No Longer an Underdog, Vanderbilt Belongs in CFP Conversation

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No Longer an Underdog, Vanderbilt Belongs in CFP Conversation

Kyle Wood · Athlon Sports

Sat, Oct 18, 2025 ·

3 min read

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This wasn't an upset. It's important to remember that in the framing of Vanderbilt's victory over LSU.

The No. 17 Commodores were supposed to win on Saturday against the No. 10 Tigers, and win they did. That's what good teams do — they win the games they're supposed to. And they even covered the spread. As the adage goes, that's what great teams do. Vanderbilt is a great team.

The Commodores (6-1, 2-1 SEC) clinched their second consecutive bowl bid, but there's a lot more meat on the bone after a 31-24 win over LSU. There's a path to the SEC championship available to Vandy, and it's not premature to talk about the College Football Playoff, either.

Vanderbilt wide receiver Lebron Hill (85) celebrates after their win following the game between Vanderbilt University and Louisiana State University at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025.

The 'Dores host No. 16 Missouri next week and play at No. 21 Texas the following Saturday. After that, Vanderbilt hosts Auburn and Kentucky and ends the year at No. 11 Tennessee. Finish the year 4-1 and the CFP committee won't have much of a choice but to put the Commodores in the 12-team field.

If that comes to fruition, it would be Vanderbilt's first 10-win season in its 122-year history. But in case you haven't been paying attention, these Commodores are bucking all sorts of historical precedent.

Of course, there was the upset over No. 1 Alabama last October. Vandy's first win over the Crimson Tide in 40 years proved to be a warning shot to the rest of the conference. A little more than a year later, the Commodores ended a 10-game losing streak to LSU that dated back to 1990. And when the AP Top 25 drops on Sunday, look for them to crack the top 10 for the first time since the 1940s.

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia (2) jumps while LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane (4) and linebacker Davhon Keys (42) attempt to tackle him at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025.

It's understandable that it's taken some time to get used to this version of Vanderbilt. Before 2024, the Commodores had won three SEC games in the last five years. In 2020, the year before coach Clark Lea returned to his alma mater, they went winless. But this team is not bogged down by all those years of obscurity.

Diego Pavia's arrival certainly played a part in changing the culture in Nashville. Vanderbilt's 6-foot-nothing quarterback has rightfully earned a reputation as a giant killer. He was beating SEC teams before he even arrived in the conference, and he's kept at it across two seasons as the face of the Commodores.

Pavia didn't play his best two weeks ago in a 30-14 loss to Alabama. Two turnovers in the red zone ultimately did Vanderbilt in. Pavia bounced back against the Tigers: Three total touchdowns, a team-high 86 rushing yards and, crucially, no costly mistakes.

With 18 total touchdowns in seven games, Pavia's Heisman Trophy case is picking up steam as the leaves change, the weather gets colder and the games start to mean just a little bit more.

The work isn't over yet for the Commodores, who showed their mettle on Saturday in front of an awesome atmosphere at FirstBank Stadium. They have to keep it going to take the next step and realize any of their lofty but realistic postseason goals. Vanderbilt isn't an underdog story — not anymore, at least.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Oct 18, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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