The Vanderbilt Commodores were one of 24 teams listed by ESPN as having the best chance of making the 2025 College Football Playoff. The list included familiar names such as the Ohio State Buckeyes, Alabama Crimson Tide and Georgia Bulldogs, while the dark horses included Vanderbilt, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the Utah Utes.
College football fans saw the list and took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to debate it:
One fan said, “Vanderbilt should be 0.”
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Another said: “How simple is the Vandys schedule if you show them Mizzou? »
One added: “Yes, bought and paid for by ESPN.”
However, some fans chose to defend their favorites.
One said: “I would like to see the analysis that gives Bama a better chance than Miami. Miami has no losses and a significantly easier remaining schedule.”
Another said: “GT should be up there with a win over Duke because there’s a good chance they win the rest of their games until UGA. But Duke might have pulled through and they’re a good team now. Good enough to beat GT at least.”
One fan chimed in, saying, “Notre Dame looks too low and so does Georgia Tech. The rest looks like I expected.”
12 teams will make the College Football Playoff in 2025. There will be some familiar names and some lesser known to casual fans.
Vanderbilt looks to bounce back from Alabama loss
The outcry over Vanderbilt’s inclusion on the list is likely due to their loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday. The Commodores were no match for Kalen DeBoer’s team and suffered their first loss of the 2025 season.
Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson was in fine form as he racked up a stat line of 340 passing yards, two touchdowns and an interception. The skilled pocket passer bounced back from an early pick to lead his team to a well-deserved victory against a formidable opponent.
Another player who shined for the Crimson Tide was running back Jam Miller. Miller ran for 136 yards and a touchdown. Vanderbilt’s rushing defense had no answer to the running back’s elusiveness and power.
The Commodores had entered the game with five straight wins. However, there was little they could do against a back-to-the-wall Alabama team.
Next up for the Commodores is a matchup against the LSU Tigers. This is a battle between ranked teams and a test for teams looking to make the playoffs. A win against Brian Kelly’s team would go some way to silencing the doubters while also improving the playoff chances.
Edited by Nick Igbokwe
