How long will this last? Our long nightmare is over. Vanderbilt football has finally made its triumphant return to college football's version of Hot or Not: The Associated Press Top 25. Clocking in at #21 (take THAT, Land o' Lincoln!), the Commodores ranking is their first in a quarter-century. It's the kind of validation that only comes when 242 overweight sports writers get together and declare, "Yeah, they're good enough to cover against the Gators." As you might be able to tell, we're still not ready to hop on the bandwagon. Beating South Carolina and Ole Miss is nice (better than losing, we suppose), but this season still has the feel of the classic Vandy letdown: growing fat on early-season cud only to be slaughtered by the prize steers of the SEC. Three of the next five games come against ranked teams: Auburn, Georgia and Florida, a virtual murderer's row. And don't sleep on Tennessee. 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. 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'.
