This will be the official game thread

Coming soon. Got a few names. Will report back.

We will be using this thread for all portal announcements, rumors, and speculations. It is (not) the most wonderful time of the year.

SEE BELOW

We've got 4 teams tied at the top at 8-1 and another at 7-2. We also have 4 teams at 1-8 and another 0-9. Can't get more lopsided than that.

Here's my current power ranking:
1a. Tennessee
1b. Arkansas [to see is to believe]
3. Georgia
4 LSU
5. Texas
6. Ole Miss
7. Alabama
8. Oklahoma
9a. Auburn
9b. Vandy [only because Auburn won our series, lucky though it was]
11. Kentucky
12. Florida
13. Miss State
14. A&M
15. Carolina [Maineri probably wishes he hadn't un-retired]
45. Missouri

Note that we are unlucky with the schedule in that we don't play #13, 15, or 45. That's somewhat balanced out by playing #4 and 5.

There's several series this weekend that could shake things up a bit.

Thursday series:
LSU at Oklahoma [we go to Oklahoma, otherwise known as the Nothing Sooner State, next weekend]
Oklahoma has some good pitching and are decent offensively. This mostly depends on LSU's starters who are sometimes good/sometimes bad. LSU has played the weakest schedule to date in the SEC [and the nation for that matter] and may have flaws that have yet to surface as a result. This is a coin flip and the coin says "buffalo", not "pelican". Mild upset with Okie taking the series 2-1.
[There were buffalo in Oklahoma weren't there? I do know there are pelicans on the bayou. Maybe I should substitute "Cherokee" for "buffalo" because I know for a fact (from my 12th cousin Little Running Turtle .. he may be slow but he always gets to where he's going -- usually the Reservation liquor store) the Cherokee were imprisoned there by none other than fellow Tennessean Andrew Jackson, having been removed from their ancestral home in Tennessee. How's that for irony?]

Laughers:
Missouri goes to Arkansas. Oh...my...gosh. Pencil in Arkie at 11-1. Just a matter of how many HRs they hit. Kozeal alone will hit 5.

A&M goes to Tennessee. Oh...my...gosh. Pencil in UTjr at 11-1.
[Although there is an ouside chance Laviolette and The Bear could go off and hit 6 HRs in one game and they might win it, but only by a score of 18-17 or such.]
Before the season started this was looked on as a big, big, big series. But then the universe imploded in College Station/Bryan, most likely because they hired the wrong coach at the wrong place at the wrong time. Sometimes that happens [e.g., Drew, Stackhouse.]

Big series:
There's only 2.
Georgia at Texas. Bombs away in Austin; Texas might hold them to less than 4 HRs a game, but probably not. I'd give this to Georgia 2-1
Alabama at Auburn. Should be a good series and Auburn might just pull out a series win at home. But I think not; Bama 2-1.

Other series:
Vandy at Florida .... in the old days this was a big series no matter when it was played; must win series for Vandy; must win series for Florida; either could sweep or be swept. It's that iffy. I'll go Dores 2-1.

So shall it be written, so shall it be done.
I have 0.5% confidence that all this will come to pass.

Huge series in Gainesville this weekend.

Florida is 19-3 in games not involving SEC teams so they are good but in league play, the Gators are 1-8.

I would think if we can win 2 of 3, that would be considered a very good result but I believe our pitching rotation is still wonky to say the least.

What is your guess on the rotation?

Do we have a closer?

Any thoughts on who that might be?

What will the lineup look like?

My guess is:

Humphrey
Austin
Nelson
Brodie
Barczi
Vastine
Mancini

The wildcards are:

Holcomb
Rose
Rigdon

I know we have a contingent that feels like we have to play Holcomb over either of those two but I’m having a hard time pulling Rigdon out of the lineup. Rustan just feels like a guy that can hit and help this team, but to this point, he hasn’t shown any real power even though he probably squares it up as well as anybody on the team.

Is it as simple as Holcomb is our DH if a lefty is on the mound, Rose if a righty is on the bump?

Regardless, I’m excited about the series, we need to figure out how to win a couple of games down there.

Thoughts?

VandyBoys:

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NFL:

Jordan Matthews: New England Patriots (Injured Reserve)

Zach Cunningham: Houston Texans

Andre Hal: Houston Texans

Casey Hayward: Los Angeles Chargers

Stephen Weatherly: Minnesota Vikings

Will Holden: Free Agent

Spencer Pulley: New York Giants

Wesley Johnson: Free Agent

Adam Butler: New England Patriots

Oren Burks: Green Bay Packers

Ralph Webb: New England Patriots (Practice Squad)

Trent Sherfield: Arizona Cardinals

CJ Duncan: Free Agent

Nifae Lealao: Free Agent

Caleb Scott: Seattle Seahawks (Practice Squad)

Jonathan Wynn: Free Agent

Tre Herndon: Jacksonville Jaguars

Emmanuel Smith: Free Agent

Kenny Ladler: Washington Redskins (Practice Squad)

NBA:

Luke Kornet: New York Knicks

Damien Jones: Golden State Warriors

Wade Baldwin: Portland Trailblazers

Festus Ezeli: Free Agent

If I have missed anyone, feel free to add them. @kerrigjl if you want to pin this up top, that would be awesome!!

Stats through 9 games. No cheating - don’t look it up. Just best guess based on what you have seen.

**Stats in SEC play only.

#1 .896 OPS, .310 BA

#2 .883 OPS, .316 BA

#3 .697 OPS, .194 BA

#4 .441 OPS, .162 BA

Finally a bonus question:

#5 .605 OPS, .237 BA, 13K’s, 0 walks, and fielding .913

That bonus may be too easy

Am I seeing it correctly that we currently only have 4 guys on our basketball roster for next season? One of which may or may not be able to play?

They have us exactly where we were last year -- #2 seed in the regional hosted by the #6 overall seed.
We're at UCLA with Stanford as the #3 seed.

This is paired with the #11 overall seed regional, Alabama.

If we play Stanford first then @ChesterCopperpot1 needs to get on the stick and take care of that Sasaki situation. I fear he's too focused on getting that new lawyer gig with Vandy; he's lost sight of the more important objective. Living your life in Madison is not all that bad, after all, and Belle Meade is highly overrated. It certainly didn't do Todd Chrisley any good to live there.

I dont know the exact numbers to get to 105 we need to make, but who all is on transfer watch after Spring Practice concludes?
I know these names seem to come up alot
Drew Dickey
Whit Muschamp
Trudell Berry
Kolby Taylor
Gabe Pitchford
David Siegel
Jeremiah Dillon
Anyone else we should be watching for?

Stanford GM Andrew Luck announced today that Troy Taylor is being fired amidst an investigation of his treatment of staff.

Dual-purpose post, one part for relevant for transfers, the other just for the larger scale evolution of college football.

For transfers: Stanford's talent has been dramatically reduced but there are a few names that catch my eye. First and foremost is Emmet Mosely V. He is a rising sophomore who set the Stanford record for most receptions and receiving yards by a freshman last year. He did that after missing part of summer practice and the first 3 games of the season, too. He would come in and be WR1. He's from California but did entertain SEC offers in high school, I believe Alabama was 2nd in his recruitment. Vandy should try and send the house.

Aside from Mosely there is not much, but O-lineman Fisher Anderson was a highly touted prospect out of Franklin who has all the tools to be great but hasn't made a big impact in his 4 years at Stanford. Khalil House is also a tackle who was extremely highly regarded but struggled down the stretch.

Larger scale: This is the first time a GM has ever fired a coach in college football. Opinions on this growth within the game?

by Brian Carlson (@thebacarlson)

by George Barclay (@Gbarks24)

Whatever emotions you feel, whatever frustrations you feel, they are nothing compared to Tim Corbin’s drive to overtake Tony Vitello.

I sincerely hope those of you that oppose Le GOAT don’t run him off before he’s able to do it.

If you think this post applies to you, you’re a fan aim frustrated at and need to shut up. Tim Corbin is better than you. Tim Corbin is more competitive than you. Tim Corbin has a better chance at another Natty than you do.

I know you don’t get it (sadly), but you need to know that the fact that you don’t is the problem, not Tim Corbin.

New lineup after the weekend. I won’t comment on it because I don’t think I can use safe for work words to describe my feelings.
Austin Nye on the bump again.
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As I mentioned in another thread, Dare to Grow will be coming to Boston on 4/1. A lot of the Vanderbilt brass will be there. Are there any topics or questions you would like to have me try to get information on?

I’m sure @ChesterCopperpot1 and others will have some bangers that I will be unable to ask 😂 and would result in me getting blackballed. Within reason, I’ll do my best to get you all some intel.

One topic that comes to mind for me is a new football weight room. I’d put that high on the list of priorities.

-Basketball Season Recap
-Perpetual Free Agency
-Swept at Home
-The Tough Questions

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No Holcomb, of course. He'll probably hit the portal as soon as it opens.

Let’s go!!!!

That sweep erases Miller Green’s bad pitch at Auburn.

4-2 in the SEC is great to see after @WorldsStrongestVANDYFAN and @Trevor Hulan pushed the PANIC BUTTON just a few days prior to that 🧹 🧹 🧹!

Yes, @Trevor Hulan , it’s true. I know about your feelings on Corbin after listening to Episode 307 on the way up to Cleveland.

We got some bats and Tim Corbin is fighting like hell to evolve and adapt because he’s the GOAT.

Enjoy, fellas. This isn’t an I told you so, this is a celebration. Get on board while you can.

We have dealt with this in football forever with a few exceptions. In the last 10 years or so, we have dealt with it in basketball. And now it seems, baseball has joined the party. Yes, I am talking about opponent's fans taking over Vandy's venues. The Arkansas series is turning out to be hard to watch on the field and in the stands as well. Arkansas fans were in every section it seems. The game was supposedly sold out. There were plenty of empty seats, especially of course in the sections behind home plate between the dugouts. I sit in section B and there were lots of Razorback fans. Not much fun for a Vandy fan. When I started going to games years ago, I would stay to the very end, even in football. But for many years (last year and the CJF years being exceptions), I began to leave before the end of the game because I was sick and tired of watching the opponents celebrate in our stadium. Then, the same began to hold true for basketball. And now baseball? It looks like the football and basketball situation in the stands is improving but there is still a long way to go. It hurts to see what appears to be happening with baseball.