Bobby Johnson's future

[GreatDanish]

Bobby Johnson has not gotten Vandy over the hump, but if you cannot tell this is a totally different Vandy program than it was 5 years ago, you're not watching.
2002 - Vandy won two games, Furman and UConn
2003 - Again, two wins, vs. Kentucky and Chattanooga
2004 - Yet again, two wins, vs. Ms. State and Eastern KY
2005 - 5 wins (@ TN)
2006 - 4 wins (@ UGA)
2007 - 5 wins (@ SC, lost @ UT by one point, lost to UGA by 3)
No one really writes them off anymore. They are not Florida, but they are also not the Vandy from years past.

This 2008 team could make a bowl, though I'm not counting on it. It is going to happen though if BJ stays put. Over the next two or three years, Vanderbilt will make a bowl game.
Their defense was tough last year, but this year it is even better, and there is only one senior starting. MacKenzie Adams is a JR, with a talented Larry Smith behind him. Their whole OL returns next year, and have some potential playmakers coming up (Jamie Graham and Austin Monahan in particular).

Does a major program eventually take a chance on him, or is he in his perfect situation?

 

[BigEasyTider]

Does a major program eventually take a chance on him, or is he in his perfect situation?

If he gets them to a bowl game, someone would be dumb not to take a chance on him. He is doing things at Vanderbilt that, frankly, haven't been done in ages, and he's doing it a time in which the SEC is stronger than ever. Clearly, the man deserves a ton of credit.

He does, however, have a pretty big problem with age. He's going to be, I think, 59 by the start of next season, and some programs will be hesitant to hire someone who they know only has four or five guaranteed years left. That won't necessarily preclude him from getting a better offer, mind you, but it certainly will not help his case.

The interesting opening with him may potentially be at Clemson. You have to figure that Tommy Bowden is living on borrowed time, and Johnson is a Clemson graduate. It seems fairly simple to me that going after Johnson would be a great move by Clemson, and I imagine he wouldn't say no to his alma mater.

 

[bamanut_aj]

As much as I despise vandy, he's done well there. CBJ may get some looks from schools with a name, but I can't imagine he'd get looks from a big-name school, a la a major BCS school. He's great for a middle of the road school, but if people thought he'd be great for their major program, they'd have already come after him.

 

[lynyrd skynyrd]

Vandy will have him as long as he wants to be there and I don't see him wanting to go. He would be a hero if he could take them to the SECCG in the next 10 years and then he will hang it up.

 

[bama243]

man how can you despise VANDY??? they have an entire team of nothing but TRY-HARDERS..

i have alot of respect for VANDY and i am very happy to see them doing well. You look at what they are doing with the amount of talent it is amazing, add to that look at how those kids carry themselves and the amount of respect they show duing interviews.

GO VANDY (obviously except when you play bama)

 

[NatchezTider]

i agree 243. you have to admire what the coach has accomplished with the cards he is dealt year-in and year-out. he has done more with less every year. the caliber of players that they have is a credit to the school and the conference.

 

[bayoutider]

Who will quarterback Vandy after Nickson is gone? Props to PJ for recruiting a blue chip QB.

 

[bamaga]

As much as I despise vandy, he's done well there. CBJ may get some looks from schools with a name, but I can't imagine he'd get looks from a big-name school, a la a major BCS school. He's great for a middle of the road school, but if people thought he'd be great for their major program, they'd have already come after him.

why do you despise vandy?

 

[CapstoneTider]

He does, however, have a pretty big problem with age. He's going to be, I think, 59 by the start of next season,

Coach Saban will turn 58 in October next season. Bill Parcels is closer to 70 than 60 I am pretty sure. In my opinion, it's not about the age as much as it is their desire to keep coaching and their state of health mentally and physically.

I just can't picture coach Saban being washed up in 8 years.

 

[Jack Bourbon]

I'm perplexed by the Vandy hate myself.

 

[bfg3rd]

I think Larry Smith from Prattville can be as good or better than Nickson.

 

[Alasippi]

man how can you despise VANDY??? they have an entire team of nothing but TRY-HARDERS..

i have alot of respect for VANDY and i am very happy to see them doing well. You look at what they are doing with the amount of talent it is amazing, add to that look at how those kids carry themselves and the amount of respect they show duing interviews.

GO VANDY (obviously except when you play bama)

Abso-Positively-Lutely
There's no way to hate Vandy. Greatest town in the world, kids that make their grades, effort that transcends their ability. I hope they win the East and play for the SEC Championship.
It would be the most refreshing thing that's ever happened to college football.
GOOD POST!

alasippi

 

[Alasippi]

...and one more point....IF you despise Vandy...you despise what college football is truly supposed to be about. They are the definition of student athlete.

 

[bamaga]

Abso-Positively-Lutely
There's no way to hate Vandy. Greatest town in the world, kids that make their grades, effort that transcends their ability. I hope they win the East and play for the SEC Championship.
It would be the most refreshing thing that's ever happened to college football.
GOOD POST!

alasippi

Northwestern is 4-0, can they win the Big Ten? I know Vandy can!!!! how about Vandy and Northwestern in the Capital One bowl!

 

[crimsonaudio]

Vandy's my second-fav team in the SEC, but AJ lives in/around Nashville, so he has to deal with Vandy people way more than most of us do. I'm sure he has a good reason...

 

[Jack Bourbon]

57 Vandy frat boys arrested celebrating winning team:

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2008/0924083vandy1.html

 

[AeroEngUA07]

Who will quarterback Vandy after Nickson is gone? Props to PJ for recruiting a blue chip QB.

Mackenzie Adams will be the starter next year, at least he is the backup and played at the end of the Ole Miss game. I personally think he is better than Nickson, he is no Jay Cutler though.

 

[bama243]

Vandy's my second-fav team in the SEC, but AJ lives in/around Nashville, so he has to deal with Vandy people way more than most of us do. I'm sure he has a good reason...

i to live in nashville and i can assure you there is not issue with "vandy people" heck even the radio stations dont talk alot about it. i drove to work (hour long) on monday and all they talked about was the titans....tues talked about HOCKEY!! they dont even get ALOT of love in their own town. There is no real issue with vandy fans compaired to the rest of the SEC fans....they are happy with a 6 win season i mean how much talking can you do with that hope each year.

they are by far my 2nd fav SEC team and i absolutly LOVE to see them doing well and this could be a special year for them. A team full of kids that work hard on and off the field and carry themselves very well.
i mean this is a team that goes into each SEC game knowing they dont have the same talent level and have to play sound football to get a win..

as i said before GO VANDY

 

[bamanut_aj]

...and one more point....IF you despise Vandy...you despise what college football is truly supposed to be about. They are the definition of student athlete.

you got me....I despise what college football is supposed to be about.

 

[bamanut_aj]

why do you despise vandy?

it really started with Gordon Gee. He was always on his high horse about how college football has its priorities all wrong. It shouldn't be about wins and losses or money, blah, blah, blah. But when everyone else's bowl game proceeds were divided up amongst the league, including to the teams who didn't contribute, he sure didn't volunteer to give his share back.

I know every conference has to have a 'worst' team....they can't all be good. But vandy has been the worst team for a quarter of a century, and they haven't made any serious attempts to get better. They've stuck with CBJ, that's great. What else? Facility upgrades? Sure, they got a weight room and added a moon bounce out front of the stadium for the kids. And they did some painting. They've waited on NCAA-mandated parity to even the field rather than trying to make things happen themselves; there again, Gordon Gee tried his best to bring the rest of football down to his level instead of trying to step up to everyone else's level.

To the poster who said nobody ever talks about vandy on the radio up here: We must listen to different channels. Many of their fans are like people with new money. In the past it's been that they'd win a big game and all of a sudden you'd think they were kings of the SEC. They finally beat ut 4 years ago and they made a DVD about the win; and I'm not kidding. They put out radio ads to sell the DVD....about beating ut. Now that they're undefeated, it's like Bubba winning the $100,000 jackpot around here.

But those are my reasons and my reasons only. You're free to pull for them if that's what you want. I'm a fan of a good underdog story myself, just not the vandy underdog story.