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This is an opinion column.

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We knew college football in this new era would be different, but no one predicted the biggest story of the SEC through the first two weeks of the season.

I’m talking about Vanderbilt’s impressive 2-0 start, of course.

Three non-conference victories in the SEC stand out through the first two weeks of the season. Tennessee looked impressive in its 51-10 dismantling of N.C. State on Saturday and Texas went up to Michigan and embarrassed the defending champs with a 31-12 victory. The SEC schools were favored to win in those Week 2 games, though. Vandy’s Week 1 upset of Virginia Tech represents something entirely different — potential for chaos in the SEC as the league transitions from shamateurism to full-on pro football.

Can’t believe I’m asking this, but is Vandy back?

Coach Clark Lea’s new-look Dores did nothing to dampen the mood over the weekend. Vanderbilt thumped Alcorn State 55-0. Vandy’s raucous student section began the game by chanting quarterback Diego Pavia’s name. This week, Vandy goes on the road to take on Georgia State before beginning conference play at Missouri in Week 4.

All college football players in the SEC will be able to share in the revenue of their athletic departments beginning as early as next season. What does that mean for the sport? If anyone says they know, then they’re lying. Maybe we’re stepping into a brave new world where Vanderbilt is once again good at football.

Can Vanderbilt emerge as a legitimate SEC contender now that boosters can legally funnel money to players? It’s a crazy question, but these are unprecedented times. Vanderbilt was the original Southern football superpower. I’ve always said that the Dores could be great at football again if they just chose to be.

It looks Vanderbilt is getting back into the business of trying.

Through two weeks of the season, Vanderbilt — Yes, Vanderbilt — is arguably playing better football than Florida, Auburn, Arkansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, LSU, Mississippi State and even Alabama.

That’s over half the league.

Regardless of where you want to rank the Dores this early in the season, the fact that Vandy is no longer the doormat of the SEC should be a signal to everyone that the transfer portal and pay-for-play are fundamentally changing the landscape of college football. The toast of Nashville received 18 votes in the second week of the AP Top 25. The last time Vandy was ranked in the Top 25 was at the end of the 2013 season.

For the record, Vandy and Auburn both received eight votes for the Week 1 poll. Auburn crashed and burned in Week 2 behind quarterback Payton Thorne. Vanderbilt’s Pavia, a transfer from New Mexico State, is emerging as one of the league’s best players.

Amid all the changes taking place in college football, the SEC’s new single-division format adds an additional wrinkle to the chaos factor. Everyone presumed landing Vanderbilt on its schedules was like winning the lottery. Now it looks like Vanderbilt could be a trap game for Alabama and Texas. Vandy gets both SEC powers at home.

The last time Vandy was decent? The Dores went 9-4 overall and 5-3 in the SEC in 2012. That season launched the career of coach James Franklin, who is now in his 11th season at Penn State and making $10 million per year.

The last time Vanderbilt upset Auburn? It was in 2012. Vanderbilt 17, Auburn 13. Gene Chizik didn’t make it much longer after that.

The last time Vanderbilt took down Alabama? The year was 1984. It was the second season for Alabama coach Ray Perkins. Vandy won 30-21 at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Vanderbilt hosts Alabama on Oct.5 and goes to Auburn on Nov.2. The last time Vandy knocked off Alabama and Auburn in the same season? The year was 1955. Alabama was coached by the notoriously awful Jennings B. “Ears” Whitworth. The score was Vandy 21, Alabama 6. Vanderbilt, coached by Art Guepe, finished the regular season with seven wins and then defeated No.8 Auburn 25-13 in the Gator Bowl.

Let me just go ahead and get this down in writing. If Vanderbilt starts the season 4-0, then ESPN College GameDay will have no other choice but to be live in Nashville for Vandy vs. Bama.

The last time Vanderbilt started a season 4-0? The Dores were 5-0 to begin the 2008 season thanks to victories against Miami (Ohio), South Carolina, Rice, Ole Miss and Auburn.

Yep, you guessed it, Auburn fired Tommy Tuberville after that season.

How is Vandy doing it? Lea went into the transfer portal and brought in 20 new players. Among those transfers were five players from New Mexico State. After seeing New Mexico State upset Auburn in 2023, Lea wanted to understand what made the Aggies tick. He ended up adding a handful of assistant coaches from the staff and even brought in former Aggies head coach Jerry Kill.

Kill, widely respected throughout college football, stepped down at New Mexico State to join the revolution at Vanderbilt. He’s now a special advisor to the team.

Last week, I asked Lea about the process of admitting transfers to Vanderbilt. He mentioned that it’s easier to get transfers through admissions at Vandy than incoming freshmen. That was my hunch. Has Vanderbilt found a way to remain competitive in the SEC? No clue, but if the Commodores are serious about football again then they’re going to completely change the dynamic of the SEC.

How many coaches will get canned this season if they lose to Vanderbilt? In years past, I might say all of them. This new Vandy squad is different, though. Thanks to the transfer portal and NIL money, coach Clark Lea is changing the perception of what Vanderbilt can be in this new age of college football.

MAILBAG

Got a question for Joe? Want to get something off your chest? Send Joe an email about what’s on your mind. Let your voice be heard. Ask him anything.

Jim in Scottsboro writes …

Since 2020 Auburn has not won more than six games in a season. Since 2019 Auburn has not won a bowl game . Not a good trend. Hugh Freeze has made everyone believe again. Recruits, fans, donors and Saban believes in him. Even his wife and the sports writers believe in him. Ironically I have to question, do his current players and coaches believe in him? It sure didn’t look like it.

How long will the recruits, powers at be and donors believe in him if there is not a quick improvement? Freeze is in a position that he has to win this season or it all crashes down faster than a pyramid scheme. At this point I am not completely buying into Freeze. Why do I have that bad feeling in my gut that everyone might have bought into the Freeze pyramid.

Top recruits will not buy into a losing program no matter how much NIL money you throw at them. They still want a coach that can coach them to the NFL level.

I know you are giving him the benefit of the doubt, but at what point do you punt and say, “Well, the streak goes on?” It’s too early in the game, but by Oklahoma we should know a lot more.

ANSWER: As long as Freeze continues to recruit at a high level, then he’s the man for the job. Auburn can’t keep firing coaches every two years. Bryan Harsin needed to go, but the Tigers are one more quick-trigger firing away from being the worst team in the SEC. Freeze is learning an important lesson this season. He should have spent more money on a better transfer quarterback.

Joseph Goodman is the lead sports columnist for the Alabama Media Group, and author of the book “We Want Bama: A Season of Hope and the Making of Nick Saban’s Ultimate Team.”