Oct 6, 2008 - 7:46 PM
0 shoutsBy Jim Ralabate PA SportsTicker College Football Editor
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The year was 1943. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, in his third term, was presiding over an increasingly stable American economy. The Boston Red Sox were a bottom-of-the-barrel team in the American League. Gas cost approximately 10 cents per gallon.
And Vanderbilt's football team was 5-0.
Sixty-five years later, America is in the process of selecting a new president. The national economy is in the toilet. The Red Sox are the best team in baseball. Gasoline prices? Let's not go there.
But the Commodores are still 5-0, and they may not be finished there.
A perennial doormat in the SEC, Vanderbilt quietly has climbed its way into the top 15 in the national rankings courtesy of its best start since 1943. The Commodores finished 5-0 that year in a season abbreviated by World War II.
Led by enthusiastic coach Bobby Johnson and a stifling defense, Vanderbilt already has matched its win total from last year and is on pace for its first winning season since 1982. And if they can pull a few more rabbits out of their hats, the Commodores also could be headed to Atlanta for the SEC title game.
I know, I know - this is Vanderbilt we're talking about. And in all likelihood, the Commodores have no chance to beat teams like Florida or Georgia - a pair of SEC powerhouses on their schedule over the next month.
But these certainly are not your father's - or even your grandfather's - Commodores. That clearly was evident this past weekend, when Vanderbilt upset Auburn, 14-13, to record its first win against the Tigers since the 1955 Gator Bowl.
"I don't know where this one ranks," Johnson said after the win. "Back when Dan McGugin was the coach (1904-1934) his teams beat teams, 150-0. We'll gather all of that information up at the end of the season, and see how we do."
Regardless of how they finish, the Commodores already have accomplished more than many expected of them this season.
Vanderbilt is 3-0 in SEC play for the first time since 1950 and currently sits atop the league's East Division, ahead of Florida (2-1) and Georgia (1-1). A surprise to some, but not the Commodores.
"The attitude in the locker room throughout the season has been to expect to win," wide receiver George Smith said. "We've turned a corner in the program. We've brought in better players and work hard to bring a winning attitude to our work."
That hard work obviously has paid off, especially in the second half of games, when the Commodores have outscored their opponents by a whopping margin of 58-10 this season.
In their latest win, the Commodores erased a six-point halftime deficit to snap their 13-game losing streak to Auburn.
"I think our staff does a fantastic job of looking at what we've been running the whole first half," Johnson said. "It allows our guys to play fast and confidently, and just go out there and execute a few things and execute them well.
"The other thing is we stay aggressive. We don't get into a shell because someone is moving the ball."
Johnson realizes his team will have to stay aggressive this upcoming weekend against a hard-nosed Mississippi State team coming off a bye.
"It's always going to be a tough battle for us whenever we have to go down to a tough place to play," Johnson said. "(Mississippi State) is a team that has had a tough schedule and they've had a week off, so they'll be ready to go. It's going to be a tough game for us."
And while the optimism in Nashville is at an all-time high, Vanderbilt still needs to avoid looking ahead.
After all, if they win at Mississippi State, the Commodores will be 6-0 for the first time since 1928.
THE BAD, THE WORSE AND THE UGLY: Like last week, we will sort and rank the worst five teams in the country. Only BCS conference schools are eligible for this prestigious list.
Virginia unfortunately falls from the rankings following a 31-0 victory over Maryland. The Cavaliers improved to 2-3 with the win, their first over an FBS opponent.
So without further ado, here are the worst five football teams, listed in reverse order:
5. Rutgers (1-4). The Scarlet Knights clearly have not adjusted to L.W.R.R. - Life Without Ray Rice. After losing two home games to start the season, Rutgers was upset by Navy before finally getting a win against mighty Morgan State. But the Knights returned to reality last week, when they were beaten by an overrated West Virginia team.
4. Texas A&M (2-3). The Aggies also enter the rankings following an impressive 56-28 loss to Oklahoma. Don't let the final score fool you - the Aggies trailed, 35-7, in the third quarter before scoring some garbage time touchdowns. And this was one week after they barely beat Army.
3. Washington (0-5). The Huskies are firmly entrenched in this spot as the only BCS conference team without a win this season. To be fair, three of those losses have come to ranked teams - Oregon, BYU and Oklahoma. But to lose to Stanford and Arizona while allowing 83 points in the process - that is not very good.
2. Washington State (1-5). Another week, another outstanding effort from the Cougars, who are closing in on the No. 1 spot. Washington State's only win came against Portland State, and it's five losses have been by a combined margin of 241-50. That's an average of just over 38 points per loss. Wow.
1. Syracuse (1-4). Even though the Orange had a bye last week, it is not fair to downgrade a team simply based on its schedule. Therefore, Syracuse retains its coveted spot as the worst team in the country.
WEEKLY WEIS WATCH: Give Charlie Weis some credit - Notre Dame actually has taken care of business at home.
Despite a poor finish, the Fighting Irish outclassed Stanford this past week to improve to 4-1. All four of those wins have come in South Bend.
Although they have received very little recognition in the national polls, Weis and the Irish can take a major step in their resurrection process this upcoming week with a win at North Carolina.
But before they leave for Chapel Hill, Weis should probably figure out what he is going to do at kicker. Brandon Walker has made just 1-of-7 field goal attempts this season.
EXTRA POINTS: North Carolina entered the Associated Press poll for the first time since 2001. Look for the Heels to enter the coaches' poll as well next week if they beat the Irish. ... Kudos also to Ball State, which joined the AP rankings for the first time in school history. Take a bow Dave Letterman.
Question or comment? E-mail james.ralabate@pa-sportsticker.com.
