Vanderbilt’s one loss, on the other hand, came against a ranked Alabama team. They have since gone on to defeat LSU and Missouri. As head coach Steve Sarkisian said on Monday, this game will be a challenge for the Longhorns and they will need to be in their best shape in all three phases of the game.

This season, Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia has emerged as one of college football's top quarterbacks. As Texas coach Steve Sarkisian put it Monday, "Obviously, the quarterback is the tip of the spear."

Things began well enough in November 2024, when Vanderbilt won at Auburn, marking the team’s first victory in 10 attempts at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Vanderbilt was 6-3 overall at that point and 3-2 in the SEC, ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 and potentially poised to make some real noise down the stretch.