and Earl Bennett. However, the team has stepped up and exceeded everyone's expectations. With so many young players, this year will not be just a fluke. The Commodores should be just as good next year and for years to come.
Furthermore, recruiting should really improve, which should also help maintain the program's success. With Vanderbilt winning football games, no other university in the nation will be able to combine outstanding football with an outstanding education as well as Vanderbilt can. Yes, Duke, Stanford, Northwestern, Notre Dame and Georgia Tech are all having good years as well, but they're not facing a Southeastern Conference schedule.
The Commodores have been close for the last few years, and this year, they have done all the little things right. If they continue to stay focused, the team will be a part of something very special: They will be remembered as the team that turned Vanderbilt football around.
