Why Vanderbilt Football Still Has National Title Aspirations After Alabama Loss

TUSCALOOSA, AL—He knows that the performance he put together–in which he turned it over twice in the red zone and later indicated as the difference in Vanderbilt’s 30-14 loss to No. 10 Alabama–wasn’t good rough for this Vanderbilt team to generate much belief in what he was about to say. He said it anyway, though.

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia has gotten here as a result of a borderline delusion that’s often off put those outside Vanderbilt’s building, but he’s not changing anytime soon. He doesn’t feel as if the declaration he made about his team is anywhere near delusional despite its Saturday loss in Tuscaloosa, though.

“We’re the best team in the country, we just didn't show it tonight,” Pavia said. We didn't play Vanderbilt football. That's what it comes down to. We're pressure fighters. We didn't show it tonight. But we just gotta get back up and to the drawing board.”

Vanderbilt’s outing didn’t exactly showcase that it’s the best team in the country, but it indicated that if it plays to its level or “Vanderbilt football,” as Pavia calls it, it’s got a chance to win a significant amount down the stretch of SEC play.

At times last season, it appeared as if Pavia was on an island with his belief at times as he looked to change Vanderbilt’s culture after a 2-10 season. Now, he appears to have his teammates believing in the way he does.

Vanderbilt running back Sedrick Alexander said he believed Vanderbilt could dominate Alabama on Saturday Vanderbilt linebacker Langston Patterson said he planned to do the same. Despite Vanderbilt’s loss, it doesn’t appear to regret all of its talking or plan on stopping.

“We’re the best football team in the country,” Vanderbilt receiver Richie Hoskins said. “Tonight we weren’t able to get it done. I’m upset because we lost to a good Alabama team.”

“I told the team ‘we don't like the feeling, but we earned the feeling,’” Lea said. “It's just like everything was just a little short of where we needed to be to win a game like that. And we have a good enough team to win a game like that. We did not play well enough tonight to get it done.”

Vanderbilt moved to 5-1 on the season as a result of the loss in which it allowed Alabama to possess the ball for over 15 minutes more than it, beat it in the turnover battle and account for eight “BIG” plays through the air.

In a game that was defined by the College Gameday and ABC spotlight, Vanderbilt football didn’t live up to the hype. It’s not panicking, though. It wasn’t when it walked off the field and had a skirmish with Alabama players and it’s wasn’t in the postgame press conference.

Vanderbilt has six regular season games left and believes it’s got a few more after that if things go to plan.

"We've got every single goal that we want out in front of us,” Pavia said. That's a national championship. Alabama has a loss. We have a loss. A lot of people in the SEC have a loss. We just gotta win out."

This Vanderbilt team has never been shy about its aspiration to play deep into January and to ultimately host a national championship trophy. It’s been saying that since before spring ball and won’t stop saying it.

Who knows how it all ends for this Vanderbilt team, but its bar has been set intentionally high to avoid complacency like it could have as the nation’s No. 20 team. That doesn’t appear to be in the picture anymore, though.

For all those who look at this Vanderbilt team sideways as a result of its Saturday loss and postgame remarks, it feels as if it has something to prove. It certainly doesn’t feel as if anything has changed.

“We don’t have any guys pouting,” Vanderbilt pass rusher Khordae Sydnor said. “Jaws are set. We’re looking on to LSU and we know that in the future we’re going to be better, so no pouting. Everybody is ready.”