Jacob Bunn's 2011 Vanderbilt Football Preview
Posted on May 24, 2011 by Jacob Bunn
Predicted 2011 Record: 6-6 (2-6)
Last year was a disappointing season for Vanderbilt. The Commodores finished 2-10 overall and 1-7 in the SEC. Part of the reason for the poor performance could have been the departure of the head coach, Bobby Johnson, a couple of months prior to the beginning of play. Robbie Caldwell, who was the assistant head coach under Johnson, was promoted to the position of head coach. He did the best he could under the circumstances, but there was a feeling after the end of last season that an improvement had to be made. So, the Commodores hired the ‘coach in waiting’ at Maryland, James Franklin. Since the hire, there have been positive vibes coming from Nashville about the direction of Commodore football. Everyone knows the real test, though, will come on the gridiron in the fall.
This is how I see Vanderbilt’s 2011 season shaking out:
Sept 3 – Elon (Win 28-6)
Sept 10 – Uconn (Win 20-18)
Sept 17 – Ole Miss (Win 13-10)
Sept 24 – @South Carolina (Loss 24-17)
Oct 1 – Off
Oct 8 – Alabama (Loss 20-10)
Oct 15 – Georgia (Loss 23-20 in Overtime)
Oct 22 – Army (Win 26-17)
Oct 29 – Arkansas (Loss 27-21)
Nov 5 – @Florida (Loss 14-7)
Nov 12 – Kentucky (Win 28-20)
Nov 19 – @Tennessee (Loss 17-13)
Nov 26 – @Wake Forest (Win 20-14)
So, after the terrible finish of 2010, I predict the Commodores will rebound under the new leadership of James Franklin and finish at 6-6 overall (2-6 in the SEC). Vanderbilt will not challenge for the SEC East, but conference teams should beware if they have Vanderbilt on the schedule.
