Vanderbilt ends 26-year drought

Two generations of graduates of Vanderbilt University (including me, M.Div. '99) have passed since the Commodores last played football in a bowl game. The 1982 game was the Hall of Fame Bowl, which they lost to Air Force. But after finishing 6-6 this season, the Dores are finally going to the show once more.

They'll play the ACC's Boston College (9-4) at Nashville's Music City Bowl on Dec. 31 at LP Field, the same place the Tennessee Titans play. USA Today offers this compelling reason to tune in:

Here's one great reason to watch it: Who knows if/when you'll see the Commodores in a bowl game again? ... By contrast, the Eagles have won eight straight bowl appearances, although this might be a letdown for them after losing in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game. Vandy has lost six of its last seven games and its feeble offense doesn't figure to match up well with a physical opponent, but the emotion from a rare bowl trip might help carry it a long way.

Now, Vanderbilt is located in Nashville. The Music City Bowl is held in, well, Music City USA, a.k.a., Nashville. The MCB is slotted for an SEC-ACC matchup, but we can expect a good turnout for Vandy fans, I'd guess.

As for Nashville's hotel keepers, they are less than thrilled that one team's fans live near the game.

In other alma mater news, Wake Forest (7-5) is heading for its third straight bowl game, the inaugural EagleBank Bowl in Washington, DC, Dec. 20 at RFK Stadium. Their opponent will be Navy (8-4). Wake is 6-3 over Navy in the games they have played and had won four straight over the swabbies until this season, when Wake lost. This game will make the first time in 63 years that Wake Forest has played the same team twice in one season. More from Wake's site.