What Diego Pavia leading Vanderbilt to the CFB Playoff would mean for the Heisman race

Diego Pavia is on a generational run at Vanderbilt. In the matter of a season, he’s not only gotten Vanderbilt ranked twice — as high as No. 10 this year in the AP top 25 poll, their highest ranking since the 1940s — but he’s also turned the Commodores into an SEC contender, College Football Playoff contender and in line to be the school’s first Heisman Trophy winner. In addition to all of that, he’s trying to change the way the NCAA views JUCO players transferring to FBS schools as well. 

Vanderbilt has never had a player win the Heisman Trophy and what Pavia is doing this year, if he leads the Commodores to the CFP, it would all but seal his Heisman campaign. He’d be the only player with a strong enough resume to dethrone Fernando Mendoza or Ty Simpson for college football’s top award.

This season alone, Pavia could pave a way for the Commodores to be taken seriously as a college football program. Even Nick Saban had to accept the Commodores are a real contender in college football. Pavia hasn’t done it alone, but what he’s done the last two seasons at Vanderbilt, along with being a Heisman favorite this year, it’s clear this is a new era in Vanderbilt football. 

Why Diego Pavia could make more history at Vanderbilt this season with Heisman Trophy

Pavia doesn’t have to have the best numbers or even be the best college football quarterback this season to win the Heisman. Don’t get me wrong, he still, statistically, has to be in the conversation. But for him to win the award, he shouldn’t need the best numbers. The award goes to the player that has been the most exciting, but also wins. 

With all the wins the Commodores have this season, if the Commodores continue to win and land in the SEC title game, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be the Heisman winner. I know it’s hard to say he gets the edge over Mendoza, who’s been unbelievable this year, but you can’t knock Pavia for not having the numbers Mendoza does. 

If stats were the only driving factor, Ashton Jeanty would have been the unanimous winner last year. Instead, Travis Hunter won the award and it was just as important that Colorado won last year and he had strong numbers on both sides. Had Colorado not been in the CFP conversation, maybe he doesn’t win the award. 

That’s also why Jeanty was a finalist, because Boise State managed to be the Group of 5 representative in the CFP last year. Pavia should be afforded that same benefit and should get more of a boost for leading Vanderbilt of all teams to SEC dominance. This year’s Heisman race could be as close as last year. 

Pavia was the unlikely candidate to be in the conversation. But what he’s done this year, if he makes the CFP, he has to be the Heisman winner. The Commodores aren’t the team they are without Pavia. Neither is Indiana, but they reached the CFP last year; Vanderbilt wasn’t even supposed to be in the conversation this year. 

What is Vanderbilt’s path to the CFP behind Diego Pavia’s historic season?

The best way for the Commodores to get to the CFP is to win out and reach the SEC title game. That said, if they don’t reach the title game, they should avoid losing before the final game of the season against Tennessee. They have a favorable schedule with Missouri on Saturday, Texas after that and then Tennessee as the remaining ranked teams on their schedule. 

If they manage to lose to Auburn or Kentucky, it will probably be hard for them to get an at-large spot just because that would be bad timing and a bad loss. That said, if Pavia manages to help the Commodores get to 12-0 on the season, they not only should make their CFP debut, but they should also have their first Heisman winner. 

This team goes as Pavia goes and the Missouri game on Saturday feels like a bigger trap game than any of them. If they get past this, they should finish this historic season with more history. In Pavia, Vanderbilt trusts. With Pavia, Vanderbilt is destined to do what hasn't been done before.