Vanderbilt's resurgence won't help in SEC

Oh, to ponder what might have been. With the confetti already swept clean from the streets of Tuscaloosa and memories of football season drifting into the mist, it is easy to forget how close the doormat of the SEC came to making history. Vanderbilt could have won the East. Another minute or two here and there, another foot or two on a field goal, a bounce going left rather than right, and a team that finished 6-7 (2-6 in the conference) and out of everybodys consciousness could have very easily been squaring off against LSU in the Georgia Dome. The Dores could have beaten Georgia. With a little more time on the clock they probably would have (and if the post-game dust-up between James Franklin and Todd Grantham had come to blows, Vandy would have had a surefire TKO). The same was true for Arkansas, a game Vandy had won until the final minute. Still a late missed field goal could have sent the Commodores into overtime against the Razorbacks. Instead, a short miss left them with nothing more than another thrilling SEC loss. Florida, Tennessee, even South Carolina struggled through three quarters against a stingy Dores defense. The only real blowout was against Alabama where Vandy scored the same number of points as LSU in the BCS Championship game (zero). But at least the Commodores offense advanced beyond midfield. Sure, this is all would-have, should-have, could-have: the last refuge of a loser before you start comparing GPA averages. But it is also illustrative of a problem Vanderbilt had and will continue to have as long as they play in the SEC. There are times (and this past season could well have been one of those years) when the Commodores have fielded top-20 teams in terms of talent and execution. But because of their conference schedule, Vandy has four or five losses baked into the cake before opening kickoff. Outside the conference, they beat UConn, Army and Wake Forest pretty handily this year, and within the SEC they thumped Ole Miss and Kentucky. Had they been in Conference USA or the Big East, Vandy could have contended for a championship. But in the SEC, they were the homecoming game. Franklin continues to work like a madman to turn things around. In his first season, the head coach visited every fraternity and sorority three times, jumped into the middle of practice without pads until blood streamed down his forehead, and made more impassioned and tear-filled speeches than his players could count. Still, Vandy finished on the wrong end of the win-loss column. With the hours counting down to national signing day, Franklin and the Commodores appear to be making strides. They have a plethora of three- and four-star commitments, including cornerback Brandon Banks from Brandywine, MD., wide receiver Cory Batey from Nashville, and all-purpose back Brian Kimbrow from Memphis. Vandy is expected to have a top-25 signing class, and could get enough commitments to rank as high as 22nd in the nation. Theres only one problem: that will place them 10th in the SEC. If anybody can turn the Commodores from door-mats to contenders, Franklin is the man. Huge cant describe what his vision is for this place, said Dwight Galt, Vandys director of performance enhancement. Franklin has a long way to go to overcome his schools conference allegiance. In the ACC, the old Big 12, or a number of other conferences, the Commodores would likely be stringing together a streak of winning seasons and bowl appearances. But in the toughest conference in college football, they have had one winning season since 1982. During SEC media days in July, Franklin and his players sounded like gospel preachers, touting the virtues of all things Vanderbilt. Even jaded reporters began to believe. Then linebacker Tristan Strong came in for an interview, giving the most positive outlook possible for the coming year. There was only one problem: Strong came in right after Alabamas Donta Hightower. It was a David and Goliath moment no one forgot. You know those two guys play the same position, one reporter said. The room got quiet for a second. Yeah, somebody said from the back. Vandys got no shot.