SEC Football: Momentum, who has ‘Big Mo’ and who is stuck with ‘No Mo’
By Ronald Evans
Vanderbilt Commodores – Derek Mason – ‘Big Mo’
In SEC football, momentum takes many forms. For some SEC football schools, a bowl game loss does nothing to diminish ‘Big Mo.’
No disrespect intended but it does not take much to excite Vanderbilt football fans. There are no ho-hum wins in Nashville. Beating a SEC football foe, any SEC foe is always a time for high celebration.
In 2016, Vandy beat Georgia, Ole Miss and hated rival Tennessee. From 1983 – 2011 Vanderbilt beat Tennessee one time. With the 2016 win Vandy has won three out of the last five against the Vols. Dores fans loudly proclaim they now own football in the state of Tennessee.
What we have here is ‘Big Mo’ – Vandy style. It is not to be taken lightly.
The 2016, 6-6 record took the Dores to a bowl game. It did not matter which one. It did not matter the opponent. It did not even matter that Vandy lost.
To counter the haunting fear their new football strength will not be lasting, Vandy fans will enjoy this offseason more than any group of SEC football fans.
As we recently wrote, the SEC has early games to Regain Swagger in the first two weekends of the 2017 season. Vandy’s game against Middle Tennessee State is as important for the Dores as any of the other nine, more high-profile contests.
The Dores cannot follow wins against Georgia, Ole Miss and Tennessee, claim control over football in Tennessee, and then lose to MTSU.
Assuming Vandy gets past MTSU and easily beats Alabama A&M, football reality will return to Nashville in September. In four successive weeks, the Commodores will play Kansas State, Alabama, Florida on the road and Georgia. Having three of the four at home will be little help.
‘Big Mo’ will turn to ‘No Mo’ in Nashville.