History is happening before our eyes in Nashville. Thanks to their 31-7 win Saturday at South Carolina, the Vanderbilt Commodores are 3-0 for the first time since 2017. In addition, Vandy’s wins over Charleston Southern, Virginia Tech and the Gamecocks have all been by 20 or more points. The last time that happened came in 1930.
With the Commodores now halfway to bowl eligibility, BetTennessee.com has developed the following odds on where Clark Lea’s team may spend the bowl season. As a reminder, these odds are for infotainment purposes only, and you will not find them at any licensed Tennessee sportsbooks.
Bowl, Location | Conference Opponent | Odds | Percent Chance |
Gasparilla Bowl, St. Petersburg, FL | AAC or ACC | +400 | 20% |
Music City Bowl, Nashville | Big Ten | +400 | 20% |
Texas Bowl, Houston | Big 12 | +650 | 13.3% |
Duke’s Mayo Bowl, Charlotte, NC | ACC | +1075 | 8.5% |
College Football Playoff First Round, TBD | TBD | +2400 | 4% |
The Field (Other Bowl or No Bowl) |
| +190 | 34.5% |
With nine games left on the schedule, Vandy’s bowl picture is still panoramic. However, the Commodores are already more than halfway to the BetMGM Tennessee season wins projection, so there is hope the team will go to a bowl game for a second consecutive season. That’s only happened one other time, when the school went to three straight from 2011-2013 in the James Franklin era.
Since the SEC has 16 teams, it can be a little messy when trying to project what teams will be bowl eligible and where they may play. For now, the Gasparilla or Music City bowl seem the most likely destinations. The Music City Bowl, of course, would be a double-edged sword. It means the team wouldn’t get to spend a week in some exotic locale, but it also would mean more fans would likely attend.
However, as I like to say, you don’t dance until you reach the end zone, and while Vandy is three wins away, the schedule is daunting. So, there’s still a chance the Commodores season ends in Knoxville on Nov. 29 against the Tennessee Volunteers.
The Commodores have two nonconference games before getting back into SEC play. This Saturday, they host Georgia State, a Sun Belt school that beat Vanderbilt in Atlanta last year. Vandy will then host Utah State on Sept. 27, a first-time matchup between those schools.
When Vanderbilt returns to SEC play next month, it faces a two-month gauntlet. Six of the seven conference teams remaining on the schedule are currently ranked.
While beating a ranked Gamecocks squad in Columbia, SC was eye-opening for many, the Commodores still have games left at Alabama, Texas and Tennessee – all teams many expect to be under consideration for a College Football Playoff berth. The teams headed to Nashville are LSU, Missouri, Auburn and Kentucky. While UK is the only team unranked, the Wildcats have lost two out of the last three overall in the series, they have won the last four games in Nashville by 17 points or more.
BetTennessee.com will continue to monitor the Commodores and update their bowl chances as the season progresses.
Author
Steve is an accomplished, award-winning reporter with more than 20 years of experience covering gaming, sports, politics and business. He has written for the Associated Press, Reuters, The Louisville Courier Journal, The Center Square and numerous other publications. Based in Louisville, Ky., Steve has covered the expansion of sports betting in the U.S. and other gaming matters.
