by Steve Eubanks, Special to FOXSports.com

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" 'Dore Eagle" was a good one. "What's Worse: Auburn's Offense or the Economy?" came complete with correct punctuation. "The Geeks Shall Inherit The Turf!" got a lot of play on television. But the best of the bunch was the dig at Kirk Herbstreit and the Big Ten: "Hey Kirk, the SEC drew straws and it's Vandy's turn to beat Ohio State."

Noticeably absent was any sign saying, "Don't be Shocked, We're Pretty Good!" The scoreboard made that point, along with the Commodores' 5-0 record, their best start since 1943.

As shocking as it seems, Vanderbilt has a legitimate shot at the SEC East title. They're favored to beat Mississippi State this weekend. If they can upset Georgia or Florida and beat Kentucky at home, then, as crazy as it sounds, Vandy will host the hapless Volunteers (the second-best SEC team in Tennessee this year) for the school's first shot at a conference title.

Not since the Atlanta Falcons made it to the Super Bowl has southeastern football been so upside down. Vandy is supposed to be the SEC version of Duke (which the Commodores play on Oct. 25) or Rice (a team they beat a month ago). They're the only private school in the conference, with 6,500 undergraduates and some of the highest admission standards in the nation. Nestled in the hills on the west side of Nashville and home to one of the best medical schools in the world, Vandy is as close to Ivy League as it gets in the Deep South. As far as football goes, its role has been to give other SEC teams a Homecoming opponent and nudge the conference GPA north of passing. The Commodores aren't supposed to win.

But winning they are, in no small part because of a guy nobody has ever heard of. John Ingram, a middle-aged Vandy alum, chairs the athletic committee and pushed the Board of Trustees to spend $50 million on athletic facilities. Those expenditures include a state-of-the-art training center, a football team room that makes the lounge at the Four Seasons look dank, stadium upgrades and the construction of a Vanderbilt Hall of Fame. These sparkling gems make recruiting a lot easier.

"We want our coaches to understand that we want them to win championships," Ingram said last spring. "We have changed the image of Vanderbilt from one of lovable losers to serious contenders."

That line drew a few chuckles. Vandy hadn't had a winning season since 1982, about the time when Ronald Reagan was calling the Soviet Union an evil empire and Michael Jackson was the world's most popular singer.

Nobody's laughing now. Coach Bobby Johnson, who took over at Vandy in 2002 after winning a Division 1-AA national championship at Furman University, has earned his keep, putting together a disciplined, balanced offense that has averaged 27 points and 279 yards in its first five games. And it doesn't seem to matter who they run onto the field. After quarterback Chris Nickson went down with a shoulder injury in the first half against Auburn, backup Mackenzi Adams threw for 153 yards and two touchdowns.

The secret, however, is defense, which is Johnson's specialty. Before taking the head coaching job at Furman, he was the defensive coordinator at Clemson when the Tigers gave up the fewest points in the ACC.

Vandy held Auburn to just four rushing yards in the second half. This was not because they're blessed with talent; they're just smarter and in better shape than their opponents. Blitzing schemes and on-the-fly adjustments have kept offenses off balance all season. Linebacker Patrick Benoist was outsized by everybody on the Auburn offensive line and still had 13 tackles. Redshirt freshman Chris Marve had another 10.

Vandy has outscored opponents 58-10 in the second half, shutting out their last three opponents (Auburn, Ole Miss and Rice) after halftime.

SEC East-leading Vanderbilt is a contender. Hard to say with a straight face, but get used to it. As Marve said after the Auburn game, "People can think what they want to think; we just want to show the country that we're a different Vanderbilt."

Mission accomplished.

A sloppy W is still a W

They didn't look like the No. 2 team in the nation, but Alabama slipped by another SEC opponent with a win over Kentucky. In the aftermath a lot has been made of the missed field goals ('Bama's Leigh Tiffin missed two before hitting a 24-yarder late in the fourth quarter), and the inability of quarterback John Parker Wilson to read defenses and hit open receivers. But every top team will have one sloppy win. This was Alabama's.

Hit and (Ole) Miss

Ole Miss has been the epitome of inconsistency, following each win with a loss. The Rebels won big against Memphis, then fell to Wake Forest. They beat Samford, then lost to Vanderbilt. They shocked Florida, then lost to South Carolina. If the pattern continues, Alabama could be in trouble. The Rebels have shown they can play against a top-ranked opponent. And Alabama has shown they're human, letting an inferior Kentucky team hang around longer than anyone expected.

Rabid 'Dawgs looking for revenge

The game with the biggest smash-mouth potential this week is Tennessee at Georgia. Not only have the 'Dawgs had a week off to let their anger fester after getting thumped by Alabama, the Vols handed Georgia their biggest and most embarrassing loss last year. Revenge might be a dish best served cold, but Georgia fans are hot for a big win. This one could get ugly.