Over a year after stirring conversation with his remarks about Vanderbilt’s FirstBank Stadium, Nick Saban returned to the venue to gear up for Saturday’s ESPN College GameDay. The event precedes an exciting matchup featuring the 10th-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores (6-1, 2-1 SEC) and the 15th-ranked Missouri Tigers (6-1, 2-1 SEC) set for 3:30 PM ET.
During his time on The Pat McAfee Show, the legendary former Alabama coach and current ESPN analyst announced he was “jumping on the bandwagon” with Vanderbilt, reflecting the school’s promising season. However, despite their strong start, Saban remains skeptical about whether the Commodores can maintain their success under pressure. He pointed to their only loss of the season—a 30-14 defeat to Alabama—as a critical moment that raised questions about their ability to handle success.
“This is still the question mark for Vanderbilt – can they deal with the flash? Can they deal with the success?” he remarked on Friday, expressing concern over the lessons learned from that game. Saban underscored that the Commodores must show resilience and learn from their past experiences if they hope to compete for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
For Vanderbilt, achieving a playoff berth would offer a historic milestone, as the program has never won ten or more games in a single season in its 135-year history. With a challenging schedule looming, including critical road games against No. 22 Texas and No. 17 Tennessee, the Commodores face significant hurdles on their path to playoff contention.
In a related note, Saban also addressed Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia’s decision to practice taking a victory formation prior to their matchup with Alabama earlier this season, asserting that such actions could undermine team motivation. He shared that, while he admires Pavia, he would have viewed that pregame display as detrimental to team mentality. Ultimately, Pavia’s confidence did not translate into success, as he finished the game against Alabama with modest statistics, and the Commodores fell short.
The upcoming game against Missouri presents a vital opportunity for Vanderbilt to not only solidify their season but also to prove their critics wrong. With hope hanging on their strong start, the Commodores have the potential to create a significant impact in this season.