Vanderbilt Football Has Been Counted Out, It Doesn't Care

Vanderbilt football has been counted out after its latest loss, but the Commodores are focusing on themselves.

Oct 25, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores tight end Eli Stowers (9) runs after a catch against the Missouri Tigers during the first quarter at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

NASHVILLE – “Keep betting on Vandy. Keep betting on Diego Pavia. This love fest is over.”

Those were the words of Big Noon Kickoff football analyst Mark Ingram as he mocked Vanderbilt during the halftime report of Fox’s coverage of the Penn State at No. 1 Ohio State game this past weekend. At the time of his comment, Vanderbilt had just gone into the locker room down 24-10. Before the game was over, it did not just seem like everyone from national pundits to regular college football fans were jumping off the Vanderbilt bandwagon, it was quite evident that the Commodores lost plenty of fans off the bandwagon.

Vanderbilt lost the game 34-31 to Texas, but the game was closer to a blowout than it was a tight game. The Longhorns went up 31-10 midway through the third quarter before Vanderbilt scored 21 unanswered in the fourth quarter to tighten the score. After the loss, the narrative from the outside was that Vanderbilt’s season was over. It was a cool story, but the magic of quarterback Diego Pavia and head coach Clark Lea ran out.

If you asked Lea about the thoughts from the outsiders, it is pretty clear that he does not care what fans and pundits around the country think. The focus is all on the inside, which is what it should be. If anything, Lea would say that he understands the narrative people now have given how his team looked the first three quarters against Texas.

“The team that we showed up with for the first, three quarters. I don't know how you don't write it off. I mean, we didn't play well,” Lea said in Tuesday’s press conference.

Throughout the season, Vanderbilt has been in the conversation, especially Pavia. The Commodores started the season 7-1 and achieved their first ranking in the AP Top 10 for the first time since the 1940s. But if there is one thing Vanderbilt has done well off the field is tuning out the noise and keeping the focus on improving their game. 

After its first loss of the season to Alabama, people did start to question Vanderbilt and how long it could keep up with other ranked competition. But Vanderbilt got right back to work, taking down LSU and Missouri in high-stakes games.

“We don't worry about whatever the perception is externally, or whatever those things are,” Lea said. “It's just about how here late in the season do we line up and play in a way that we're proud of knowing that the game honors toughness. And when you play the game the right way, the game rewards you. That's what we're going to focus on.”

Now at 7-2, Vanderbilt is in a position where it can still earn a playoff spot. If it were to win out and finish 10-2, there is a strong likelihood the College Football Playoff committee would put the Commodores in the 12-team bracket. Not to mention, they have a favorable schedule as well.

It starts this weekend with a home game against Auburn and then another home game on senior day against Kentucky. The two teams have a combined record of 1-10 against SEC opponents and 6-12 overall. Of course, Vanderbilt has to be careful and take both teams seriously, but there is no denying both games are very favorable for Vanderbilt to win. Then, Vanderbilt finishes the season at its in-state rival Tennessee.

There is a strong possibility Vanderbilt’s playoff hopes come down to the game in Knoxville, but it certainly has a chance to get a road win against the Volunteers. If Vanderbilt’s offense is clicking against a vulnerable defense, it gives itself a great chance to win.

So, should Vanderbilt want to be in this position where a playoff berth is still possible despite seemingly everyone writing the ‘Dores off?

“I don't think I really prefer anything in terms of what people think about our team. It's really just focusing on what we know we have at hand,” Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers said. “We know that we still have everything out in front of us, and I think we're trying to treat every day like that.”