Anchor Drop, October 16, 2023: 79th in KenPom

Good morning.

Optional Musical Accompaniment

KenPom’s preseason rankings dropped and... Vanderbilt is 79th, just three spots ahead of Ole Miss for worst team in the SEC, and the algorithm’s game predictions have Vanderbilt finishing with the worst record in the SEC. I don’t want to take the preseason ranking as gospel (and everybody’s pretty damn sure that Ole Miss is going to be a lot better than that, in part because everybody else is giving Ole Miss a Hire A Spousal Abuser bonus.) But it’s concerning. (For the record, I don’t think Vanderbilt is going to be that bad.)

Three Vanderbilt golfers — sophomores John Broderick and Ben Loomis and freshman Chase Nevins — are competing at the MartinFed Invitational at North Alabama, though Vanderbilt isn’t competing as a team in a field that includes a bunch of mid-majors. If you’re paying attention, these are the guys who don’t really play for Vanderbilt in regular tournaments, so they’re headed down to Florence to get some experience in a two-day event.

Jeremie Casabon and Nathan Cox reached the finals of the doubles competition at the ITA Ohio Valley Regional Championship.

Sports on TV

All times Central.

• 11:00 AM: Euro qualifier: Azerbaijan v. Austria (FS2)
• 1:45 PM: Euro qualifier: Greece v. Netherlands (FS2)
• 3:37 PM: ALCS, Game 2: Rangers at Astros (FOX/FS1)
• 7:07 PM: NLCS, Game 1: Diamondbacks at Phillies (TBS)
• 7:15 PM: NFL: Cowboys at Chargers (ABC/ESPN)

Scoreboard

MLB: Rangers 2, Astros 0 (Rangers lead, 1-0.)

NFL: Ravens 24, Titans 16 ... Commanders 24, Falcons 16 ... Vikings 19, Bears 13 ... Bengals 17, Seahawks 13 ... Browns 19, 49ers 17 ... Dolphins 42, Panthers 21 ... Jaguars 37, Colts 20 ... Texans 20, Saints 13 ... Raiders 21, Patriots 17 ... Rams 26, Cardinals 9 ... Jets 20, Eagles 14 ... Lions 20, Buccaneers 6 ... Bills 14, Giants 9.

NHL: Senators 5, Lightning 2 ... Ducks 6, Hurricanes 3.

SEC Soccer: Mississippi State 2-0 Kentucky.