Friday, March 4, 2011

2011 Football Schedule Released: Can Vanderbilt Get to .500?

Spring practice is about to get started, and it's never too early to talk Commodore football. Vanderbilt just released the finalized 2011 football schedule, and the lineup features seven games in Nashville, including the first three of the season. Here's how it shakes out (home games in caps):

Sept. 3 ELON
Sept. 10 CONNECTICUT
Sept. 17 OLE MISS
Sept. 24 at South Carolina
Oct. 8 at Alabama
Oct. 15 GEORGIA
Oct. 22 ARMY
Oct. 29 ARKANSAS
Nov. 5 at Florida
Nov. 12 KENTUCKY
Nov. 19 at Tennessee
Nov. 26 at Wake Forest

Ever the optimist (or something like that), I'm circling six games on this schedule: Elon, UConn, Ole Miss, Army, Kentucky, Wake. With the coaching upheaval at UConn and Jordan Todman heading to the NFL, I think our bout with the Huskies is solidly in play. It'll be tough to trip up Ole Miss two years in a row, and Houston Nutt will be in the cross-hairs if it happens -- still, they've struggled of late and we've bested them in four of the last six outings. Kentucky will be without Randall Cobb, and Wake is coming off a 3-9 season. If you think Elon and Army aren't winnable, then I just can't help you anymore.

By my count that makes six realistic possibilities, and you never know where an upset might be lurking outside of those (although better to avoid making any outlandish predictions at this stage). So I put it to you, VSL Nation: Will James Franklin make it to 6-6 and bowl-eligible in his debut season at the helm?


12 comments:

VandyImport said...

It's the same scenario for Big Six - win all the NC games, beat Kentucky and Ole Miss, and win one other game to make up for the one of those six that we botch. On paper, eminently doable.

I think CJF could go 6-6. I doubt it'll go that smoothly the first year out - but if he does deliver 6 wins in his first season, that's your SEC coach of the year right there.

Vandygal78 said...

I picked the same games as you but I also think we will get either Georgia at home or UT in Knoxville. Coach Franklin is a fired up up kinda guy and both of those games could be won with extra emotion. I can hardly wait for football to start. I absolutely believe we are going to shock a lot of folks outside of Nashville (probably in Nashville too)!

Bobby O'Shea said...

1 day before our final regular season game against the Gators, 6 days before the SEC Tournament beings, 9 days before Selection Sunday, and 13 days before the NCAA Tournament starts in earnest, we are talking about football. It's always football season in the SEC.

Vandy-Montana said...

No...that is all.

Anonymous said...

I also think that 6-6 is very doable. I also believe that, as crazy as it sounds, that we may steal a conference game that we are not suppose to win. We have UGA at home next season and there are significant problems on that team / coaching staff despite a highly touted recruiting class. Don't be surprised if we steal a conference game like UGA and get to 6 or 7 wins. If that happens, I agree that CJF is SEC coach of the year given our recent history. Also, let's not forget that CJF staff will have much more talent (redshirt fresh / soph) base to work with in many years. I expect that Herb Hand will really love the talent base that he has on the O-line and will get it done, which is the key to next season outside of the obvious QB position.

Vandy-Montana said...

Maybe we should see how the new ballcoach takes to the kind of student-athletes and the atmosphere of the SEC before we annoint him the SEC COY or the next messiah. Let's be a little more realistic here.

I don't see us winning the 4 non-cons (2 is more like it), then we have to win 4 conference games. Kentucky maybe, but where does the next win come from? I just dont' see it. I'm sorry. I'm more hopefull for the three seasons after next...

Seth said...

Yea, I think 5 wins is likely looking at the schedule. If that happens, the season will be looked as a huge success for CJF. I thought Arkansas was supposed to be down so thats a win I thought we could get at home. Either way I'm excited for next season.

Go Dores

Anonymous said...

Did anyone see the Bleacher Reports rank of the 15 worst stadiums in college football?

If you would be shocked that our stadium made this list and/ or even the top 5 don't chech out it out...

I just dont see why we cant spruce the place us over the next 5 years. Maybe CJF energy will get Vanderbilt fired up enough to make some serious upgrades.

Bobby O'Shea said...

The football stadium has been spruced up with a new brick facade. Overall though, the stadium is not good. The priority (rightly, as far as I'm concerned) is upgrading the coaches' offices and locker rooms, etc...It doesn't make sense to pour money into a stadium for the opposing fans to over-run before upgrading the facilities where the work gets done Sunday-Friday.

Anonymous said...

Agreed, they need to upgrade facilities that would make recruits exited first and foremost. Still, the stadium needs to be a high priority.

It’s still amazing and interesting to me how Vandy pours money into basketball first, then baseball and football is third. No SEC school, other than UK probably, would stand for it.

Remember when a list came out naming the "most expensive" basketball programs and Vandy was in the Top 20! No one can say this university doesn’t care about sports

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