NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Vanderbilt football is pulling out all the stops in hopes of securing a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff, which will be announced this Sunday.
The 10-2 Commodores are experiencing their best season in school history, marking the first time they've won 10 games. Despite their historic success and major SEC upsets, it appears their efforts may fall short of earning a playoff berth.
However, the team isn't accepting defeat quietly. Vanderbilt Athletics confirmed this week that they attempted to schedule an additional regular season game as a way to potentially influence the playoff committee's decision.
Vanderbilt Head Coach Clark Lea hinted at the idea during his Monday news conference. "There are teams we need to play against to play into it? Tell me when and tell me where. We'll put the ball down in the parking lot and play," said Lea.
Vanderbilt told us in a statement:
“We explored the 13th-game option for one reason: this team has earned the chance to keep fighting. Coach Lea has said he’ll play anytime, anywhere, and our guys would have stepped on the field with a phone call’s notice. The logistics and legislative constraints didn’t make it possible, but nothing changes the truth — a 10–2 Vanderbilt team forged in the nation’s toughest conference, finishing its best football in November, deserves a chance to compete for the championship."
The creative efforts didn't stop there. Star quarterback Diego Pavia took to social media, directly asking the President of the United States to let Vanderbilt into the playoffs. The school's Chancellor Daniel Diermeier also joined the social media campaign, making the case for the black and gold.
"In my mind, we are clearly one of the best teams in the country," said Candace Story Lee, Vanderbilt's athletic director.
Jon Burton, a NewsChannel 5 sports anchor and host of The Jon Burton Show on WNSR, said the additional game idea wasn't realistic from the start. "Even if they win, and they win going away, it probably wouldn't prove a whole lot to the College Football Playoff Committee." said Burton.
Burton believes nothing Vanderbilt could do would change the committee's minds at this point. However, he thinks the Commodores will remain a hot topic for years to come. "This year they're knocking on the door, next year -- according to Clark Lea -- they're going to kick it in," Burton said.
The increased success has energized the fan base, with Burton noting that Vanderbilt fans have been calling his radio show more frequently to discuss the team's prospects. Vanderbilt's playoff fate will be determined when the College Football Playoff selection committee announces the 12 teams this Sunday.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Chris.Davis@NewsChannel5.com.
This is a story I immediately went home and showed my boys - young athletes with big dreams. The Vanderbilt football team's success has stolen the spotlight - what I love about Steve Layman's story is he reveals the individual hardships it took to get there. As Clark Lea says, "we all have scuff marks." This team proves perseverance pays off!
- Carrie Sharp
