Well, fellow Vandy fans, the good news is very winnable games are on the horizon with Missouri and South Carolina in the next month. The bad news? The Commodores still have one more test to endure in this brutal three-game crucible as they travel to Athens Saturday in a 2:30pm local time showdown against the defending national champion Georgia Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs rolled into Nashville last season and crushed the Commodores 62-0 in a “revenge” game after Vandy called off the game the previous season (don’t get me started on all that nonsense). It really could have been 100-0 if the Bulldogs wanted it. While Georgia is the current #1 in the AP Top 25, I’m not sure this team is quite as good as their championship team of a year ago. They briefly gave up the top spot after two unimpressive performances – struggling to put away Kent State at home and having to rally late to survive at Missouri. I also think this Vandy team has improved from a season ago.
Having said all that, I’m now going to say what I did before the Alabama game: Vandy has no chance of winning. There is little reason to think it will even be close. Bama was favored by about 40 against the Commodores and easily covered. Ole Miss was favored by almost 20, and covered thanks to a late “F-U” touchdown from Lane Kiffin. Georgia opens as a 38-point favorite against the Commodores. I’m certainly not a gambling expert who offers valuable insight into betting like my TDR colleague Will Byrum, but if I was a gambler I certainly wouldn’t hesitate to take Georgia and the points in this contest with the way the Commodore defense is struggling.
And on that somber note, I’m not going to waste the time of our faithful readers by giving position breakdowns where Vandy is clearly overmatched everywhere. Again, I’ll repeat what I said before the Bama game: If you’re a college football fan you’re already familiar with this opponent’s roster. You already know Stetson Bennett and Brock Bowers and the rest of a lineup loaded with NFL talent. Vandy has a few nice players, and I do believe the talent is gradually improving, but right now the two programs are light years apart. The best thing for the Commodores in this game is to continue to give quarterback AJ Swann and the young building blocks around more experience against elite talent and to come out of this game without injuries as they enter a stretch that will define their season.
Take heart Commodore fans, only one more bitter pill to swallow before the season gets interesting again…
The Dore Report 
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