There were a lot of potential storylines that could come out of SEC media days this week before the beginning of the 2024 football season. Future Southeastern Conference champion Vanderbilt Commodores was not supposed to be one of them.
SEC media days are one of the most interesting things we have going on this week in the sports world during the unofficial slowest time in the sporting calendar. And they just got a whole lot more interesting… and perplexing based upon the Friday release of the annual preseason poll from SEC media.
When the poll was unveiled, there were no real surprises in the 1-16 rankings of the new look league. Georgia led the way at #1 followed by newcomer Texas, Alabama, Ole Miss, and LSU to complete the Top 5. But all the way down at the poll in 16th place came perennial basement dweller Vanderbilt. Except strangely, somehow, beyond all levels of comprehension, logic, and the laws of the universe, Vanderbilt had two first place votes.
#SEC Football Media Predicted Order Of Finish
1. UGA (165)
2. Texas (27)
3. Alabama (12)
4. Ole Miss (4)
5. LSU (2)
6. Mizzou
7. Tennessee
8. Oklahoma
9. Texas A&M
10. Auburn
11. Kentucky
12. Florida
13. South Carolina (1)
14. Arkansas
15. Mississippi State
16. Vandy (2)— SEC Unfiltered (@SECUnfiltered) July 19, 2024
In case you’re wondering how this could be, apparently the SEC isn’t so strict with the eligibility requirements for who is able to vote in the preseason poll. South Carolina (ranked 11th in the poll) also received an outlier vote. But what makes it all the more incredible is that traditional powerhouses like Oklahoma and Tennessee did not receive a single first place vote.
Reminder: the SEC “media poll” is a very limited reflection of what the media thinks. Only 213 of over 1K voted (and anyone with a credential, including marketing guys for SEC partners, can vote). It’s how you end up with more votes for Vandy/SC to win the SEC than Oklahoma/Tenn.
— Heath Cline (@heathradio) July 19, 2024
And believe it or not, this is not a new sensation. Last year, Vanderbilt received a whopping five first place votes in the 2023 version. Unfortunately for those voters, Vandy went 0-8 in the SEC last year on their way to a 2-10 season.
But you have to give these trolls, jokesters, and/or Vanderbilt loyalists credit for this – one year those first place votes are going to pay off in a big way when the Commodores shock the world.
