'SEC Nation' announces show's location for Week 13

ESPN's College GameDay is heading back to the Big Ten, but college football's most prestigious league isn't getting ignored. SEC Nation will make the trek to Nashville for Week 13 with the CFP-contending Vanderbilt Commodores meeting the suddenly red-hot Kentucky Wildcats in an SEC battle.

Unlikely squads

It's safe to assume that before the season, few would have expected Vanderbilt to be among the SEC's Playoff contenders. After a pair of losses, the Commodores basically need to best Kentucky and Tennessee to close the regular season to have a solid CFP shot. Vanderbilt has never posted a 10-win season in program history and the 8-2 Commodores and Diego Pavia could reach that mark in a hurry.

Kentucky's resurrection

Meanwhile, Kentucky's season looked nearly hopeless after a 2-5 start. Despite posting the most wins in the history of the program, coach Mark Stoops was rumored to be on the hot seat. But Kentucky has rallied for three straight wins, sneaking past Auburn and then blasting Florida and FCS foe Tennessee Tech. The Wildcats need only win either at Vanderbilt or in their season finale at Louisville to claim a ninth bowl appearance in ten seasons, certainly unprecedented in their program's history.

SEC Nation/Nashville history

SEC Nation doesn't make a lot of trips to Vanderbilt. The Commodores last hosted SEC Nation on September 10, 2022. Vanderbilt lost that day to No. 23 Wake Forest, 45-25. Vanderbilt has already annoucned free shuttles between the school's athletic facilities and Alumni Lawn where the SEC show will be hosted.

Vanderbilt's rise

Pavia has certainly added a spark to the Vanderbilt program under Clark Lea since arriving ahead of the 2024 season. The Commodores hadn't posted a winning season since 2013, when James Franklin led Vandy to nine wins and then departed for Penn State. With Pavia at quarterback and offensive coordinator Tim Beck, who followed Pavia over from New Mexico State, Vanderbilt won seven games last year, including an upset of No. 1 Alabama.

This year, Vanderbilt has lost only to Alabama and Texas, with both defeats coming on the road. The SEC is likely sending Texas A&M, Georgia, Alabama, and Ole Miss to the College Football Playoff, while Vanderbilt joins Oklahoma and Texas is seeking a potential fifth SEC CFP spot. With such success comes a return to some major media outlets, including Saturday's appearance on SEC Nation.