Pretenders Versus Contenders

I attended classes at Vanderbilt University for a semester and two summer sessions several decades back. I knew some of the athletes in passing, including football players. The team back then was not very good on the gridiron. For a couple of games recently, the Vandy boys looked like they may have turned a corner and become competitive in the incredibly tough Southeastern Conference. They managed consecutive wins over Kentucky in Lexington and then at home over the Gators. This was the first time the Commodores had managed that feat against conference rivals in a long time. They were brimming with confidence when their arch-foe Tennessee arrived in Nashville after sustaining a devastating road loss to South Carolina, and in the process, losing their Heisman hopeful star quarterback. A victory over the Vols would send Vanderbilt bowling. In the event, the Dores were bowled over and thrashed fifty-six to nothing. Maybe, my hometown team improved some, but they are far from being able to compete at the top level of the toughest conference in college football.