by Leathers - When your team captures a bowl victory, finishes with a winning record and returns a bunch of starters, folks will take notice. Even writers voting in the Associated Press preseason Top 25 poll.
The Commodores received three votes in the first AP Top 25 ballot, announced Saturday morning. They were one of 10 Southeastern Conference teams to garner consideration by the writers.
College football writer Jon Wilner of the San Jose (Calif.) Mercury News had Vanderbilt No. 23 in his preseason ballot. He also included five other SEC teams in the Top 25.
Wilner also appears to be a big fan of Vanderbilt’s head coach. Here’s his explanation:
23. Vanderbilt: The schedule’s tough (LSU, Mississippi and Georgia Tech plus the SEC East). But the Commodores have almost everyone back and one of the top coaches in the country in Bobby Johnson.