SEC Football: Realistic 2019 season goals for every team

Vanderbilt Commodores: Go .500 in SEC play

Vanderbilt is usually around the bottom of the SEC standings, but I’m going to be optimistic for the Commodores looking forward. Vandy went 3-5 last year in the SEC, so I’m going to give them one more win as a goal.

Also, they might end up needing it in order to get to a bowl game this year. They had a relatively easy non-conference slate last season, but they have to travel to Purdue in just the second week of the college football season. It’s too early to make predictions, but it’s safe to say that the ‘Dores will not come out of West Lafayette with a win if Purdue is anything like it was last year.

If Vanderbilt wants to win four games in the SEC, there will be a few games that it must win. Hosting Kentucky will be a good chance for a W. They will also travel to Knoxville to face Tennessee late in the season. They will get to play Ole Miss in the SEC West, which is a lot better than if they had to play Alabama.

Missouri at home in the middle of the season isn’t necessarily a must-win game, but it would be a great chance to steal one in the SEC. If South Carolina disappoints this year, perhaps Vandy can do something on the road against them.

In all honesty, they probably only need three wins to make it back to a bowl game, but I don’t want to guarantee for the Commodores to go 3-1 outside of the conference. I don’t care who they play, they still have the potential to disappoint in a game.

This is a tough task for Vanderbilt, but you can’t just settle with being one of the worst teams in the SEC for so long. Sooner or later, Derek Mason has to reach some of these goals.