Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Hannan / Sports Commodores Make us Look Like Idiots, For Now
Posted by Caleb Hannan on Wed, Sep 24, 2008 at 11:20 AM
Comments (14)
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"Big Brother may have gotten spanked last week, but it still puts more talent on one side of the ball than five years of Commodore recruiting combined."
It's not an easy thing passing those entrance exams.
"Vandy's nightmare streak may be over, but if you think this is a sign of things to come, we've got one thing to say to you: You're dreamin'."
Thanks for being an optimist. If I see you at our bowl game I'm gonna give you a very dirty look! You are right though, the next month is the true test. GO DORES!
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No that was me. I just forgot to sign in. Please continue to mock my team though! I'll console myself with this little ol' degree...
There are few things more comical than when the Nashville Scene attempts to cover sports. Why don't you nerds stick to what you're good at - hating Republicans and peddling snark.
I wouldn't trust this guy's sports takes either, Vinny Penguin. (By the way, that's a very cool nickname.) Caleb Hannan is a vegetarian who wears soccer jerseys. That's pretty much all your need to know concerning his ability to speak thoughtfully on the manly arts.
I think you need to improve on the Republican hating and snark peddling, too. That's been lacking as of late.
This guy's a moron to begin with and is clueless to Vanderbilt or much of the SEC period. I know, I've met Mr. Hannan and could tell in 5 minutes he was a moron.
So what's your take, Jack Collish? Vandy's gonna cruise through the next five games 4-1? 3-2? If you're going to disagree, fine, but have a take of your own. That way we can make fun of you for being wrong in six weeks. Otherwise, with the pansy-ass way you call Hannan a moron without providing any insight of your own, we're left with no rope to hang you with later. And that's just no fun at all.
I'll bite.
Vanderbilt fans remember that the Commodores were 4-0 during two other seasons since 1982. They wound up with losing records both times. That could still happen again.
Based on the way they and their opponents are playing RIGHT NOW, I'd say Vanderbilt's prospects are something like:
4-8 5% likelihood
5-7 20% likelihood
6-6 40% likelihood
7-5 20% likelihood
8-4 10% likelihood
9-3 5% likelihood
Looking at their opponents:
Auburn: If the game were this week, I'd favor Auburn by 5-8 points. Vandy will have a home advantage and a week off to rest and heal. Auburn will be coming off two straight tough games. Vandy played one of their worst games at Auburn last year but generally plays them very tough in Nashville. No matter what happens with Auburn-UT this weekend, I would be inclined to pick Auburn to beat Vandy, but Vandy has more than a reasonable chance in this one.
Mississippi State: They can be very tough in Starkville. This is one of the 2 remaining games that most people project Vandy to win. They have not played well there in the past but do have an excellent chance in this one.
Duke: Not a cinch by any means. Duke is much improved, and David Cutcliffe is very familiar with Vanderbilt. Vandy could lose if they don't play well, but I would expect them to win.
Florida: They did almost beat Florida down there in Cutler's final year. But I don't see much chance this time.
Georgia: There is a chance that Georgia, which has a brutal schedule in the 2nd half of the year, might overlook Vandy a little. But a win here for Vandy would be a major, major upset (as would a win at Florida).
Kentucky: Honestly, it's still too early to tell much about Vandy's final three games -- too much football for everyone to play. Right now, it would be a minor upset (but only minor) for Vandy to win in Lexington. So far, Kentucky has shown an excellent defense and not much offense. But I tend to like their chances against a team like that. A lot depends on the direction the two teams are headed at that point in the season.
Tennessee: See above. The way the Vols have played in their first three games, I would have liked Vandy's chances to beat them each time. But UT in recent years has tended to start slow and get better. If that's the path they take, it will be a tough game here in Nashville, and there will be so many UT fans that Vandy won't have a home advantage. If the Vols bomb against Auburn, Georgia and Alabama and it looks like Fulmer is on the way out, I'd favor Vandy. But even when the Vols have excellent teams, Vandy plays very tough against them in most years. Right now, I'd rate this a tossup.
Wake Forest: After a demoralizing loss in Knoxville, Vandy never really showed up against Wake Forest, which has another good team this year. Right now, I'd have to favor Wake Forest, if only because they'll be at home. Then again, Ole Miss went there and almost won (should have won). And Vandy turns around and beats Ole Miss at home.
Where Caleb Hannon's snarky little post misses the mark:
Nobody has been saying that Vandy is going to win 9 games or even 8.
They have not grown fat on early season cud. There are no easy wins in the SEC, and Vandy is 2-0 there. Georgia struggled mightily against South Carolina. So far, Ole Miss looks no worse than 4th in the SEC West, and could surprise one of the teams positioned above them. Will they get "slaughtered" by the elite of the SEC? Beat, yes. Slaughtered, probably not. Then again, EVERYBODY else is beating up each other, too. I don't see anyone going undefeated in the SEC. Florida has the best shot, but only because they have a pretty favorable schedule.
The other big thing Mr. Woody, er, Hannon, overlooks: Any reasonable observer would EXPECT Vandy to have cracked the top 25 this week. You start 4-0 (two wins on the road) with two SEC wins (one on the road), and you will be ranked. The two nonconference opponents weren't the usual cupcakes, either. Miami Ohio went to Ann Arbor and hung with Michigan. Rice has a QB who could play for most SEC teams, and they can score.
At this point, even the people on the "Vandy bandwagon" don't think they'll be in the top 25 in December. But that doesn't mean they are overranked now or don't deserve credit.
Mr. Hannon, had he been paying attention, might have noted a couple of other things about this team.
First, they have dominated the second half of every game. That's one mark of a winner, and I don't remember seeing any Vandy team in the past 25 years that could do that regularly.
Second, they have clearly improved their depth and the quality of their athletes. Most people thought this would be a rebuilding year for Vandy, with all the losses of quality players from last year. Their offensive line, defensive line and linebacking were all supposed to be weaknesses but have been pleasant surprises so far. They have also shown enough depth that they have been able to survive injuries.
Third, this team plays with a lot of confidence.
None of these are what people traditionally expect from Vanderbilt, and all are reasons why people are paying attention to this team
