When you become bowl eligible in back-to-back years for the first time in school history, there’s reason to celebrate.  And celebrate Vanderbilt did last Saturday after it’s 27-26 win at Ole Miss.  At 6-4, the Commodores are the leading candidates for the Music City Bowl and could actually rise higher — doubtful, but possible– in the bowl pecking order with a very possible 8-4 finish.

As usual, the VU athletic department leads the way in pumping out videos to promote its football program.  Below you can watch the pregame, game and postgame highlights from Vandy’s win… or you can skip right to the 5:30 mark where James Franklin picks up and carries the Commodore mascot into the jubilant Vanderbilt locker room.

“This Vanderbilt team overcomes adversity.  This Vanderbilt team wins on the road.  This Vanderbilt team finds ways to win, no matter what.”

Whether you believe the message or not, you gotta hand it to Vandy, Franklin and the school’s promo department for knowing how to sell an exciting message to recruits.

With the exception of the cheesy song from The Script, this clip’s about pitch perfect.

North Carolina State head coach Tom O’Brien has his team at 6-4 and — at least publicly — he still has a job.  Unless the coach has been told behind the scenes that he’s finito, it wouldn’t be kosher for NCSU athletic director Debbie Yow to be making contact with any coach… not even the coach she once named Maryland’s coach-in-waiting before she left for Raleigh.

Still, VandySports.com — the Rivals site covering Vanderbilt — is reporting that Franklin has been approached by someone on behalf of NC State and that he’s shown no interest in the Wolfpack job:

“According to a source close to the Vanderbilt athletics program, VU head football coach James Franklin has turned down the opportunity to speak with North Carolina State about its head football coaching position.”

You’ll need to buy a subscription to the read the rest of VandySports’ report.

As we noted yesterday, Franklin should think long and hard before leaving Vanderbilt (if he’s given that chance).  The knee jerk response from most folks is that a coach should jump on the first train out of Nashville the first time the first time a bigger program comes calling.  But the reality is that a coach who has any amount of success at a school like Vanderbilt, Northwestern or Duke can stay put and be a hero there for quite some time.

Gary Barnett left Northwestern and Gerry DiNardo left Vanderbilt only to find that the expectations are a lot higher elsewhere.  Steve Spurrier — who left Duke for Florida — is an example of how moving on from a school with high academic standards might work out in one’s favor.

At the very least, Franklin should — and, of course, would — weigh all his options before blindly hitting the eject button at Vandy.  He and Bobby Johnson before him have led the Commodores to three bowl games in five seasons.  That should prove that VU can be competitive even in the SEC.  How much easier/better would life be at a school like NC State where the Wolfpack has been bowl eligible five times in the last eight years?

Vanderbilt athletic director David Williams says his school won’t go down without a fight if someone tries to lure James Franklin away from the Commodore football program.  Vandy is currently bowl eligible for the second straight year under the fiery, young coach and if the Dores finish 7-5 or 8-4, you can bet he’s going to be a sought-after commodity.

Williams says he’s prepared for such a situation:

“Whether it is an extension, whether it is changing terms, whether it is ripping [the contract] up and giving a new one, we’re prepared to do what we need to do for James Franklin to be the football coach…

James and I meet every week, including this morning, and I think we’re both on the same page that we expect next year when we kick off in the opening game against Mississippi that James Franklin will still be at the helm of Vanderbilt football. I have every expectation of that…

I think he has had a great season — and it’s not over.  In my 13 years [at Vanderbilt] we’ve been eligible for bowls three times. This is the first time in my 13 years that we’ve been bowl-eligible with still two games to play… Last year was a good year, he got rewarded. It looks like this is a better year.”

As we told you yesterday, NC State and athletic director Debbie Yow — who named Franklin as coach-in-waiting at Maryland before leaving for Raleigh — might exit Tom O’Brien and then chase Franklin.

If he’s given a choice to move, money probably won’t be Franklin’s sole motivation.  His career goals and his family’s happiness will also weigh into the equation.  Some coaches have left “high academic” schools for greener pastures only to realize that they could have stayed put and been a hero for life at a program with lesser expectations.  Franklin might want to call Gary Barnett or Gerry DiNardo if he has any job offers to mull over this offseason.

SEC East

1. Kirk Herbstreit thinks Kentucky should look at Vanderbilt coach James Franklin as a model for its next hire. “He’s a recruiter. He’s relentless in recruiting. I think that’s what Kentucky needs to find.” 14 potential candidates.

2. Kentucky coaching rumors - Rex Ryan, and Texas Tech offensive coordinator Neal Brown. Dickie V. weighs in.

3. Boom or bust for Georgia. ”Win out and play for a national championship or at worst the Sugar Bowl.”

4. It’s a four-letter word to Vanderbilt coach James Franklin - bowl.

5. Despite four interceptions Saturday, teammates of Mizzou quarterback James Franklin have his back.  T.J. Moe: “The kid came out breathing fire. … He’s the only reason offensively we were in that game.”

6. With lineman Justin Britt lost for the season with a knee injury – Mizzou will have only one lineman start every game this year - true freshman Evan Boehm.

7. Florida freshman defensive tackle Jafar Mann will transfer. Will Muschamp:  “He and I agreed that it’s time for him to move on.”

8. Seven probables – one questionable - Gators getting healthy.

9. Listed a suspect in a cell phone theft, Tennessee freshman Deion Bonner hasn’t been arrested or charged.  Remains on team.

10. Derek Dooley’s focus: ”I’m coming out of the offensive room and putting all my attention on defense.” Tyler Bray’s numbers last two weeks – 9 touchdowns, 1 interception.

11. A few more milestones for Steve Spurrier.  He’ll coach his 100th game at South Carolina Saturday.  If the Gamecocks win out, he’ll eclipse the school record for career coaching victories.

SEC West

12. Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze wants to correct breakdowns: “Georgia had 76 plays. Eight of the 76 accounted for 278 yards…If you look at the other 68 plays, our defense played outstanding. “

13. Injuries have depleted the Rebels’ depth. “We don’t have anybody else to put in right now.” Bo Wallace held out of Sunday practice with a shoulder injury.

14. Arkansas coach John L. Smith on suspended linebacker Terrell Williams” If you have that little compassion, respect, love for your teammates, it’s hard for me to show compassion, love for you, if that makes sense.”

15. Rumored to be out with a broken ankle, LSU linebacker Kwon Alexander tweeted Monday: “Good news I can play in 2 to 3 weeks !!!”

16. After the loss to Alabama, new perspective at LSU.  Tigers quarterback Zach Mettenberger: “A 10-2 season is a pretty dang good season. Ten wins is very hard to come by when you play in a league like this.”

17. Despite two straight losses, don’t expect any major overhauls at Mississippi State.  Dan Mullen:  ”When you make a mistake against quality teams it costs you.”

18. Nick Saban on the Crimson Tide pass defense against LSU: “We just didn’t play very well.”

19. Alabama second-team quarterback Blake Sims will play the role of Johnny Manziel in practice this week.

20. Saban on Manziel: “(T)his guy reminds me of Doug Flutie.”

21. Will Auburn defensive end Corey Lemonier leave early for the NFL? “I don’t know.”

SEC/College News

22. When weighing the Auburn vs. Tennessee jobs, does Auburn have a more reasonable fan base?

23. The movement to save Auburn A.D. Jay Jacobs.

24. Alabama- LSU and the anatomy of a game-winning play.

25. When it comes to Auburn – Georgia –  Deep South’s oldest rivalry - the script has flipped from two years ago.

26. When it comes to the new playof format, the SEC and Big Ten are on one side – the Pac-12 and Big 12 on the other.

27. One man’s BCS bowl projections.

SEC Basketball

28. Mississippi State loses freshman Andre Applewhite - out for the season with  a torn ACL. Down to eight healthy scholarship players.

29. Arkansas hits triple-digits in its final exhibition game.

30. Kentucky has a 52-8 run in its exhibition victory.

31. Tennessee puts away Victory with a 61-31 second half.

32. LSU pulls away late to win by double-digits in its exhibition game.

33. Auburn coach Tony Barbee on the team’s Monday night exhibition victory: “I’m glad this wasn’t a 50-point blow out.”

34. Vanderbilt projected starting center Josh Henderson ran the floor well in Monday’s exhibition game.  He’s coming off two surgeries on his foot in the last 11 months.

35. Three players missed the Ole Miss exhibition victory Monday night – one suspended, one injured and one with “an academic issue…”

36. Alabama faces Stillman in an exhibition game tonight.

37. John Clay’s preseason top 25: “Don’t expect this UK team to be as talented or as tough as last year’s model…”

38. High expectations at Florida this year.

39. Best college games before Christmas.

Somebody cue James Franklin, ’cause you know Vanderbilt’s feisty coach is going to have a retort to this one.

Yesterday it was learned that VU officials sent letters — didn’t call, mind you, sent letters — to Northwestern and Ohio State backing out of football games with both schools next year.  Ohio State AD Gene Smith wasn’t happy about that as we told you earlier today.

Well, Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald is roaring mad, too:

“I’m disappointed.  We thought that were peer institutions, and obviously we were mistaken.  I think it just shows where our program is heading in comparison to theirs…

I’ve had a lot of respect for their coach and what they’re trying to get done there, but obviously we are in totally two different places as a program and to have them do it the way that they did, which I’ll let (athletic director) Jim Phillips handle all that, he’s the boss.  I’m just disappointed.”

The podium is yours, Mr. Franklin.

Safety Jalen Banks from Thornton Township High School in Harvey, Ill., committed to Vanderbilt after an official visit to Nashville last weekend.

“I just felt comfortable there,” Banks told 247Sports. “They treated me an my family like family. I get to compete in the SEC and compete with the best week in and week out and get a good education. It’s a chance to write history.”

Banks chose Vanderbilt over offers from Ole Miss, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State, Northwestern, Oregon and Wisconsin.

Banks believes he could be the latest piece in Vanderbilt coach James Franklin’s plan to help the Commodores improve in the SEC.

“To be able to change the program and write history, that’s an opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” he said. “I can start something. My commitment can lead to other commitments and next year we can have another top 10 or top 20 class and my senior year we can be competing for SEC championships and national championships.”

Which players are surprisingly trendy  in college football fantasy?  Here are five  Week 6 picks we found.

Quarterbacks

Two quarterbacks expected to put up great numbers this weekend are David Ash of Texas vs. West Virginia and Terrance Broadway of Louisiana vs. Tulane

1. David Ash: “Ash should have no problem reaching the 300 yd plateau for a 3rd consecutive contest,” says Phil Steele.  ”The West Virginia defense is in shambles and is likely to stay that way,” adds Will Harris at ESPN.

2. Terrance Broadway: Athlon Sports says his ” confidence should continue to grow as he faces a Tulane defense allowing 42.8 points per game.” Phil Steele agrees: “If our projections are right, Broadway will be a big addition to many fantasy teams in the next few weeks.”

Running Backs

3. Trayion Durham of Kent State vs. Eastern Michigan is the consensus pick here with Athlon liking both Durham and teammate Dri Archer.  ”Expect another 2-3 scores this week against an Eastern Michigan defense that gives up 36.3 points per game.” Kevin Mount at College Football Geek focuses just on Durham. “He is a load to bring down and has surprisingly good speed for such a big back.”

Defenses

4. Rutgers vs. Connecticut is the pick here with with Will Harris liking the Scarlet Knights chances against a Huskies offense that “hasn’t been able to move the ball consistently all season, even against weaker defenses.” Phil Steele adds that “our projections have Rutgers potentially keeping the Huskies from reaching double digits here in an expected low scoring affair.” (Total on that game is 40 points.)

Passing Combination

5. The Marshall duo of quarterback Rakeem Cato and wide receiver Tommy Shuler vs. Tulsa. ESPN’s Will Harris like Cato. “Tulsa’s defense is one of the league’s best, but is gassed after two tight games versus Fresno State and UAB.” Kevin Mount at College Football Geek isn’t nearly as impressed with Tulsa’s defense and likes Shuler’s chances- coming off a 19-catch performance against Purdue. “The Tulsa defense is soft like butter and will probably struggle to slow down the Marshall passing game.”

Extra – Fantasy Disagreement Of The Week

This one will have interest in SEC country with fantasy gurus divided on the Vanderbilt-Missouri game. Phil Steele likes the Missouri defense. “We project the Tigers defense to hold the Commodores to just 15 pts and 304 total yards.”  Athlon disagrees, saying to bench Missouri quarterback James Franklin - “you can’t convince us that Franklin is the same quarterback since his shoulder injury” – and to start Vanderbilt running back Zac Stacy – “we’re expecting the Vandy offense to rely heavily on its senior tailback this week…”

A few other SEC fantasy notes. Athlon recommends benching Florida running back Mike Gillislee against LSU noting that the Tigers defense is only giving up 85 yards a game on the ground. College Football Geek recommends Mississippi State’s defense against Kentucky.

SEC WEST

1.  Nick Saban doesn’t think people give Ole Miss enough credit for their no-huddle offense and speed.

2.  Tide offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier: “The quality of football in the SEC is second to none in the country.”

3.  Auburn tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen says Auburn didn’t win the month of September, but “we have good things going with October.”

4.  Tiger linebacker Jake Holland is donating his long hair to charity.

5.  Arkansas failed in almost every way during Saturday’s 58-10 loss at Texas A&M.

6.  Razorback linebacker Ross Rasner said, “It’s not the coaches.  It’s all on us as players.”  (Here’s guessing that won’t stop fans from turning up the heat even more on John L. Smith and crew.)

7.  Les Miles on LSU’s 38-22 win over Towson: “I thought that we played down to our opponent… It was the same style of football that we played last week (in a 12-10 win over Auburn).”

8.  The Tigers just aren’t showing signs of improvement.

9.  This week a court will decide: “If a man presses his genitals on your neck while you’re passed out drunk in a crowded hamburger joint, are you the victim of a humiliating sexual assault or just an unsavory prank?”

10.  Ole Miss offensive coordinator Dan Werner said his unit “had a couple of really good drives against a defense (Alabama’s) that nobody drives it against… If we can be consistent we can be tough to stop.”

11.  But Hugh Freeze isn’t content with moral victories.

12.  An open date behind them, a rested Mississippi State team preps for Kentucky.

13.  Depending on UK’s quarterback situation, MSU might need to install two different gameplans.

14.  Signal-caller Johnny Manziel is getting the headlines, but Texas A&M’s defense is improving, too.

15.  Manziel, meanwhile, is putting up Cam Newton-like numbers.

SEC EAST

16.  With Florida climbing in the polls, this weekend’s game with LSU in Gainesville will be a battle of Top 10 teams.

17.  Gator D-coordinator Dan Quinn is excited: “There’s a great game for us coming up and it’s exactly why you come to Florida as a player and as a coach.”

18. Georgia’s visit to South Carolina will mark the first time both schools have met while ranked in the Top 10.  (ESPN’s “College GameDay” will be on hand in Columbia.)

19.  Kentucky’s young team isn’t just losing games.  The Cats are losing key personnel, too… and they can’t afford to.

20.  Which means it’s time to turn the attention to basketball in the Bluegrass State.  John Calipari’s excited about his young team.

21.  South Carolina will need a faster start this week against Georgia.

22.  Steve Spurrier: “I keep seeing a bunch of long runs by those Bulldog freshmen… And of course, (Aaron) Murray hit a bunch of big passes, too (against Tennessee).  They were a scoring machine.”

23.  This year, Mississippi State might just be Tennessee’s biggest game.

24.  Derek Dooley defended Vol quarterback Tyler Bray for three fourth-quarter turnovers: “He hasn’t been in those situations a lot, he just hasn’t, in his career here.”

25.  James Franklin has ruled Vanderbilt’s quarterbacks — both upper-classmen — off-limits to the mean ol’ press.

26.  The Dores will be looking to improve their red zone efficiency Saturday at Missouri.

27.  Mizzou defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson says his “old man football” comment was “blown out of proportion.”  He’s also enjoyed a heckuva first month of the season on the field.

28.  Tiger quarterback James Franklin’s play versus UCF should cool talk of replacing him.

SEC/COLLEGE NEWS

29.  The SEC has named its Players of the Week.

30.  In the AP Poll, half the Top 10 comes from the Southeastern Conference.

31.  A few September lessons and October questions.

Missouri quarterback James Franklin is currently the 13th-rated passer out of the 15 SEC quarterbacks who have enough attempts to qualify for a rating.  His yards-per-attempt average is just 6.2 which is below average.  Of course, he’s faced two of the tougher defenses in the SEC in Georgia and South Carolina so far.

He’s also been playing with a shoulder he injured two weeks ago during Mizzou’s loss to the Bulldogs.  Against Arizona State the following week, Franklin refused a painkiller shot and did not play.  Then he returned to action last week in Columbia (East).

According to the QB, his shoulder is affecting his head:

“Typically in the game if, in the past, my shoulder’s hurt, and I throw in the game, I don’t feel it.  But this is a little different because I feel it.  And I think that’s really been killing my confidence because I’ve been not trusting myself with being able to make throws or put something on it…

Having confidence not just from the players but from the coaches, that definitely helps.  Because when you go out there, they’re calling plays, that’s one thing that you know, that they believe in you.  It helps with more confidence in yourself and to be able to go out there and perform better.”

Franklin has also been playing behind a patchwork offensive line that’s needed a revolving door installed since preseason camp when injuries first began to mount.

Last year, Franklin finished as the fourth-rated passer in the pass-happy Big XII.  He was also that league’s sixth-leading rusher overall.  To be sure, SEC fans haven’t seen the Tigers’ quarterback at his best yet.

But an injury, a makeshift O-line, and games against UGA and USC will do that to ya.

On Saturday, Missouri coach Gary Pinkel put his foot in his mouth.  By revealing that starting quarterback James Franklin had refused a painkilling shot in his bum shoulder, the coach laid the groundwork for plenty of people to take potshots at his QB.

Saturday’s comment from the coach came after Corbin Berkstresser had led the Tigers to a 24-20 win over Arizona State.  He was speaking of Franklin and explaining why he didn’t play:

“It was too painful for him and he didn’t want to play.”

That one sentence — even more than the painkiller bit — caused a stir in the Show-Me State.  Some said Mizzou’s QB must not be tough enough.  Others — and I’m one of them — said Pinkel stepped in it by making that kind of remark in the first place.

Apparently the coach now realizes how his comment was interpreted so he tried to walk it back yesterday:

“Anybody that questions James Franklin’s toughnesss, they have to have been in a coma that last two years.  He’s one of the toughest athletes I’ve ever been around.”

Better late than never.

Pinkel’s comments would not have been necessary if the SEC or NCAA decided to start putting out NFL-like injury reports on a weekly basis.  If that had been the case, the media would’ve known before Friday afternoon that Franklin was questionable or even doubtful due to a shoulder injury.  Any questions could have been answered by Pinkel with a simple, “his shoulder wasn’t up to it.”

Instead, the coach opened up more than most about his player’s injury and he paid the price for it.  Sadly, so did Franklin’s reputation with some fringe Tiger fanatics.  But the signal-caller told The St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he didn’t have a problem with his coach.  “I know he didn’t meant anything by it,” Franklin said.  Asked what the pain was like, he said: “like a 10-inch size bumble bee stabbing in there.”

A big bee with a knife?  Sounds pretty painful to me.

Franklin’s father spoke out yesterday and revealed that his family doesn’t believe in painkillers and that that’s how Mizzou’s starting quarterback was raised.  Turns out, Franklin ixnayed a shot to the knee last season, too.

While some have bickered over the desire and toughness of Franklin, the bigger issue that’s going unmentioned is the danger in giving college-age kids painkillers in the first place.  Yes, we know it happens all the time.  Yes, we know it’s gone on for years.  No, we don’t believe it’s a good thing.

Painkillers — shots or pills — can be very addictive and habit-forming in adults.  But with a person in his teens or early twenties, there’s even less history to use as a guide for who should and who shouldn’t be given painkillers.  Some players never have a problem them.  Unfortunately, some do.

We believe it’s time for the NCAA — with its desire to protect student-athletes — to start cracking down on the “take two of these” culture of college football.  That doesn’t mean painkillers should be outlawed altogether, but the meds shouldn’t be handed out like candy, either.  Talk to ex-jocks or their parents and you’ll quickly find out that often times that’s exactly how they’re doled out.

So perhaps some of those billions of dollars that schools will make from a new FBS football playoff can be spent creating a system that better monitors what players are given for pain, how much they’re given, and when they’re given it.

Until then, any fan questioning the toughness of a college athlete should probably zip it.  It’s the player’s body, not yours… not mine.  It’s his.  And Franklin took care of his body as is his right.

Good for him.  And good for Pinkel in finally coming out and trying to stop a debate that he inadvertently started.

We’ll say good for the NCAA if we see them take any steps at all towards studying or further regulating the use of painkillers on college campuses.

Update: Franklin spells out his thinking via Instagram.