LEXINGTON, Ky. — Mark Stoops opened his weekly press conference on Monday with this: “I don’t have to worry about selling Vanderbilt anymore and telling you how good they are.”
No, you don’t. Not now. Not after last Saturday. Not after Vanderbilt 40, Alabama 35. Not after the Commodores’ first win over a No. 1-ranked team since, well, ever, as it turns out. Not since Vanderbilt, who lost 30-27 in overtime at then No. 7-ranked Missouri on Sept. 21, could easily be 2-0 in the SEC with victories over two top 10 teams.
Vanderbilt? Yes, Vanderbilt. So as the Commodores come to Kroger Field to play Stoops’ Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday for a 7:45 p.m. ET tilt on the SEC Network, let us ask a simple question: How did we get here?
After all, Alabama wasn’t the only highly ranked team to come tumbling down last Saturday. No. 4 Tennessee …