Vanderbilt Football: Commodores start first year of rebuild under new regime

Tough SEC schedule provides few opportunities for victory

Playing in the SEC is always tough and this year is no exception. However, there are some non-conference opportunities and chances for victories, which would be a positive step.

• Game 1: East Tennessee State (W)- First game of the season is one Vandy needs to win for a fast start.
• Game 2: At Colorado State (L)- This will be a close one, but I think the Rams defense is good enough to get a win here.
• Game 3: Stanford (L)- Stanford is not the program they have been in years past, but Vandy won’t have enough here.
• Game 4: Georgia (L)- This will probably be a game to forget for Clark Lea
• Game 5: UConn (W)- This is the last game Vandy will be favored in all year and they need this one.
• Game 6: At Florida (L)- Commodores played the Gators tough last year, but that won’t be the case in 2021.
• Game 7: At South Carolina (L)-  I think Vandy could win this one because South Carolina won’t be much better, but the Gamecocks have the home-field advantage.
• Game 8: Mississippi State (L)- The Bulldogs defense will be one of the league’s best and that is bad news for Vandy.
• Game 9: Missouri (L)- The Tigers have a really solid quarterback and could surprise in the SEC East this season.
• Game 10: Kentucky (L)- The Wildcats are the kind of program Vandy should aspire to be. Tough on defense and good at player development.
• Game 11: At Ole Miss (L)- Rebels will have way too much firepower for Vanderbilt this season.
• Game 12: At Tennessee (L)- It is not crazy to think Vandy could win this one because of the talent purge Tennessee underwent, but I am going with the Vols here.

Final Record: 2-10, 0-8 SEC

This is going to be a tough season for Vanderbilt, but there are some winnable games. ETSU at the start of the season and UCONN should be wins. South Carolina and Tennessee are both not a huge task and both are rebuilding. Competitiveness each week and player development is what Commodores fans should look forward to in 2021.