This Tuesday’s CFP ranking suggests that the Vanderbilt Commodores still have more to prove. While they were in the top 10 of the CFP rankings, things changed as they have been bumped down several positions and are now standing at the 14th position. But the Head Coach of the Eastern Kentucky men’s basketball team delivered a bold endorsement for Diego Pavia and his team.

At Wednesday’s press conference ahead of Vanderbilt’s game against Kentucky, when AW Hamilton was asked about the matchup, he didn’t hold back, lavishing praise on the Commodores’ football team. “I think they’re an NCAA Tournament team,” said Hamilton. Being a basketball HC, his words simply indicate Vanderbilt is good enough to make it to the postseason championship. And a man who has tutored 11 all-conference selections over his first 7 seasons with several awards, these words speak volumes.

This strength doesn’t come from one source alone, but a big part of it definitely comes from Pavia. After spending two seasons with New Mexico State, when Pavia joined the Commodores, his dual-threat ability quickly made its mark. Now in his second season with Vanderbilt, he is nothing but sensational. So far this season, Pavia has thrown for 2,440 yards and just five interceptions, while adding 613 rushing yards on the ground.

Probably that’s why, after the Auburn win, Clark Lea said, “The guy took the game over. I’ve said it at this podium before, but in our minds, he’s the best player in the country. He found a way to win the game for us tonight. … Diego made it happen.” His heroics didn’t go unnoticed.

Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia was electric in their game against Auburn, throwing for 377 yards and zero interceptions. With that, they not only got a 45-38 win against the Tigers. But the Commodores also kept their CFP dreams alive, sitting at No. 6 with an 8-2 overall record. Unfortunately, the CFP rankings tell a completely different story.

While the Auburn win was crucial for Vanderbilt’s CFP hopes, as Lea said before kickoff, “We’re out of opportunities. Everything’s at stake, and the mission is winning,” the current ranking still keeps Vanderbilt outside the Top 10. What could be the reason behind it?

Why is Diego Pavia’s team’s CFP rank so low?

In Tuesday’s CFP Ranking, Vanderbilt placed at No. 14, exactly after Utah, despite having two losses this season, like many other teams. Yes, with losses this season, teams like Notre Dame, Texas, and Oklahoma sit ahead of the Commodores. Now, while questions are swirling about Vanderbilt’s CFP snub, especially given their strong metrics, Baylor AD Mack Rhoades came up with a reason.

When Rhoades was asked why the Commodores sit behind two-loss teams like Utah and ND despite a better strength of record and schedule, he was candid. “We had a conversation about Vanderbilt. Playing an Auburn team that made a coaching change, taking that to overtime, a win in overtime at home,” said the Baylor AD. “There’s a lot of talk about Diego Pavia, maybe the most important individual to their team.”

Then he added that while Vanderbilt’s wins over LSU, South Carolina, and Missouri were impressive, teams like Utah had more convincing victories. According to him, Utah’s wins over Cincinnati and Arizona State tipped the scales in the committee’s eyes. Here’s where Yahoo Sports’ Dan Wolken made a bold take.

He didn’t seem to buy the CFP committee’s rankings for two reasons: first, Auburn played with an interim HC, which could be confusing for the Commodores to handle; second, Utah’s QB shows fewer impressive metrics compared to Pavia. “Great example of why the committee shouldn’t do weekly rankings. So Vanderbilt gets evaluated for playing a team that fired its coach (which actually might have made Auburn better) while they cite a Utah win over a team that didn’t have its quarterback. Just so stupid,” wrote Wolken.

Still, we will see where Vanderbilt stands in the CFP rankings after the regular season ends, with Pavia’s continued rise. Sound of in the comments.