Texas Longhorns’ upset win over A&M couldn’t have come at a worse time for Vanderbilt. After taking them to a 9-win season, Clark Lea signed a six-year contract extension with the team, hoping for a playoff spot after taking down the Vols this week. But that hope might turn into their worst nightmare as the Longhorns’ win is fading Vanderbilt’s playoff chances.

“Now THIS is bad for Vanderbilt. Texas with this win should not be lower than Vanderbilt,” The Athletic’s Joe Rexrode said on X.

Currently, Vanderbilt is at a 9-2 record and needs to win their upcoming game against Tennessee so that it gets a 10-2 season and keeps Texas from jumping ahead of them. As the Texas Longhorns just beat the Aggies with a 27-17 margin, Vandy’s loss can put them in the same comparison group where the head-to-head result matters. And knowing the fact that Vanderbilt already lost against them and they won against the No. 3 Aggies, Clark Lea’s team might be out of the playoffs.

After the Longhorns’ win against Texas A&M, they are now at a 9-3 finish, losing to two of the top 15 teams in the league, which are Ohio State and Georgia. And has won against top teams like Oklahoma, Vanderbilt, and Texas A&M. Now, their only bad loss was against the Florida Gators, which might not hold much value after their win against the Aggies. Even Ohio State’s loss comes in as a tough conference loss where the difference was just 7 points. So, they might surpass Vanderbilt in the rankings.

Alabama, BYU, Miami, Utah, Vanderbilt, Texas, and Pitt are all sitting tight in the playoff race. Now, every win matters with Vandy holding the No. 14 spot, as they are stuck behind the rest: No. 10 Alabama, No. 11 BYU, No. 13 Utah, and No. 12 Miami. Now, in order to move Vanderbilt up, Alabama and BYU have to lose against Auburn and UCF. As Utah already won against Kansas, they can’t really hope for their fall. Miami’s win against Pitt can move them up, which might put Clark Lea’s team in the top 12. But without Bama and BYU’s loss, they can’t really do anything.

On top of it, their game against Tennessee isn’t going to be that easy. The home-field advantage of the game taking place in Neyland Stadium gives a major edge to the Vols. Then, Vandy has the second-worst passing defense in the SEC, allowing 248.3 yards per game, and QB Joey Aguilar is the SEC’s leading passer with 3,145 passing yards and 285.9 passing yards per game.

Now, to make a playoff jump, Clark Lea’s team needs to come up strong against them. With that, Vandy receives good news.

Clark Lea’s QB gets a major NIL push

Vanderbilt’s quarterback, Diego Pavia, continues to turn heads with his exceptional dual-threat abilities this season. Completing 224 of 312 passes for 2,924 yards with 26 touchdowns. Plus rushing for 661 yards with 8 TDs on 132 carries.

With that, Pavia has also become one of the most recognizable players in college football, which has opened doors for several NIL opportunities. And the result? Just a day before facing Tennessee, he announced a new NIL partnership with Austermiller Roofing.

“Different jobs. Same mindset. Vanderbilt and @austermillerroofing are raising the standard in Middle Tennessee. When one rises, we all rise,” Pavia said on IG.

As per On3, Diego Pavia’s NIL valuation has now surged to $2.4 million, placing him seventh among other college football quarterbacks. He’s the only Vanderbilt player who’s valued over $1 million, after tight end Eli Stowers, who’s at $692,000.

But this isn’t the only deal Pavia has secured. He has partnerships with TruGreen, Cheetah Clean Auto Wash, Slim Chickens, and Autopro of Nashville.

Now, with eligibility finally ending this season, Pavia aims to take his team to the playoffs after Tennessee’s win. Now, let’s wait and see if he can do it with everything at stake.