After defeating Virginia Tech in their season opener and nearly upsetting top-10 ranked Missouri on the road in Week 4, Vanderbilt football (2-2) appears to be on the rise in 2024. But this feel-good story, which fans have been waiting a long time for, could get a bit grisly this Saturday.

The No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide are rolling into Nashville, Tennessee for a Week 6 SEC showdown. Even with the Commodores' unexpected progress and ample supply of grit, few will expect a close game. History is not on their side, either. Bama won the last meeting in 2022 by a score of 55-3 and eviscerated Vandy in its own house, 59-0, back in 2017.

Quarterback Diego Pavia does not believe a predetermination can fairly be made on the outcome of this specific matchup, however, considering how far Vanderbilt has come in just a few weeks.

“This is a whole new team,” Pavia said, per 247 Sports' Robbie Weinstein. “In the NIL era, every team will be different every single year. We got a team full of dawgs who prepare every week like they want to play on Sundays. And so with that, the only person that knows who's going to win on Saturday is God.”

Diego Pavia is giving Vanderbilt football the jolt they need

The entire Vanderbilt community might be ready to run through a brick wall after hearing the New Mexico State transfer hype up his team. Pavia knows firsthand the impact that NIL and the modern rules can have on the sport. This “baller” is a key reason why the Commodores have already matched last season's win total.

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The 2023 Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year will not make any jaws drop with his 2024 passing numbers– 721 yards, six touchdowns, no interceptions and a 63.5 completion percentage through four games– but he is using his legs and toughness to help push Vanderbilt football out of the Power Four doldrums. Pavia has already rushed for 279 yards and two touchdowns, and he will probably need to lean heavily on his mobility if this squad is going to do the unthinkable.

Diego Pavia is right. Only God knows what is exactly in store for both programs this weekend. For the sake of Vandy and its fans, hopefully the good Lord decides to pop into FirstBank Stadium this weekend.