Two schools in the Southeastern Conference find themselves in rare positions.
Vanderbilt (4-2) is two wins away from its first winning regular season since 2018. Alabama (5-1) has its eyes on potentially playing for an SEC Championship and in the College Football Playoff.
Vandy shocked the college football world in pulling a stunning, 40-35 upset victory over the Crimson Tide in Nashville, Tenn.
The Commodores took down Kentucky, 20-13, on the road last week. Vanderbilt is having so much success under Clark Lea this season that it makes one ask this question.
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Should Alabama fans root for or against Vandy for the rest of the season?
Tide fans never thought cheering for the Commodores would be a thing.
Vanderbilt fans probably thought it would never be in this situation. The best loss on Alabama’s schedule is to Vanderbilt. If the Commodores keep winning, the CFP Committee will view the Tide’s defeat to Vandy as a quality one for it to get into the field of 12. However, if Vandy wins out it would be one of two teams representing the SEC in the conference championship game.
Is the Tide willing to surrender a conference championship opportunity to Vanderbilt for a shot at the playoff? It is a serious question. Alabama has Tennessee to focus on in an epic road matchup, while the Commodores return home to FirstBank Stadium to play Ball State. Vandy controls its destiny like Alabama does, but it will be interesting to see how both finish.
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Stephen M. Smith is the senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.