Tennessee ranks 17th nationally in terms of the average speed of its internet access, according to the Communications Workers of America’s speedmatters.org Web site. Tennessee moved up three spots from its 2007 ranking, but globally the U.S. still lags far behind many other industrialized nations with the 15th fastest average connections. Japan leads all nations with blistering speeds (10 times what are considered fast connections here) that I’m not sure we’d know what to do with here in America. Wow.

My internet connection at home is much faster this year than last, primarily because the Buymore gave me better advice about a router and cable modem than Comcast did. I’m not surfing from Tokyo, but I’m not complaining now, either.

Remember Pete Mitchell? You probably know him better as Maverick, the cocky, risk-taking fighter pilot in Top Gun. The same advice that Maverick received from Stinger, his commanding officer on the aircraft carrier where he served, certainly applies to Vanderbilt football.

And let’s not bullshit, Maverick. Your family name ain’t the best in the Navy. You need to be doing it better and cleaner than the other guy.

Replace “Maverick” with “Commodores” and “Navy” with “college football,” and the translation is nearly perfect. It may take a herculean effort just to get the Dores to six or seven wins, but it will be well worth it when it happens.

It’s been said that hope springs eternal, at least in August, for the Vanderbilt football program, but those hopes are nearly often dashed by October. I can say that because I’m as eager as the next Vanderbilt fan to see the Commodores end their 26-year bowl and winning season drought. Here’s some hope that good things lie ahead, though perhaps not just yet:

Not often do national analysts dish out praise to Vanderbilt’s football recruiting efforts, but things are different this year. Six of VU’s 10 verbal commitments for the signing class of 2009 are rated as three-star prospects by Rivals.com. That might not be newsworthy at LSU or Florida, but it’s a sign that coach Bobby Johnson and his staff are constantly increasing Vanderbilt’s pool of talent…

“Vanderbilt is doing a fantastic job so far with its 2009 class,” Rivals.com analyst Barton Simmons said. “They’ve done a great job at identifying talent early, getting in on them early and then beating out some other major programs for top-end prospects. Vandy is just about where they want to be at this point in the process, and the commit list is full of very strong, SEC-caliber talent.”

Football success, if it arrives, will never be an easy accomplishment at Vanderbilt. The Commodores are going to have to outwork their rivals at recruiting and outperform on the field with fewer SEC-caliber players than their conference opponents. Coach Johnson definitely gets this, in my opinion, and I think he’s about as good anyone Vanderbilt could put in the job to keep the football program headed in the right direction. It’s easy to feel frustration since disappointment is so common at Dudley Field, but there are still signs that a turnaround may not be that far away. Go Dores!