Clark Lea, Vanderbilt Players Make Playoff Case

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Vanderbilt has done all it can. Its part is finished, but the question is will it be enough?

Vanderbilt went into its in-state rival Tennessee and routed the Volunteers 45-24 in style to move to 10-2. The Commodores outscored Tennessee 24-3 in the second half after the two teams traded touchdowns in the first half. It was a statement win for a team that was four spots below the cut line for the College Football Playoff heading into this week’s games.

Vanderbilt has had a historic season, winning 10 games in a season for the first time ever in the program’s history. In a normal year, it seemed like it would be a no-brainer to put a 10-2 team from the SEC into the bracket. But this season, there has been a congestion of teams with one or two losses trying to make it into the playoffs. The demand exceeds the amount of open spots this season.

Vanderbilt does feel that it is one of the best teams in the country that is deserving of a chance to compete for championship. After the Commodores’ ended its losing streak to Tennessee, Vanderbilt head football coach Clark Lea as well as players made their case as to why the committee should include Vanderbilt in one of the 12 spots.

“This is a 10-win SEC team that has played in a lot of tough environments on the road. We've got a Heisman. I think to do anything other than allow these guys to compete for it all would be just an injustice to the work they've done. So that's out of my hands,” Lea said. “And we play in the hardest league in the country, and we've come out of it with 10 wins, capping it off with a tough road win. I hope that the people that need to be paying attention are paying attention.”

Vanderbilt certainly has a case. The Commodores have played like a playoff-contending team all season. It never mattered how many people wrote the team off or how many doubters there were each week. Vanderbilt put on a historic season for its program, one that will be remembered forever. 

Vanderbilt’s only two losses were to an Alabama team that is in the SEC Championship and a Texas team that just beat No. 3 Texas A&M the day after Thanksgiving. Not to mention, Vanderbilt finished the season red hot to end the regular season with a 28-point win over a Kentucky team that nearly beat Texas, and a 21-point win against a top 20 team in the country. 

Vanderbilt safety Randon Fontenette certainly believes Vanderbilt is worthy of a playoff bid, especially because of how Vanderbilt has won games over the last two weeks.

“They better not let us in because we’re hot right now. But I feel like we made a statement. That was a top 20 team in the nation and for us to come in here and dominate them was a big statement,” Fontenette said.

The issue for Vanderbilt, however, is that it did not get much help. All the teams ahead of Vanderbilt won, but the Commodores’ victory could have been enough to at least bypass Utah. The question is was it enough to jump Miami or BYU? But even then, Oklahoma and Alabama both escaped and moved to 10-2. So, it seems that Vanderbilt may be boxed out. 

But Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia still does not think the door is closed. He feels that his team should be competing for a championship as well.

“We deserve to be in the playoff picture. Look at our schedule. The SEC is the best strength of schedule. You look at what we went through and we’re a 10-2 team in the SEC. I think that speaks volumes and we deserve a spot,” Pavia said

Tuesday’s rankings will be interesting to see. Will Vanderbilt jump any team, especially any team other than Utah? And what happens if BYU and Alabama both lose their conference title games? How does that impact Vanderbilt’s chances? There is plenty to sort out over the next few days, but right now Vanderbilt is on the outside looking in, which is unfortunate for the Commodores given their historic season they have had.

Vanderbilt just plays the waiting game over this next week to see what its fate is. Selection Sunday is Dec. 7.

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