Vanderbilt Football (5-2, 2-1) was ranked at No. 25 of the AP Top 25 Poll this afternoon, per AP News. This marks the first time the Commodores have cracked the Top 25 since 2014, when they were ranked in the final AP Poll of the 2013 season. Their ranking came thanks to a 41-24 victory over Houston in the BBVA Compass Bowl.
This also marks the first time that the ‘Dores have been ranked in a midseason edition of the AP Poll since 2008, when they were ranked at No. 22 on Oct. 18. The Black and Gold fell out of the Top 25 after a loss to Georgia and haven’t returned during the regular season since then.
The news comes less than 24 hours after Vanderbilt Football nabbed its third-straight win against Ball State on Saturday night.
The Commodores earned 68 votes in last week’s AP Poll after picking up their second-straight SEC win over Kentucky on the road. They also received 26 votes in Week Seven’s poll following a historical upset over former No. 1 Alabama. (The 40-35 win was the Commodores’ first-ever victory over a top-five team.) This week, though, the Black and Gold finally broke through, and their No. 25 ranking is evidence of their best start in years.
Vanderbilt Football was also ranked No. 25 in the Week Nine AFCA Coaches Poll.
Vanderbilt will look to improve its ranking when it welcomes Texas into FirstBank Stadium at 3:15 p.m. CDT Saturday, Oct. 26.
