Overview
- Diego Pavia surged to the top of the Heisman odds at -110 on BetMGM after early turnovers by Big Ten title game contenders.
- Vanderbilt remains No. 14 in the penultimate CFP rankings despite a 10-2 season, with earlier wins over ranked foes no longer counting as top‑10 victories.
- Athletic director Candice Lee said the program pursued an exempt 13th game this weekend but could not clear operational and legislative hurdles.
- Pavia publicly argued the CFP process is driven by politics and vowed to play any opponent, while coach Clark Lea said the selection criteria keep shifting.
- The CFP committee announces its final field on Dec. 7, leaving Vanderbilt reliant on championship‑week results to open a path.