Vanderbilt finished the regular season 10-2 (6-2 SEC), its first 10-win regular season in school history.
The season included big wins over South Carolina, LSU, Missouri, and Auburn, capped off by a massive 45-24 road victory at Tennessee on Saturday.
Yet, while the Commodores remain part of the College Football Playoff discussion, they sit at No. 14 in the penultimate College Football Playoff rankings released Tuesday — just outside the postseason field.
On Thursday, speaking with SportsCenter’s Matt Barrie, quarterback Diego Pavia made an argument for why the Commodores deserve a shot at the playoffs.
“I think if you look at our strength of schedule at the beginning of the year, the people we beat, when we beat them, on the road. There’s no other 10 and two SEC team left out. And then they have Texas ahead of us, too. I don’t know what’s going on or what they’re thinking up there, but I feel like we deserve to be in the College Football Playoff.”
Asked whether Vanderbilt’s football history has hurt his team, Pavia said, “For sure. If we had another logo, we’re in the College Football Playoff, no question. And I think if you just put everyone’s resume on a piece of paper and you slid it out to the teams that are on the bubble, they’re choosing ours every single time.”
“We’ll play one through 12 anywhere, any place. Just give us a chance. That’s all we want,” Pavia added.
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Vanderbilt is one of the oldest FBS programs but historically a below-average SEC power.
While the Commodores have had sporadic high points, including three straight bowl seasons under James Franklin from 2011 to 2013, they still boast a long losing record in the SEC.
In a tradition-rich conference dominated by programs such as Alabama, Georgia, Texas, LSU, and Florida, Vanderbilt has typically found itself near the bottom of the standings.
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Part of the reason why Vanderbilt is enjoying an all-time campaign is due to Pavia’s breakout, Heisman-caliber season.
Across 12 games, he has 3,192 passing yards, 27 passing TDs, eight INTs, and 826 rushing yards with 9 rushing TDs (4,018 total yards of offense, a program season record).
Despite a 10-2 record and Pavia’s historic season, Vanderbilt is missing the top‑10 wins the committee values most.
Looking ahead, the committee’s final judgment will come on December 7.
If conference-championship week produces upsets that undercut bubble teams ahead of Vanderbilt, the Commodores could still move into the field — but they cannot control other results, only their body of work.
