Vanderbilt football claims the upset of the season, steals crown from Kentucky

The Vanderbilt Commodores did what many thought was impossible and took down the #1 team in the nation, the Alabama Crimson Tide, 40-35. They did this literally the week after Kentucky took down a #6 ranked Ole Miss team on the road. Officially taking the crown of "upset of the SEC," no scratch that "upset of the season" from the Wildcats.

This was the first win for Vanderbilt vs. an AP top-ranked team, and they beat Alabama for the first time in 23 attempts. This is easily their best win in school history, and next week, who do they get to face? The team they stole the crown of "upset of the season" from, the Kentucky Wildcats.

This matters not just for the fun of the season or the chaos of the SEC but because Kentucky's strength of schedule just got a whole lot better. Vanderbilt was 2-2 and considered the doormat of the SEC for most fans and teams, but pulling off this massive win on the back of almost beating Missouri the week before is huge for the Commodores. It's also essential for Kentucky to look toward its own future. They didn't have Alabama on their schedule, but now, they get to take on the team that beat the Crimson Tide.

The Vanderbilt game was not going to be much of a resume builder, but now it's become another opportunity for Kentucky. It also will not be easy. Vanderbilt believes in themselves after showcasing their ability to knock off Alabama. They were well-coached and had a plan that started out of the gate with an opening touchdown drive.

This is also important for Kentucky because Alabama, Georgia, and Ole Miss all have one loss now. Kentucky still has two losses, but the SEC is more wide-open than it has been all season. Truly, there's a path forward for Kentucky to find itself among the top teams in the conference and into the college football playoff.