Top SEC coach makes strong plea to College Football Playoff committee

Vanderbilt is 10-2 overall, 6-2 in the SEC, after a 45-24 road win at Tennessee on Saturday that delivered the program’s first-ever 10-win season.

Senior quarterback Diego Pavia threw for 3,192 yards, 27 touchdowns, and eight interceptions this season, along with 826 rushing yards and nine rushing scores, putting him in the Heisman conversation.

The latest College Football Playoff selection committee top-25 (delivered on November 25) had Vanderbilt at No. 14; the committee will issue another ranking on Tuesday following Vanderbilt’s win over Tennessee.

The committee will then determine the 12-team bracket on December 7, with Vanderbilt currently on the bubble for an at-large spot.

However, as experts argue over who should get in, Vanderbilt's head coach, Clark Lea, made his case on Monday.

"I don't know a world that exists where this team doesn't belong in that field. I'm learning right now about all the flaws and how we determine who's in, who's out. I'm very interested in fighting against any perception.

"I think there's a bias against Vanderbilt. I think we have been ignored early in the season. We were not given a chance. It took us winning our way into the conversation. And all we've done is line them up and knock them down," Lea said.

"I'm proud of what we've done, but we deserve a chance to win a national championship."

"I don't know a world that exists where this team doesn't belong in that field. ... We deserve a chance to win a national championship."

Clark Lea says @VandyFootball should be in the College Football Playoff. pic.twitter.com/KdrgOoM0gV
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) December 1, 2025

Vanderbilt ended the regular slate with quality wins and a high-powered offense, but carries two notable road losses: at Alabama on October 4 and at Texas on November 1.

Despite securing several signature wins in a loaded SEC, these two losses will be highly dissected by the committee as they evaluate the Commodores' strength of schedule and “record vs. quality opponents” metrics.

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia and coach Clark Lea. — Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia (2) and coach Clark Lea embrace after the team’s win against Tennessee at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. | Mark Zaleski / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Lea, in his fifth season at Vanderbilt, received a six-year extension on November 28 after steering the program to historic wins and its best record in decades.

Lea's comments will now stand at the center of one of college football's biggest debates.

If a 10-win SEC team that beat ranked opponents still struggles to crack the 12, critics will argue the selection process still privileges certain brands, schedules, or conference narratives.

Conversely, a successful at-large bid would signal that the expanded format is working as advertised, giving high-quality non-title teams a real shot.

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