On Tuesday night, the College Football Playoff selection committee suggested Vanderbilt had more work to do if it wanted to make the final bracket.
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The only problem: The Commodores don’t have another game currently on their schedule before the final rankings are released on Sunday.
Following a 45-24 win over No. 19 Tennessee in Week 14, the committee kept Vandy ranked at No. 14, allowing Texas to jump to No. 13 with an upset win of Texas A&M on Friday night.
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Vanderbilt finished conference play with a 6-2 record, tied for fifth place in the SEC. The SEC Championship Game is set to be played between No. 3 Georgia and No. 9 Alabama at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Saturday.
That game could decide whether No. 10 Notre Dame or No. 12 Miami gets in the CFP.
Vandy wants a chance to play an extra game to move up the rankings for Sunday.
Per Alaina Morris of 247 Sports, Vandy head coach Clark Lea has told his team to be prepared to play in a game on Saturday.
“Clark Lea said yesterday he told his team to have their bags packed in case a team wanted to play this Saturday, and that is true of today,” Morris posted on X. “He said he’d prepare his team to play in two days if called to.”
Lea suggested the program’s resolve to make the CFP would be stronger in 2026.
“If they want to keep us out of the playoff this year, we’ll have to kick the damn door down next year,” Lea said.
It’s unclear how the logistics of such a game between Vandy and a yet-unnamed opponent would work. It’s also unclear if the Commodores have reached out to another program to schedule a game for Saturday.
The Irish and Hurricanes would make the most sense to want to play in such a game. Notre Dame is on the bubble and would be out with a Georgia loss, and if No. 11 BYU beats No. 4 Texas Tech in the Big 12 championship.
Miami would certainly earn points to knock out the Irish if they beat Vandy–if the committee were allowed to count the exhibition match.
No game is expected to be played, but Lea provided an extra bit of intrigue on Wednesday.
For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.
