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It’s only natural for a team to schedule a few easy games, but when every scheduled non-conference team isn’t very good, it can hurt a team’s potential. The Vanderbilt Commodores will suffer from this problem in the 2013 season because they play in the SEC and their non-conference opposition isn’t to par.
Vanderbilt plays the Austin Peay Governors, the UMass Minutemen, the UAB Blazers and the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. These four teams are the Commodores’ only non-conference opposition on the season. All of these teams are fairly weak in comparison to most of the teams that the other members of the SEC have scheduled. The Commodores are hurting their season by playing sub par opposition for non-conference games in 2013.
The Commodores believe that they can compete in the SEC East this season, but how can they compete when in between crucial SEC match-ups they play weak opposition? The players will get to rest, but do you want your team to come into an important game relaxed? James Franklin has to keep his team focused when facing these weaker opponents who aren’t in the SEC.
Vanderbilt has to start scheduling tougher non-conference opposition if they want to succeed in the SEC. The SEC is all about toughness and grit in a long season. If the Commodores want to make a name for themselves as the “no name” team that continues to beat the top SEC teams, they have to win in the SEC as well as win against top national teams. Vanderbilt cannot make the top 25 rankings when playing such weak opposition out of their conference. The Commodores’ weak schedule will hinder their 2013 season and bowl placement.
