No. 10 Vanderbilt Football will host No. 15 Missouri on Oct. 25 for a momentous matchup that will no doubt have College Football Playoff implications for the winner. The nation will have its eyes set on Nashville for the 2:30 p.m. CDT kickoff, with ESPN’s College GameDay coming to campus for the first time since 2008.
The Commodores and the Tigers have a storied past: the two teams first met in 1895 when Missouri won 16-0 in Columbia, Missouri. Since then, they have clashed 16 more times, with the Tigers leading the all-time matchup at 12-4-1. The programs took a 54-year hiatus from playing each other between 1958 and 2012 but have faced off each season since. Missouri currently holds a five-game winning streak in the series, most recently defeating the Commodores 30-27 in double overtime last year.
Saturday could be Commodores’ chance to snap their five-game losing streak and add to their CFP candidacy. With that said, let’s look at some parallels between that 2008 season and the history Vanderbilt fans are witnessing right now.
Vanderbilt started 5-0 in both seasons, catapulting it into the AP Top 25. In 2008, the Commodores opened the season with a 34-13 win over Miami (Ohio) before hosting and defeating the No. 24 South Carolina Gamecocks, 24-17. Two more wins — over Rice at home (38-21) and Ole Miss on the road (23-17) — had Vanderbilt ranked No. 21 after its 4-0 start. That was its best start since 1943, prompting a visit from College Gameday when it hosted No.13 Auburn on Sept. 28.
Despite the win over Auburn, the Commodores struggled to match that same success in the back half of the season, going 1-6 and dropping out of the Poll as quickly as they broke into it. Ultimately, Vanderbilt finished that season with a win over Boston College in the Music City Bowl. While the finish was not as exciting as the start, the campaign ended a streak of 25–straight losing seasons and earned the team’s first bowl appearance since 1982.
Vanderbilt quickly matched that 5-0 start this year — its first since 2008 — defeating opponents by a combined margin of 249-86. Like the 2008 team, the Commodores also gained a big win over a ranked South Carolina team. This time, though, South Carolina was ranked No.11 and Vanderbilt beat the Gamecocks on the road. It has improved upon its 2008 start by already securing bowl-eligibility when it improved to 6-1 with a win over No. 10 LSU at home on Oct. 18 — the earliest that Vanderbilt has ever qualified for a bowl game.
A steadfast defense was the key to Vanderbilt’s success in the last season it hosted College GameDay; this year, its offense leads the way, ranking among the best in the nation in points per game and third-down conversion rate. While Vanderbilt has matched and built upon the history etched in 2008, the Commodores are simultaneously looking to write their own history. Vanderbilt hosted College Gameday once against a Tiger opponent: Can it repeat history?
Much like this year, Vanderbilt Football experienced unprecedented fan support in 2008 thanks to its newfound success.
Students turned out in droves for the Friday segments and, of course, the official GameDay broadcast on Saturday. The hosts were the legendary Lee Corso — who retired from the show this year — along with Chris Fowler and longtime GameDay staple Kirk Herbstreit.
The legendary signs were in attendance, with The Hustler archives stating among the best was “The nerds shall inherit the turf,” while the New York Times cited a sign worded “Geeks rule.” Although Corso picked Auburn to win, the fanbase was fired up from the segment and later that evening, they headed over to Vanderbilt Stadium (now FirstBank) for a 5 p.m. CDT kick time. 39,773 people were in attendance at Vanderbilt Stadium for that win over Auburn , with a packed student section in the center.
This student support — coming off 25 losing seasons — is reminiscent of the enthusiasm the Commodores have experienced in the past two seasons. Just three years ago, the student section and the wider stadium were taken over by visiting fans amongst an abysmal season where Vanderbilt went 2-10. Now the program is selling out games against non-Power Four opponents and has sold out its student sections in minutes for the past two games. Just like in 2008, Vanderbilt students are relishing the exciting success of their football team.
The win over Auburn on the day Vanderbilt last hosted College GameDay did not come easy. The Commodore defense made a statement with a goal-line stop on the Tigers’ opening drive. The offense, however, was unable to find the endzone in the first quarter while the Tigers rebounded. Chris Todd found receivers in the endzone twice to put the Tigers up 13-0 — the largest deficit Vanderbilt faced all season. The Commodore defense provided a momentum shift, though, with two consecutive stops, and Vanderbilt finally found paydirt to pull within one possession of the Tigers at halftime.
The second half saw a full turning of the tide. Vanderbilt’s defense forced Auburn away from its rush game, making a scrambling pass offense punt the ball seven drives in a row. Meanwhile, Vanderbilt’s offense picked up where it left off in the second quarter, scoring a touchdown just minutes into the third and putting it up by a slim one-point margin. That one point was all it would need with its defense continuing to impress, putting up a total of three shutout quarters and allowing just 82 yards against a previously potent Auburn offense.
Commodore Nation is undoubtedly excited to once again host College Gameday and, for many longtime fans, it has been a long time coming. In turn, the team they root for is looking to improve to 7-1 and continue to add to its CFP resume.
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Bob zhorner • Oct 22, 2025 at 11:50 am CDT
What you failed to mention was the Guest Picker: Kenny Chesney. Although a huge TN fan he was the singular person on the panel to pick the Commodores over the War Eagles/Tigers/Plainsmen.
