HC Clark Lea and QB1 Diego Pavia did not shy away as CFB ignored Vanderbilt’s playoff hopes. The 23-year-old was also not going to keep quiet for his Heisman moment. With Championship weekend in full swing, Ten powers Ohio State and Indiana battled for the conference title; Pavia landed right between their quarterbacks in the rankings. He sat just behind Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and slightly ahead of Ohio State’s Julian Sayin. However, as the first half in Indianapolis came to an end, the momentum shifted.

The Commodores QB wasted no time strengthening his Heisman case. A fan recently tweeted highlighting a striking comparison: Fernando Mendoza’s last five games (including Ohio State) totaled 1,007 passing yards and 69 rushing yards. Meanwhile, Diego Pavia put up 1,290 passing yards and 368 rushing yards in just four games. Even with an extra game, Mendoza wasn’t close.

Pavia didn’t hesitate to repost the tweet, making sure the Heisman panel saw the numbers for themselves.

This urgency is justified. Last night, Mendoza entered to face the Buckeyes, being number one in the Heisman race. However, the stock soared when Indiana QB’s pass was intercepted with 1:41 left in the first quarter. Curt Cignetti’s team started at its own 19-yard line after a touchback and a short series of plays. Mendoza attempted a screen pass, but it was tipped and intercepted by Ohio State defender Davison Igbinosun. The Buckeyes quickly turned the mistake into points. Julian Sayin could have secured the No. 1 spot if one of his throws hadn’t been intercepted.

On Ohio State’s first offensive drive, Julian Sayin threw a pass that Indiana’s Louis Moore intercepted, setting the Hoosiers up with excellent field position at the OSU 23-yard line. It marked the second straight game in which Sayin threw an interception on his opening possession. These mistakes helped Diego Pavia big time. Mendoza holds a slight edge in season-long completion percentage (72.0% to Pavia’s 71.2%), but Pavia has posted the stronger passer rating over their last five games.

Both quarterbacks are highly efficient, but an undefeated record for Indiana at the end will definitely be favored. Even though Pavia has led Vandy to its best start since 1947, they might be overlooked even for the playoffs.

Clark Lea’s plea to the CFP

Currently, they are 14th in the College Football Playoff rankings, just outside the 12-team bracket, with no conference championship game to play their way in. But Clark Lea isn’t going to stand by silently. So, before the committee presents its listings today, Lea issued a 3-word ultimatum .

“PUT. US. IN,” he wrote on X.

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As per Lea, “You can try to talk your way into whatever you want. A 10-2 SEC team, playing its best football late. With the best offense in the country. With the best Quarterback in the country.”

The strength of competition also plays a role here. Pavia plays in the SEC, arguably the toughest conference in the country. He has faced the No. 22 strength of schedule. Vanderbilt has also faced six ranked opponents this season, compared to just three for Ohio State and two for Indiana. For comparison, among all the teams in the CFP mix, Vanderbilt has the fifth-toughest strength of schedule. Programs like Miami (No. 44), BYU (No. 35), and Utah (No. 57) aren’t even close.

Vanderbilt also has four ranked wins and six victories over top-50 teams in ESPN’s FPI. And right now, they’re playing their best football of the season. The offense Clark Lea keeps praising is scoring 39.4 points per game. It’s the program’s highest mark since 1915. Plus, it ranks second in the SEC and top ten nationally. That’s all down to QB Diego Pavia, who still put up the best numbers, despite the tough fixtures. Naturally, he doesn’t want to be left out of either the Heisman race or playoff contention.