Prompt: Predict Vanderbilt University football team’s record during the regular season of the fall 2025-2026 academic year. List each regular season game and predicted score. Also list the date and location of each of these games.
Answer: Predicting the Vanderbilt University football team's record for the 2025 regular season (fall 2025 portion of the 2025-2026 academic year) involves some speculation, as game outcomes depend on numerous variables like returning players, coaching changes, injuries, and opponent performance. However, I’ll provide a reasoned prediction based on the known 2025 schedule, Vanderbilt’s recent performance (e.g., their 7-6 record in 2024 with upsets over Alabama and Kentucky), and historical trends against their opponents. Since exact game times and some specifics (like TV listings) are not fully set as of March 15, 2025, I’ll use the announced dates and locations from the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and Vanderbilt’s official schedule release, assuming a standard 12-game regular season ending in late November. Scores are educated guesses reflecting team strength, home/away dynamics, and recent competitiveness.
The 2025 Vanderbilt Commodores football schedule was released on December 11, 2024, via sources like vucommodores.com and fbschedules.com. Below is the predicted regular season record, with each game’s date, location, opponent, and a plausible score. I’ll assume Clark Lea remains head coach, building on his 2024 SEC Coach of the Year momentum, and that Vanderbilt fields a competitive but not dominant roster in the SEC.
### Predicted 2025 Regular Season Record: 6-6
- **Rationale**: Vanderbilt’s 2024 season showed they can punch above their weight (e.g., beating No. 1 Alabama), but consistency remains a challenge in the brutal SEC. The 2025 schedule includes winnable non-conference games and a mix of tough SEC road trips and home opportunities. A 6-6 record reflects modest improvement while acknowledging the difficulty of their conference slate.
### 2025 Regular Season Schedule with Predicted Scores
1. **August 30, 2025**
- **Opponent**: Charleston Southern (FCS)
- **Location**: FirstBank Stadium, Nashville, TN
- **Predicted Score**: Vanderbilt 38, Charleston Southern 10
- **Reasoning**: Charleston Southern, an FCS team, is a typical season-opening tune-up. Vanderbilt’s superior talent and home advantage should lead to a comfortable win, similar to past FCS matchups.
2. **September 6, 2025**
- **Opponent**: at Virginia Tech
- **Location**: Lane Stadium, Blacksburg, VA
- **Predicted Score**: Virginia Tech 27, Vanderbilt 20
- **Reasoning**: Virginia Tech will seek revenge after Vanderbilt’s upset win in 2024 (34-27 OT). On the road, facing a motivated ACC foe, Vanderbilt’s defense may struggle late, leading to a close loss.
3. **September 13, 2025**
- **Opponent**: at South Carolina (SEC)
- **Location**: Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, SC
- **Predicted Score**: South Carolina 31, Vanderbilt 17
- **Reasoning**: South Carolina’s upward trajectory under Shane Beamer, combined with a tough road environment, likely overpowers Vanderbilt early in SEC play. The Commodores keep it competitive but fade.
4. **September 20, 2025**
- **Opponent**: Georgia State
- **Location**: FirstBank Stadium, Nashville, TN
- **Predicted Score**: Vanderbilt 28, Georgia State 24
- **Reasoning**: Georgia State upset Vanderbilt in 2024 (36-32), so this home game is a revenge spot. Expect a tight contest, but Vanderbilt’s improved focus secures a narrow win.
5. **September 27, 2025**
- **Opponent**: Utah State
- **Location**: FirstBank Stadium, Nashville, TN
- **Predicted Score**: Vanderbilt 34, Utah State 21
- **Reasoning**: Utah State, a mid-tier Mountain West team, travels cross-country. Vanderbilt’s SEC athleticism and home crowd should produce a solid victory in this late non-conference game.
6. **October 4, 2025**
- **Opponent**: at Alabama (SEC)
- **Location**: Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, AL
- **Predicted Score**: Alabama 42, Vanderbilt 14
- **Reasoning**: Despite Vanderbilt’s historic 2024 upset over Alabama, the Tide at home will be a different beast. Alabama’s talent and motivation to avoid a repeat loss likely result in a blowout.
7. **October 18, 2025**
- **Opponent**: LSU (SEC)
- **Location**: FirstBank Stadium, Nashville, TN
- **Predicted Score**: LSU 35, Vanderbilt 24
- **Reasoning**: LSU’s high-powered offense tests Vanderbilt’s defense. The Commodores keep it close at home (as they did vs. Texas in 2024), but LSU pulls away in the fourth quarter.
8. **October 25, 2025**
- **Opponent**: Missouri (SEC)
- **Location**: FirstBank Stadium, Nashville, TN
- **Predicted Score**: Vanderbilt 27, Missouri 23
- **Reasoning**: Missouri has been solid, but Vanderbilt’s home upset magic (seen in 2024 vs. Alabama) strikes again. A strong defensive stand and late score seal a tight win.
9. **November 1, 2025**
- **Opponent**: at Texas (SEC)
- **Location**: Darrell K Royal-Memorial Stadium, Austin, TX
- **Predicted Score**: Texas 38, Vanderbilt 13
- **Reasoning**: Texas, a 2024 playoff contender, hosts Vanderbilt in their first trip to Austin since 1903. The Longhorns’ depth and home dominance overwhelm the Commodores.
10. **November 8, 2025**
- **Opponent**: Auburn (SEC)
- **Location**: FirstBank Stadium, Nashville, TN
- **Predicted Score**: Vanderbilt 20, Auburn 17
- **Reasoning**: Auburn’s inconsistency (evident in recent years) gives Vanderbilt a chance at home. A low-scoring, gritty game ends with a Commodores upset.
11. **November 22, 2025**
- **Opponent**: Kentucky (SEC)
- **Location**: FirstBank Stadium, Nashville, TN
- **Predicted Score**: Vanderbilt 24, Kentucky 21
- **Reasoning**: Vanderbilt beat Kentucky on the road in 2024 (20-13). At home, they edge out a physical Wildcats team in a close, defensive battle.
12. **November 29, 2025**
- **Opponent**: at Tennessee (SEC)
- **Location**: Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN
- **Predicted Score**: Tennessee 31, Vanderbilt 16
- **Reasoning**: The rivalry finale is tough on the road. Tennessee’s superior roster and home advantage (they won 36-23 in 2024) prove too much, despite Vanderbilt’s fight.
### Summary
- **Predicted Record**: 6-6 (3-5 SEC)
- **Wins**: Charleston Southern, Georgia State, Utah State, Missouri, Auburn, Kentucky
- **Losses**: Virginia Tech, South Carolina, Alabama, LSU, Texas, Tennessee
- **Notes**: This prediction balances Vanderbilt’s 2024 momentum (7-6 overall, 3-5 SEC) with the reality of facing SEC powerhouses like Alabama, LSU, and Texas on the road. Home games provide upset potential, but road struggles persist. The 6-6 mark keeps them bowl-eligible, a realistic goal under Lea’s leadership.
Answer: Predicting the Vanderbilt University football team's record for the 2025 regular season (fall 2025 portion of the 2025-2026 academic year) involves some speculation, as game outcomes depend on numerous variables like returning players, coaching changes, injuries, and opponent performance. However, I’ll provide a reasoned prediction based on the known 2025 schedule, Vanderbilt’s recent performance (e.g., their 7-6 record in 2024 with upsets over Alabama and Kentucky), and historical trends against their opponents. Since exact game times and some specifics (like TV listings) are not fully set as of March 15, 2025, I’ll use the announced dates and locations from the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and Vanderbilt’s official schedule release, assuming a standard 12-game regular season ending in late November. Scores are educated guesses reflecting team strength, home/away dynamics, and recent competitiveness.
The 2025 Vanderbilt Commodores football schedule was released on December 11, 2024, via sources like vucommodores.com and fbschedules.com. Below is the predicted regular season record, with each game’s date, location, opponent, and a plausible score. I’ll assume Clark Lea remains head coach, building on his 2024 SEC Coach of the Year momentum, and that Vanderbilt fields a competitive but not dominant roster in the SEC.
### Predicted 2025 Regular Season Record: 6-6
- **Rationale**: Vanderbilt’s 2024 season showed they can punch above their weight (e.g., beating No. 1 Alabama), but consistency remains a challenge in the brutal SEC. The 2025 schedule includes winnable non-conference games and a mix of tough SEC road trips and home opportunities. A 6-6 record reflects modest improvement while acknowledging the difficulty of their conference slate.
### 2025 Regular Season Schedule with Predicted Scores
1. **August 30, 2025**
- **Opponent**: Charleston Southern (FCS)
- **Location**: FirstBank Stadium, Nashville, TN
- **Predicted Score**: Vanderbilt 38, Charleston Southern 10
- **Reasoning**: Charleston Southern, an FCS team, is a typical season-opening tune-up. Vanderbilt’s superior talent and home advantage should lead to a comfortable win, similar to past FCS matchups.
2. **September 6, 2025**
- **Opponent**: at Virginia Tech
- **Location**: Lane Stadium, Blacksburg, VA
- **Predicted Score**: Virginia Tech 27, Vanderbilt 20
- **Reasoning**: Virginia Tech will seek revenge after Vanderbilt’s upset win in 2024 (34-27 OT). On the road, facing a motivated ACC foe, Vanderbilt’s defense may struggle late, leading to a close loss.
3. **September 13, 2025**
- **Opponent**: at South Carolina (SEC)
- **Location**: Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, SC
- **Predicted Score**: South Carolina 31, Vanderbilt 17
- **Reasoning**: South Carolina’s upward trajectory under Shane Beamer, combined with a tough road environment, likely overpowers Vanderbilt early in SEC play. The Commodores keep it competitive but fade.
4. **September 20, 2025**
- **Opponent**: Georgia State
- **Location**: FirstBank Stadium, Nashville, TN
- **Predicted Score**: Vanderbilt 28, Georgia State 24
- **Reasoning**: Georgia State upset Vanderbilt in 2024 (36-32), so this home game is a revenge spot. Expect a tight contest, but Vanderbilt’s improved focus secures a narrow win.
5. **September 27, 2025**
- **Opponent**: Utah State
- **Location**: FirstBank Stadium, Nashville, TN
- **Predicted Score**: Vanderbilt 34, Utah State 21
- **Reasoning**: Utah State, a mid-tier Mountain West team, travels cross-country. Vanderbilt’s SEC athleticism and home crowd should produce a solid victory in this late non-conference game.
6. **October 4, 2025**
- **Opponent**: at Alabama (SEC)
- **Location**: Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, AL
- **Predicted Score**: Alabama 42, Vanderbilt 14
- **Reasoning**: Despite Vanderbilt’s historic 2024 upset over Alabama, the Tide at home will be a different beast. Alabama’s talent and motivation to avoid a repeat loss likely result in a blowout.
7. **October 18, 2025**
- **Opponent**: LSU (SEC)
- **Location**: FirstBank Stadium, Nashville, TN
- **Predicted Score**: LSU 35, Vanderbilt 24
- **Reasoning**: LSU’s high-powered offense tests Vanderbilt’s defense. The Commodores keep it close at home (as they did vs. Texas in 2024), but LSU pulls away in the fourth quarter.
8. **October 25, 2025**
- **Opponent**: Missouri (SEC)
- **Location**: FirstBank Stadium, Nashville, TN
- **Predicted Score**: Vanderbilt 27, Missouri 23
- **Reasoning**: Missouri has been solid, but Vanderbilt’s home upset magic (seen in 2024 vs. Alabama) strikes again. A strong defensive stand and late score seal a tight win.
9. **November 1, 2025**
- **Opponent**: at Texas (SEC)
- **Location**: Darrell K Royal-Memorial Stadium, Austin, TX
- **Predicted Score**: Texas 38, Vanderbilt 13
- **Reasoning**: Texas, a 2024 playoff contender, hosts Vanderbilt in their first trip to Austin since 1903. The Longhorns’ depth and home dominance overwhelm the Commodores.
10. **November 8, 2025**
- **Opponent**: Auburn (SEC)
- **Location**: FirstBank Stadium, Nashville, TN
- **Predicted Score**: Vanderbilt 20, Auburn 17
- **Reasoning**: Auburn’s inconsistency (evident in recent years) gives Vanderbilt a chance at home. A low-scoring, gritty game ends with a Commodores upset.
11. **November 22, 2025**
- **Opponent**: Kentucky (SEC)
- **Location**: FirstBank Stadium, Nashville, TN
- **Predicted Score**: Vanderbilt 24, Kentucky 21
- **Reasoning**: Vanderbilt beat Kentucky on the road in 2024 (20-13). At home, they edge out a physical Wildcats team in a close, defensive battle.
12. **November 29, 2025**
- **Opponent**: at Tennessee (SEC)
- **Location**: Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN
- **Predicted Score**: Tennessee 31, Vanderbilt 16
- **Reasoning**: The rivalry finale is tough on the road. Tennessee’s superior roster and home advantage (they won 36-23 in 2024) prove too much, despite Vanderbilt’s fight.
### Summary
- **Predicted Record**: 6-6 (3-5 SEC)
- **Wins**: Charleston Southern, Georgia State, Utah State, Missouri, Auburn, Kentucky
- **Losses**: Virginia Tech, South Carolina, Alabama, LSU, Texas, Tennessee
- **Notes**: This prediction balances Vanderbilt’s 2024 momentum (7-6 overall, 3-5 SEC) with the reality of facing SEC powerhouses like Alabama, LSU, and Texas on the road. Home games provide upset potential, but road struggles persist. The 6-6 mark keeps them bowl-eligible, a realistic goal under Lea’s leadership.
