Vanderbilt was No. 16 in the first College Football Playoff ranking released Tuesday, accentuating an urgency on the heels of a narrow loss at 11th-ranked Texas.

The Commodores (7-2, 3-2 SEC) realize their margin of error will be gone when they host Auburn on Saturday in Nashville. The same goes for the rest of the regular season.

There's no need for repetition.

"We had our mission set a long time ago, and we're right where we want to be," Commodores safety Marlen Sewell said. "We're just going to keep progressing and keep doing what we've got to do to win."

Sewell senses a renewed commitment to mastering the details as Vandy prepares to host Auburn (4-5, 1-5) days after the Tigers dismissed head coach Hugh Freeze following a 10-3 home loss to Kentucky.

D.J. Durkin was elevated to int

See Full Page