2009 Vanderbilt Commodores Betting Recap
Online betting specialists have never counted on Vanderbilt to have an elite football team. In a frank moment, experienced bettors would likely tell you they usually consider a matchup with Vanderbilt an automatic win for the opponent. That sentiment seemed to be changing after 2008 when head coach Bobby Johnson lead Vanderbilt to its first bowl in 26 years. The fact that the team overachieved and reached the postseason in 2008 only made the pain of a very long 2009 season that much worse.
The Commodores were never able to get their offense on track in 2009. Quarterback Larry Smith started the 2008 Music City Bowl (a 16-14 upset of Boston College) and most felt his return made quarterback a position of strength. Unfortunately, passing game production never materialized for Vanderbilt. After an opening day offensive show (620 yards of offense) against Western Carolina, the offense vanished without a trace. Smith finished the season completing fewer than 50 percent of his passes. The Commodores were outgained in nine of their 12 games and in all eight SEC contests. They finished the season averaging just 8.9 points per game against their SEC brethren. Despite holding Mississippi State, Army, and South Carolina under 20 points, they managed to lose all three games and limped into the offseason 2-10, with an 0-8 bagel in SEC play.
2010 Preview To Bet Vanderbilt Commodores
While NCAA football betting diehards may find coach Bobby Johnson a likeable guy, they’ll find little to be excited about this year when they examine the 2010 edition of the Vanderbilt Commodores. The good news for the Commodores is that all of the skill position players return to the offense. The bad news is, those skill position players hardly made a dent in SEC scoreboards in 2009. This year, they’ll line up behind an offensive line that returns one lone starter. Larry Smith will enter his second full season as the starting quarterback and should benefit from last year’s experience.
The Commodores’ defense was respectable, giving up just 23 points per game in SEC play in 2009. Only five starters return from that defense in 2010. Middle linebacker and leading tackler Chris Marve (121 tackles in 2009) returns to lead the defense. Also back is strong safety Sean Richardson, a big safety that plays close to the line of scrimmage in Vandy’s defense but is not a tremendous threat to an opponent’s passing game. Replacements are needed along the front seven for Marve and Richardson to be as effective in 2010.
The 2010 schedule won’t engender much confidence from sports betting experts when considering Vanderbilt. The Commodores face 10 teams that went to bowl games in 2009. They’ll likely be underdogs in 11 of their 12 games (the lone exception coming October 9 when they host 0-12 Eastern Michigan). A brutal home slate features Northwestern, LSU, South Carolina, Florida and Tennessee. Tough road trips to UConn, Georgia, and improving Arkansas make a winning season highly unlikely for Vanderbilt in 2010.