Most of you were probably eager for today's new Associated Press Top 25 to see where Penn State ranked -- the Nittany Lions were bumped all the way up to 12 -- but for me, I was excited to see Vanderbilt ranked for the first time in 24 years.
The Commodores hold a special place in my heart, partly because as a Virginian I have a soft spot for Southern football, and also because they achieve success while maintaining high academic standards. At Vandy, athletics are treated the same way as any student activity; there is no separate athletic department. Varsity athletics are simply a division of student life.
Athletes at Vandy don't have their own dorms or dining halls, they are treated like regular students. That may seem like a pretty simple concept, but it is a radical one within major college football.
With all of the off-field shenanigans going on here in Happy Valley, maybe good ol' Joe Pa could take a cue from what's happening down in Nashville.
As excited as I am about the 'Dores winning ways, they have broken my heart before. Last year, they were 5-3 and needed only one win to become bowl eligible, but they lost their final four games. Vandy also suffered a heart-breaking loss at Florida in 2005, losing to the Gators on a missed extra point that got pushed back on a questionable excessive celebration penalty.
We should get a pretty good idea of how good Vandy is soon. After a bye week this Saturday, the 'Dores will host Auburn.
-Steve
