Goal Line Stand: Vandy's rise is encouraging

This one is for Ty Willingham, Ted Roof and all those coaches who never had the chance to see it through. It’s the story of what can happen despite long odds, tough circumstances and superior opposition. For some, it’s a fairy tale, but as we have seen at Wake Forest and Kansas State and Northwestern, it can happen.

Vanderbilt is 4-0 and ranked 21st in the country.

Take a minute on that one. The Commodores, who haven’t been to a bowl game since 1982 and who are known more for singing “Brick House” than they are winning football games, are in first place in the SEC East Division with a 2-0 record and are a mere two wins away from post-season eligibility. Mighty mighty, indeed.

When asked about his team’s ascension, Vandy coach Bobby Johnson gave an answer not often heard in coaching circles, especially among those programs which toil in the shadows of the big boys – yet still must compete against them. “The administration has done a good job of allowing us to stay here and work our system,” he said. In other words, whereas Notre Dame canned Willingham after three years, and Roof was booted from Duke after four, Johnson is in his seventh year in Nashville, trying to figure out a way to keep the smallest school in the SEC from being everybody’s Homecoming opponent. This despite a collapse at the end of the ’07 campaign that turned a 5-3 start into a 5-7 record. And that ’05 campaign, when a crushing, 17-15 loss to Middle Tennessee State prevented Vandy from reaching the six-win mark, as did a trio of other losses by seven points or fewer. And don’t forget a troika of two-win seasons at the beginning of Johnson’s tenure that might have spelled doom somewhere else.

Instead of the axe, Johnson got a contract extension back in ’04 that allowed him to recruit and build and teach. The result has been this year’s fast start, despite a roster that includes just nine returning starters from last year’s team and plenty of new faces on offense. It features wins over South Carolina and Ole Miss, neither of which is considered a powerhouse, but both of which are SEC schools with flashier reputations and more renowned coaches.

Johnson couldn’t care less about either of those conditions. As coach of the only private school in the SEC and one of the top academic institutions throughout Division I-A, he has more on his mind than how he shapes up against Steve Spurrier or Houston Nutt. Don’t confuse that with an inability to understand his surroundings and adapt. Like Wake Forest’s Jim Grobe, who has built a contender at a school even smaller than Vandy, Johnson understands that the blue-chippers won’t be choosing his program in the same numbers they will be enrolling at Florida, Georgia or even Kentucky, for that matter. So, he goes for experience over talent. His Commodores aren’t the gridiron equivalents of remedial students, but they lack the same measurables of their rivals. The way to combat that, at least according to Johnson, is to play redshirt juniors and fifth-year seniors against the Big Boys’ all-world freshmen and sophs. That way, maturity and familiarity with schemes and situations could well be the difference.

Come November, this could all be forgotten. Vandy still has games with Duke and Kentucky remaining, but the Gators, Bulldogs, Auburn and Tennessee are on the schedule, too. So is Wake, in a Nov. 29 matchup that could serve as a curious measuring stick for each program. With all of that ahead, it’s possible Vandy could have another post-season near-miss. Then again, the opportunity exists for seven or even eight wins. Imagine that. Vanderbilt not only in a bowl game but also in there comfortably. Now, that would be news.

Until then, it’s up to Johnson to “work that system.” He has to continue the slow building process he has begun at Vanderbilt and make sure everything moves forward. It might not result in something big this year, and another disappointment is possible. Johnson knows that. School chancellor Nicholas Zeppos and AD David Williams know that, too. Instead of pressuring Johnson into a win-or-else scenario, they support his efforts and are seeing some results. It’s a kind of realism that isn’t present at too many other private schools trying to play big-time football, and it’s refreshing. They want to win at Vanderbilt, but they have a higher calling – education.

So, the ‘Dores are in the top 25, are they? It might not last, but it’s pretty sweet right now. Vanderbilt is two wins away from bowl eligibility and light years from where it was when Johnson took over. It just shows what can happen when a school gives a big job to the right man and supports him over the long haul. Let that be a lesson to the rest of us. Sometimes, patience pays off.

GAME OF THE WEEK
Alabama at Georgia, Saturday, 7:45 p.m.

It’s a “Black Out” in Athens this Saturday night. Georgia will don black jerseys for just the third time in school history (the Bulldogs are 2-0 in the shirts), and fans are encouraged to wear black, too. Sartorial issues aside, this game comes down to defense. Both teams have been excellent in that regard this year, but Georgia should have more success stopping the Tide attack than ‘Bama will slowing down the Dogs. This should be a highly entertaining game with plenty of talent on both sides, but Georgia is a couple years ahead of Alabama right now.
Georgia 23, Alabama 16

BUMPS AND RUNS

Shame on Ohio State fans for booing Todd Boeckman last week. Boeckman received nothing but praise last year for his strong performance under center, but the Buckeye fans, known as the nastiest in the Big Ten, showed no class. Nice work, folks.

Penn State gets its first real test of the year when Illinois visits, but don’t expect the Lions to stumble. This team is for real and has a legitimate shot at the Big Ten title.

Yes, Phil Fulmer is signed through 2013, but the Volunteers no longer matter in the SEC or on the national scene. How much longer will the UT administration allow him to stay in power with performances as shaky as last Saturday’s home blowout loss to Florida?

There’s no denying that Texas A&M is miles away from being a serious contender, but Miami’s sizeable win over the Aggies last Saturday was another strong indication the Hurricanes are on their way back to prominence. There is a lot of speed on that defense, and Robert Marve has the potential to be special.

Pittsburgh’s win over Iowa wasn’t all that impressive, but it was necessary, especially after the Panthers’ stumble from the gate and the continued woes of West Virginia, which dropped a decision at Colorado last Thursday.

Speaking of the Big East, one of the nation’s most underrated players toils there: Connecticut workhorse back Donald Brown. He’s a good one.

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