Again, not exactly a neutral game. Vanderbilt will travel 183 miles to Birmingham compared to 566 for Houston. Hum, these two teams have the same 8-4 straight up mark but only one is in the SEC. Yes, Houston does have a better points per game ratio and competitive in each loss all to solid teams. Their schedule cannot compete with Vandy.

The Commodores are not far removed from being a doormat in the SEC, so motivation is no worry, especially playing pretty close to home. In fact, they come in with a chip on their shoulder as the last team selected.

The Commodores have limited their last four opponents to an average of 13.5 points. Yes we do say that the rest can crush such momentum, but it is also indicative of how a defense will improve after facing South Carolina, Missouri, Georgia, and Texas A&M, all with very good QBs.