After more than a month on the road, the Texas Longhorns return to Austin for a crucial matchup against the Vanderbilt Commodores. It’s a pivotal moment in the

A lot has changed about college football over the last five seasons. Texas and Vanderbilt illustrate that dynamic as they prepare to meet.

No. 9 Vanderbilt continues its impressive football season, eyeing both the Southeastern Conference championship and a College Football Playoff berth.

A year ago, Vanderbilt—riding a three-game winning streak including their program-shifting win against Alabama—took Texas down to the wire, ultimately falling 27–24. That Longhorns team went on to the College Football Playoff semifinal. The Commodores would finish 7–6, marking significant progress for Clark Lea’s program.

Injured Texas football safety Michael Taaffe could return this week against Vanderbilt. Why that's especially important game-panning quarterback Diego Pavia.

Speaking on the SEC Weekly Teleconference, Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea expressed his admiration for the toughness Sarkisian’s team displayed in those two wins. “This is a resilient team, it’s a team that’s never out of the game. No lead is safe,” Lea said.

For the first time in over a month, the No. 20 Texas Longhorns return to Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium to face one of college football’s biggest surprises, the No. 9 Vanderbilt Commodores.

NASHVILLE—-On the surface, it appeared to be a barometer of progress for this Vanderbilt program that had rarely competed with a team like Steve Sarkisian’s eve