“This is going to be the new staple of college football. It’s going to happen here at Vanderbilt.”Diego Pavia wasn’t throwing words out there when he said this. And boy, did it show on that unforgettable night in Nashville when Vanderbilt shocked the world by toppling the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide in 2024. The Bama’s were favored by 22.5 points, and with a history of 0-60 all-time against top-five teams, nobody gave the Commodores much of a chance. The Commodores jumped out fast, scoring the first 13 points and taking command early. Alabama fought back, but Vanderbilt held a 23-14 lead going into halftime, their largest against the top-ranked team ever. And yet, despite the historic upset, Vanderbilt didn’t get their due. The win was widely dismissed as a fluke.

Pavia was the star of the night, leading the charge with calm confidence and electric plays. He passed for 233 yards and two touchdowns, and scrambled for another 56 yards on the ground. When Alabama closed the gap late to 40-35, Pavia gathered his teammates in the huddle and said, “Games like this change your life.” Fast forward to 2025, and there are still doubts looming over the Commodores’ credibility. Business as usual for an underdog still fighting for national respect. And this time, the shade is coming from the GOAT itself. Former Alabama coach Nick Saban is out there with his bold remarks against Vanderbilt. “Everywhere is hard to play in the SEC except for Vanderbilt,” Yes, Saban said this.

Diego wouldn’t let that slide. “Oh well, I just love it. You know, I love the competitive spirit,” Diego said in a recent conversation on the Netflix Sports Club podcast. “It’s just probably how he feels, but I think it’s a new vanity round. I wanna get more fans in the stadium. Obviously, I think he was referring to the stands that mostly it’s mostly Alabama and the other fans like them, so I wanna get more Vanderbilt fans in there, and that’ll come with winning, so I just gotta win more.” This goes back to that viral comment of Alabama’s WR, Ryan Williams’ comment on the upcoming Vanderbilt game, “We’re going to kill an ant with a sledgehammer.” But Pavia didn’t get riled up or throw shade back. Instead, he showed respect for Williams as a “great competitor” with a “naturally talented gift from God.”

But underneath that polite front, Pavia made it clear Vanderbilt isn’t backing down or scared to play in Alabama’s home stadium. They’re ready to bring the fight. And this time, Pavia is on a mission to bring more Vanderbilt fans to the Bryan-Denny Stadium. Last year, Vanderbilt fans made this game feel different. They turned the stadium into a place charged with hope and pride. The kickoff to chaos came as fans surged onto the field at the final whistle, storming the turf in jubilation. The uproar was so infectious that some fans even carried pieces of the goalposts to Broadway in downtown Nashville. This showed just how much this meant to the community and the university. This fierce home support turned what used to be a mostly Alabama-friendly crowd into a sea of Commodore energy.

And Pavia wants to repeat it. Pavia cleverly used the situation to motivate his team and fans. On social media, he posted Williams’ quote alongside Gucci Mane’s lyrics. Pavia’s cool-headed response reflects Vanderbilt’s rise in confidence after last season’s historic win. He respects the talent and power Alabama brings. But he also believes Vanderbilt has grown into a team that no longer plays the underdog role silently. On top of that, Head Coach Clark Lea’s defense, which frustrated Alabama last year with aggressive tactics and smart reads, will once again be a formidable wall. The defense’s ability to create turnovers (+9 turnover differential in 2024) was a huge factor in the upset and is expected to keep Alabama guessing and under pressure.

Nick Saban calls out the playoff committee’s tough love

Nick Saban openly blamed the College Football Playoff (CFP) committee for Alabama’s setbacks last year. Saban highlighted a flaw in the playoff selection process where teams with challenging schedules, like Alabama, get penalized heavily for losses rather than rewarded adequately for the strength of their opponents. Alabama, with the 16th toughest schedule, won marquee games against Georgia, LSU, and South Carolina but still missed the playoff spot due to losses that stood out more in the committee’s eyes.

That includes the shocking defeat to Vanderbilt. The Vanderbilt game was a seismic event. It not only ended Alabama’s dominance over Vanderbilt that had lasted decades but also highlighted the unpredictability of college football. Saban’s comments before the loss had downplayed Vanderbilt as an easy venue in the SEC, noting the lack of a hostile environment with more Alabama fans usually in the stands than Vanderbilt supporters.

But Vanderbilt’s 40-35 upset shattered those assumptions. Saban’s frustration with the CFP committee stems from how losses. And especially unexpected setbacks like against Vanderbilt. That carries disproportionate weight, overshadowing tough schedules and quality wins. The committee’s approach effectively penalizes teams playing in one of the nation’s hardest conferences, the SEC, making it tougher for them to earn playoff spots despite competitive play.