Greg McElroy names SEC program now a legitimate 'title contender' after Week 9 win

After Vanderbilt's 17-10 win over Missouri, Greg McElroy declared the Commodores a legitimate SEC title contender.

ESPN college football analyst Greg McElroy believes Vanderbilt should now be viewed as a real-deal contender for a national championship after the Commodores' win over Missouri. | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

The Vanderbilt Commodores are no longer chasing moral victories. They are stacking real ones, and college football analyst Greg McElroy believes that makes them a legitimate title contender.

During Sunday’s episode of Always College Football, McElroy broke down Vanderbilt’s 17-10 win over Missouri, calling the Commodores “no longer a feel-good story.” The seventh win of the season was their first 7-1 start since 1941 and the third victory over a ranked opponent this year, milestones that have transformed the perception of a program long dismissed as an SEC afterthought.

“Vanderbilt is no longer a quote feel-good story. They are a legitimate title contender,” McElroy said. “Interpret that however you wish, whether it’s national, SEC, or getting to the championship game. This team is a title contender. They are 7-1 for the first time since 1941.”

Vanderbilt’s latest win over Missouri required grit. Quarterback Diego Pavia’s 1-yard rushing touchdown with 1:52 left sealed the victory after safety CJ Heard recovered a late fumble. The Commodores overcame eight penalties and just 265 yards of total offense to earn what McElroy called “a shutdown defensive-type performance.”

McElroy Explains Why Vanderbilt Is a 'Legitimate Title Contender'

In his Always College Football breakdown, McElroy praised Vanderbilt’s defense and culture as the difference-makers. “They won this game because of culture and they won this game because of defense,” he said. He highlighted a second-half goal-line stand and Heard’s forced turnover as defining moments that kept Missouri from taking control.

The game also featured a long touchdown run by running back Makhilyn Young that helped turn the tide. “With Vandy, they’re not usually a quick-strike team,” McElroy said. “But to see MK Young break to the outside and showcase some speed says an awful lot.”

McElroy noted that Vanderbilt no longer needs everything to go perfectly to beat top-tier opponents. “In the past, for Vanderbilt to win games against top-tier competition, they had to be A-plus-plus and the team they were playing against had to have an off day. That’s no longer the case,” he said. “Vanderbilt was the team that had the off day and still had a chance to win.”

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia (2) led the Commodores to a big win against Missouri on Saturday. | Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Now 7-1, Vanderbilt has beaten two straight ranked teams and remains firmly in the SEC race. McElroy said a 10-2 finish is a “reasonable expectation,” one that could put them in the College Football Playoff conversation.

“Vandy is very much the real deal,” McElroy said. “They’ve totally broken open what has been an SEC race long dominated by the blue bloods.”

Vanderbilt will visit No. 20 Texas on Saturday at 12 p.m. ET on ABC.