Can Vanderbilt Football Win a SEC Title? Diego Pavia Thinks So

The talking season in college football is almost over. Week 0, which is technically the start of the season that features five games, starts August 23. For Vanderbilt football, its season starts August 30, just 40 days away.

The talk of the Commodores this offseason has been whether or not they can improve on last year’s 7-6 record and how much they are able to improve this season. For Vanderbilt to continue to progress, it all starts with the belief within the program that it can improve, and it seems that there is no shortage of belief within the program.

“The belief is there,” Pavia said confidently when previewing the upcoming season with SEC Network.

But can Vanderbilt get to Atlanta in December and win a SEC Championship? Pavia believes he can help lead the Commodores to a conference title and he listed out three reasons why he thinks his team can take a huge step in the progression of the program.

“Well number one, we have the talent to do it this year. Two, we return a lot of talent. And then three, this is probably the biggest reason: Eli Stowers and a few of the guys have brought everyone closer to [Jesus] Christ,” Pavia said.

The returning production of Vanderbilt this season cannot be denied. The Commodores are returning 70 percent of their production from last season, just one of eight teams in the FBS to return at least 70 or more percent of their team year-to-year. 

According to Bill Connelly of ESPN, over the past three seasons, the teams that did return at least 70 percent of their production also improved their records the next season 70 percent of the time, which could be good news for Vanderbilt.

Pavia and tight end Eli Stowers are two of the biggest returning pieces for Vanderbilt this season and gives fans reason that their team can improve on this season. Stowers led the team in receiving yards last season and was selected to preseason All-SEC First Team over the weekend, voted on by media members.

Defensively, Vanderbilt has defensive backs Randon Fontenette and Martel Hight, who are coming back for another season to help. The Commodores also have leading tacklers in Bryan Longwell and Langston Patterson returning for this season. 

Vanderbilt not only beat Alabama last season, but competed with other top teams in the conference such as close losses to Texas and Missouri. 

So, can Vanderbilt make the SEC Championship and win it? Anything is possible, but the biggest obstacle that would stand in the way of a conference title would be Vanderbilt’s schedule.

The Commodores have the second hardest schedule in the entire FBS this season, right behind Florida for the toughest. Vanderbilt’s 2025-2026 season includes trips to Virginia Tech, South Carolina, Alabama, Texas and Tennessee. 

If Vanderbilt were to find its way to the SEC Championship Game with the schedule it has, it would be something nobody saw coming and one of, if not, the most impressive things to happen this season.

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