NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea lobbied all week and offered to add a 13th game to the schedule, “in the parking lot” if they had to, for one more shot at impressing the College Football Playoff selection committee.
He said Sunday the idea was no joke. His school's chancellor and athletic director already were working behind the scenes trying to schedule a last-ditch effort for Vanderbilt's most successful football team in school history.
“There were too many hurdles to clear to actually have it happen," Lea said after the 12-team bracket reveal, which had the Commodores on the outside looking in at No. 14. "I think it would have been one of the great stories in the history of our sport to be able to do something like that.”
Vanderbilt (10-2) was one of multiple schools skipped over because of the CFP's conference champion qualifier rule.
The Commodores will play Iowa (8-4, No. 23 CFP) on Dec. 31 in the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa to try and add an 11th win for a program that had never won 10 games in a season.
Lea said he felt like a politician over the past week, campaigning and making the case for Vanderbilt to have a chance to keep playing for a national championship.
Vanderbilt's two losses came on the road to ranked opponents at Alabama, which is in the playoff, and Texas. Vanderbilt couldn't overcome two early turnovers inside the Alabama 20 and just missed recovering an onside kick late at Texas in a three-point loss.
“I would have loved the chance to play a 13th game just because it’s another opportunity to get on the field with these guys and go compete. That's what we love to do,” Lea said. "As it is, the 13th opportunity will come in on New Year’s Eve in Tampa, and we’re going to celebrate that.”
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