Vanderbilt should win six games in 2012 and be bowl bound again

Dynamite year ahead for Vandy?

Vanderbilt football has a spring in its step, and the primary reason is head coach James Franklin. In his first year, he breathed emotion into a program that struggles to consistently win. The result was a six-win season and a Liberty Bowl berth. Despite an offseason that saw a few missteps (insulting comments about women, charges of tampering with players at Maryland), Franklin appears to have his team ready to roll this year. The result should be another six-win season and the first back-to-back bowl berths in school history.

The team's strength is its offensive backfield, specifically its running backs. Zac Stacy and Warren Norman anchor a unit that is among the best in the Southeastern Conference (and that is saying a lot). If quarterback Jordan Rodgers can just be consistent, the offense should be able to control the clock and put numbers on the board.

If there is a major difference compared to last year, it is that the schedule is not as inviting. Last year, the Commodores opened with three home games against beatable foes (Elon, Connecticut, and Ole Miss), which got them off to a hot start.  This year, the schedule is more challenging even though they avoid playing Alabama, LSU and Arkansas.

Here is Vanderbilt's schedule:  Aug. 30 vs. South Carolina, Sept. 8 at Northwestern, Sept. 15 vs. Presbyterian, Sept. 22 at Georgia, Oct. 6 at Missouri, Oct. 13 vs. Florida, Oct. 20 vs. Auburn, Oct. 27 vs. Massachusetts, Nov. 3 at Kentucky, Nov. 10 at Ole Miss, Nov. 17 vs. Tennessee, Nov. 24 at Wake Forest.

The games against Presbyterian and Massachusetts are guaranteed wins for the Commodores so there are two wins right there.  Where will the other four come from?  The season begins at home against ninth-ranked South Carolina. While some have expressed frustration about opening the season with a conference foe that is so good, I think this is good for Vandy. Playing Carolina so early allows them to avoid the wear and tear of the season that usually hurts their depth, which will help in this game. I am picking Carolina to win, but this game should be an interesting measuring stick regarding the program's growth.

The game at Northwestern is a huge swing game if the team is going to return to a bowl. Northwestern is a solid Big 10 program, and both schools face similar challenges when it comes to competing in a power conference.  However, when it comes to SEC/Big 10 matchups, a person should always take the SEC school (even if the game is on the road).  So, Vanderbilt should win this one.

Next, Vandy plays Presbyterian then travels to Georgia. Georgia is the best team in the SEC Eastern Division.  I do not see Vandy winning, but it is another measuring stick game. How far has Vandy's program come?  This is one of those games that tell us.  With a loss here, Vandy ends September with a 2-2 record.

October opens with a trip to Missouri and likely another loss. I am not convinced the Commodores are to the point they can go on the road and beat a big state school (even one new to the conference).  After this, a pivotal three-game homestand begins with games against Florida, Auburn, and Massachusetts. I already stated the Massachusetts game will be a victory.  Both Auburn and Florida should be much improved, but I cannot see Vandy losing both those games at home. I am taking Vandy to beat Auburn and finishing October with a 4-4 record.

November opens with two road games at Kentucky and at Ole Miss.  These are the two weakest teams in the SEC, and Vandy should win both to improve to 6-4. However, I seem them losing their last two. In recent years, the Commodores have played worse against Tennessee at home than in Knoxville.  Also, I know Vandy waxed Wake Forest last year, but the Demon Deacons are too good not to be motivated for revenge for that embarrassment.

So, Vandy will finish 6-6, and that should be good enough for a trip to the Music City, Liberty or Independence bowls.

Vanderbilt coach James Franklin suffered big misstep with media

Two steps forward and one step back. At least, this is the way every day seems to me. All of us try very hard, but occasionally, we do something that is wrong or offensive.

I could not help but think of this principle several weeks ago when Vanderbilt head football coach James Franklin made some unfortunate comments about his hiring practices when it comes to selecting assistant coaches. He was talking in an informal way on a Nashville radio station when he made his comments.

As published in The Tennessean, he said:  "I've been saying it for a long time. I will not hire an assistant coach until I’ve seen his wife. If she looks the part, and she’s a D-1 recruit, then you got a chance to get hired. That’s part of the deal. There’s a very strong correlation between having the confidence, going up and talking to a woman, and being quick on your feet and having some personality and confidence and being fun and articulate, than it is walking into a high school and recruiting a kid and selling him."

So, in order to be hired by Franklin, a coach has to have a smokin’ hot wife? That is what he meant by the term "D-1 recruit." He said he was joking when he made the comments, but if he has been saying this for a long time, I have to wonder if this is not partly true. After all, many people try to use humor to put across their ideas.

After receiving a talk from his boss, Franklin apologized. I will give him the benefit of the doubt and believe that he was sincere. However, he apologized by Twitter, which has always struck me as the last resort when it comes to giving apologies. Twitter comes across as a way for people to say they are sorry in the most benign way possible and not get their hands dirty.

Of course, my big concern with Franklin’s comments is how he emphasized the physical attractiveness of a woman when determining her quality as a wife. His comments seem to indicate that a man without an extremely attractive woman is somehow deficient in some way.

Unfortunately, his comments represent a common mistake when it comes to determining beauty. Physical looks is just one component when determining beauty. I am sure most of us have met somebody who is very physically attractive, but after getting to know them better, we learn there is absolutely nothing beautiful about them.

However, the attitude put forth by Franklin can lead us down a slippery slope. This leads to the objectifying of women and leads generation after generation of females into having to live up to this distorted stereotype of what beauty should be.

True, Franklin is just a football coach, and who cares what he thinks about beauty? Still, his comments show how this mentality manifests itself in all aspects of life. After all, this concept of beauty is repeatedly thrown in our faces.

Certainly, we see this in advertising. When we watch a car commercial, we often see a beautiful woman standing beside the vehicle being described. If a company is selling toothpaste, then undoubtedly, there will be a vivacious young woman convincing us that our lives will be a misery if we do not use the brand she uses.

I could go on and on, but I think we all get the point. We have to be very careful when determining who or what is beautiful.

Additionally, it struck me odd how quickly the Franklin controversy blew over. It seems the Nashville media often grades Vanderbilt sports on a curve so they let a lot of things go. If somebody like University of Tennessee head coach Derek Dooley had made these comments, the controversy would have been much longer lasting.