I'll admit it, breaking up the fan preview had ulterior motives. As one lone piece, the fan preview would have been a 3800 behemoth. We decided that was likely too long and wanted to break it up. The ulterior motive being that maybe that kick in the rear would inspire more submission for the remaining teams. It did not.
But no matter, we still have plenty of amazing submissions from y'all to showcase!
GEORGIA
VTPhD note: Commodore84 gets first prize, and this game is honestly one of my favorite VUFootball memories.
Being a Vandy fan in Nashville is hard enough with all of the UT Orange floating around, but at least people are aware of Vanderbilt. As a resident of Atlanta, the best (worst) response I’ve had to any Vandy attire was at a Home Depot, when the cashier saw it and said "Vanderbilt? Is that one of the Kardashians?" For those in Atlanta knowledgeable of college football, conversations that include Vandy are usually spoken with a tone of "aww, that’s cute", as the only serious football discussions must be about UGA winning the SEC east.
Georgia had a strong opening in 2006, dispatching SC with ease 18-0, but the other wins came against lesser opponents. Then came the first weekend of October and a game against Tennessee. Georgia faltered, and though they put up 33 points, they allowed an offense led by Erik Ainge to put up 51 points. It was an embarrassing loss, but one that would soon be forgotten, as Vanderbilt was coming into town the following weekend for UGA’s homecoming.
Homecoming that year saw 92,000 fans in attendance, which included HUNDREDS of Vandy fans, of which I was one. We sat in a sea of UGA red and awaited our fate. I had never seen The Hedges before, nor seen a portly gentleman turn out to be of normal build, as the belly was just one large liquor bladder to be injected into whatever beverage he held at that time. My friends and I were hoping for a close game, and thrilled when Vandy tied and then took the lead late in the 3rd quarter. We came into this game with no expectations, built some as we took control of the game, only to have those expectations shattered when Chris Nickson threw his 2nd interception that was returned for a touchdown.
It felt like all 92,000 were screaming at me for believing. Believing that we had a chance to win. Fools.
Vandy was only down 1 at this point. Georgia missed a field goal, and now with so little time remaining, all Chris had to do was hold onto the ball and get us into field goal range. I swear you’ve never heard silence until you hear 92,000 people hold their collective breath as Hahnfeldt’s kick went into the air.
That day, we stepped on Georgia’s face with a hobnail boot and broke their nose, 24-22.
It’s been 8 years since that fateful day, and I will be so very happy to wear my Commodore Gold in Athens on the Fourth of October. We did it once, and we will do it again. Athens will learn that there is a force to be reckoned with in the state of Tennessee, and they bleed Black and Gold.
- lsmsrblsA win here is unlikely unless Georgia is at least as damaged by this point in the season in 2014 as they were in 2013. I think a game similar to 2012's 48-3 thrashing is more likely. These guys are going to be both stalwart and very angry that Vanderbilt beat them last year. They don't want to be humiliated at home. (Yes, the rest of the world still sees a loss to Vanderbilt as humiliating.)
Athens is a lovely place to watch a sporting event. So was the Colosseum. I view Mark Richt with the some wariness I usually reserve for pastors driving Mercedes, but he is a pretty good coach/recruiter/enabler. At least if Grantham was still there I could manage some actual hate to sustain me. Prediction: Scotch and a cigar, missing the start of the second half because it is the last nice night of the year outside.
A healthy Georgia is now the best team in the SEC East. This isn't the slaughter it was 2 years ago, but Gurley and Morgan get 150 yards each. Lose, 34-17.
MISSOURI
Well, the good news is that unlike last year, there is little chance of Vanderbilt not taking Missouri seriously here. The bad news: Missouri will probably be the better team. This game favors Missouri, though Vanderbilt should put up a fight.
- lsmsrbls
Not sure why we keep scheduling these guys. It's a nice OOC opponent, but they are even more boring than Wake. I'd be ok with cancelling this series, honestly. There is literally no reason to ever go to Missouri, especially for football. Prediction: 6 Miller Lites
- Dinard'oh
Mizzou is underrated again, but Vandy takes care of business and wins on a Rivers lateral to McCrary, who bombs it to Jordan Cunningham. Win, 17-14.
- Ned in Engineering
FLORIDA
I'm looking forward to the Florida game. It will be interesting to watch the season unfold for both teams as this game is positioned towards the back end.If Florida's offense continues to preform horribly I look for Vandy to win this one, because no matter how good the defense is, if Florida's offense can't score they can't win. It also helps our cause that we get them right after they play Georgia and might still have a close game hangover.No matter what happens it should be interesting.SincerlyThe Guy who goes to the High School Jared Morse went to.
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. While Florida should be much better than last year, and I have a hard time ever imaging a Vanderbilt team being favored over a Florida team (and I certainly don't expect that to happen here), I think I'd take Vanderbilt to win. Florida will be coming off of a brutal game against Georgia and will hopefully be overlooking Vanderbilt in favor of their impending match against South Carolina. Can Vanderbilt beat Florida two years in a row? Do I dare to dream?
- lsmsrbls
Part of me would really like to attend this game because it should be a good one, and part of me knows I should stay home lest I knock the last tooth out of the head of some be-jortsed yocal yelling,"Go Gata!" Muschamp will be fired this year. This might be the actual week. Prediction: Two liters of Will Terry's Perfect Manhattan (TM), substituting gator tears for the bitters
- Dinard'oh
Florida is nowhere near as good as predicted, and, though their defense remains strong, their offense is tepid. Immediately after losing, Will Muschamp is fired. Win, 13-3.
- Ned in Engineering
MISSISSIPPI STATE
This one is hard to characterize. Mississippi State might be very good next year. Or they might just be regular good. By November, we'll certainly know whether this game is likely to be a toss-up or a contender for toughest game of the year. However, MSU will be beaten up from playing Alabama the week before and I think Mason's team will be clicking by this point in the season. Plus, we all know that Dan Mullen considers the next week's Egg Bowl to be the most important game of the year. For the entire NCAA. So I'm going to say that while State should have an edge, this will be a close, exciting game that will reiterate whether Vanderbilt can pull off late game heroics without Jordan Matthews.Did I just say that I think Vanderbilt will be better at the end of the season than at the beginning? Wow. The times, they are a-changin'. #BNV.
When I try to recall all 13 SEC teams, I always forget this one. I still get them confused with Ole Miss most of the time. I do know that Dan Mullen has less personality than Hugh Freeze, and at the same time manages to be more detestable. He always makes me think of the dad who buys an adjustable goal for his kids but won't let anybody dunk on it. I think I'll enjoy this game, I'm just not sure why. Prediction: 5 hot toddies.
Dak Prescott is pretty good, but the hottest combo in the league, Rivers- Cunningham, pulls through late in the 4th quarter. Adam Butler blocks a game tying field goal. Win, 24-21.
- Ned in Engineering
Mississippi State is a depressing football program. They are a consistently poor performer in the SEC, with none of the excuses that the other historically poor performers can proffer - academic restrictions for Vanderbilt, a basketball ball shaped Death Star that blocks the sun's light from shining on the football program for Kentucky. MSU's excuse? Too many other bulldog-mascoted teams? An epidemic under appreciation of the virtues of incessant large-scale cowbell ringing?No excuses in this one. Vandy wins.
THOSE WHO SHALL NOT BE NAMED
VTPhD Note: I like the way Jacob thinks.
We win AGAIN for the 3rd straight year. Only this time it will be by 2-3 touchdowns. During this game, I will enjoy getting to listen obnoxious fans (who have no clue what they are talking about) piss and moan about the refs because that’s the only reason Vandy could ever win. This will die down towards the end of the game because most of them will have left with their heads down in shame halfway through the 4th quarter. All of them looking like this girl did at the end of last year’s game. Lol
Oh yea, I forgot to mention that this loss will officially make them ineligible for a bowl game again at 5-7.
- Jacob in Woodbury
The one thing Vanderbilt always does is kick the shit out of Tennessee.
The University of Tennessee's most important contribution to humanity is a field full of rotting bodies. Prediction: Alternating rage/huggy drunk, with bonus illegible posts to AoG post game.
Overrated as usual, UT is no match for a high-flying Vandy team whose 3-4 defense has come into its own. Caleb Azubike records 2 sacks and Butch Jones is now on the hot seat. Win, 31-11.A now 10-2 Vandy is sent to the Texas Bowl, where Kansas State cowers in fear.
- Ned in Engineering
Clearly Vandy has no chance in this game because UT had the higher ranked recruiting class last year and still has the same head coach.
BONUS: POPE V CAN'T FOLLOW DIRECTIONS
Someone alert the Vatican, or something. I purposely didn't ask for any OOCs other than UMass, but in his zeal, he decided to write on these guys anyway.
TEMPLE:
When I was a child I was an orange and green, criminal supporting, Warren Sapp, Ray Lewis, and Gino Torretta worshipping little punk ass little fan of "The U" in Miami of Florida. My father, born and raised in the shadow of the Orange Bowl, raised me in his own image, complete with youth-sized Larry Czonka jersey and christmas-present-never-to-be-outdone Miami Hurricanes Starter Jacket with airbrush graphics on the back. In 1991 the Big East added the U, and along with them several others schools, including something called Temple. That name, it would be proven over the following years, provided a thoroughly apt metaphor for what happened on the football field when these two teams met. A temple is a place where sacrifices are offered. And Temple, boy howdy, did they ever lay themselves down on the altar of Miami football in those years. In my boyhood mind, Temple existed much in the same way that the Washington Generals existed for the Globetrotters.On the 28th in Nashville, someone is going to lay down and offer themselves up on Dudley Field, and for my money, it's going to be the team that was kicked out of the Big East. Better wear a poncho, these things can get messy.Vandy 31Temple 10
CHARLESTON SOUTHERN:
For those of us who were on hand for last year's Great Humbling at the hands of the Missouri Tigers, this game should be just the group therapy Vanderbilt fans are looking for on Homecoming.
THANKS Y'ALL
Our sincere thanks to everyone who took the time to write in. Thanks for making this a success, and showing that Vanderbilt does in fact, have fans. Please do not hesitate to post any thoughts of your own in the comments, or even a fanpost of your own!