Bill C.’s initial S&P+ projections for the 2019 season have dropped. Vanderbilt ranks 53rd in the initial projections.
The good news? Vanderbilt’s weighted five-year average is 78th, so the Commodores are expected to be above average for Derek Mason’s tenure. Considering that tenure has already produced two bowl bids, that should be good right?
Well, here’s the bad news: that projection is good for last in the SEC. Bill’s initial ratings rely a lot on weighted five-year averages and recruiting rankings in addition to returning production. Meaning that teams like Tennessee and Arkansas that were bad in 2018 are expected to get something of a dead cat bounce: Tennessee is projected 21st and Arkansas 48th.