On paper, Vanderbilt’s a bowl team
I admire City Paper sports writer Brett Hait’s boldness in predicting a bowl for Vanderbilt football for the first time in 25 years this season, and I sure hope he’s right:
Is this the year Vanderbilt’s bowl drought comes an end? Allow me to speak for [Coach Bobby] Johnson for a moment. Yes, this is the year. The Commodores haven’t been bowling since 1982, but the stars are aligned for that run of futility to come to an end…
When was the last time Vanderbilt entered a season with this much [talent and experience]? Seventeen starters return, and several were on the coaches’ Preseason All-SEC team this summer. Talent without experience sometimes falls short. Experience without talent doesn’t mean much, either. For a change, VU has both.
Hait lists nine other reasons why the Commodores will be playing after their regular season ends in November. He makes a sound argument, but will “Vanderbilt” and “bowl-eligible” sound right in December? The buzz around this year’s team is as high as it has been since Jay Cutler’s departure or even during Cutler’s sophomore year, the last time pundits prognosticated postseason play for the ‘Dores, but the schedule is awfully tough in a crowded SEC East.
July 24th, 2007 at 10:14 am
As one who is married to a Vandy fan and who likes to root for the underdog (as long as they’re not playing UT), I really do hope they can make it this year. Still, though… it’s just hard to imagine. I can see them beating Richmond, Eastern Michigan, probably Ole Miss, and maybe even Kentucky, but not Wake Forest (if they’re as good again this year), Florida, Alabama, South Carolina, Georgia, or Tennessee.
Vandy in a bowl game? I guess stranger things have happened, and I wish them the best of luck. But, why on earth do they pick GA for their Homecoming game???
July 24th, 2007 at 10:16 am
It was something sweet to see them beat the Bulldogs last year, though. Hopefully, they can pull it off again this year.
July 24th, 2007 at 11:37 am
I agree that the schedule looks awfully tough. I have a feeling that UGa will be wide awake this time around, but we’ll have to wait and see. I’d love to hope that a bowl is in the Commodores near future, but I’m not ready to get my hopes up. I’ve seen them dashed too many times in the past.
July 24th, 2007 at 1:21 pm
[...] Rob (Rob Robinson of thinktrain) links to a story in the City Paper that claims Vandy is going to a bowl this year. Rob wants to believe. [...]