Where Vanderbilt Landed in Coaches Poll, AP Top 25 After Week 8

Vanderbilt Football delivered perhaps its most important win in decades on Saturday, beating LSU 31-24 and leaving poll voters forced to take notice.  

With a 6-1 record for the first time in 75 seasons, Vanderbilt has firmly placed themselves among the top teams in the country. For a team that entered 2025 unranked and largely overlooked, the Commodores have spent the past two months dismantling all the expectations surrounding them. 

“This is the story of a team and a program that is finding external validation through internal investment,” head coach Clark Lea said after the win. “The deeper we go and care, the stronger the brotherhood will be.” 

Saturday’s win over LSU didn’t carry the miracle-like feel of last year’s upset win over Alabama. Instead, it felt methodical and controlled. The win clinched a bowl game for Vanderbilt, though its eyes are set on far bigger prizes this season.  

“We’re trying to win a national championship,” tight end Cole Spence said. “That’s our goal for this year. If we end the season with six wins, we’d be pissed.” 

Quarterback Diego Pavia continued to be the engine to Vanderbilt’s rise, throwing and rushing for a combined 246 yards and 3 touchdowns without turning the ball over. Tights ends Eli Stowers and Spence anchored the passing game, hauling in 8 receptions for 88 yards together, while offensive coordinator Tim Beck’s schemes made a very stout LSU defense look weak.  

Defensively, Vanderbilt held strong in the moments that mattered most, forcing four field goals and coming up with two key three-and-outs at the end of the fourth quarter.  

With their win, the Commodores are ranked higher than they’ve been in several decades, climbing six spots in the US LBM Coaches Poll to No. 12.  

Next week, College Gameday will travel to Nashville for the first time since 2008 as Vanderbilt hosts Missouri in a high-stakes clash with college football playoff ramifications attached to it. The Commodores opened as -2.5 favorites against Missouri after its overtime win over Auburn. 

Here’s where Vanderbilt stands in the Week 8 Polls: 

Others receiving votes: Navy 59; USC 52; Utah 51; Tulane 45; Houston 34; Iowa 17; James Madison 9; Iowa State 9; San Diego State 4; North Texas 4; Washington 3; UNLV 3; SMU 3; Memphis 3; TCU 2; Pittsburgh 2; Boise State 2; Northwestern 1;