re: When's the next time Vandy beats UGA, UF, and UT in same year?

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I can see Vandy doing in the SEC what Baylor has done in the Big(number). They used to be an auto-win on the schedule. I'll never forget a few years ago when I had to listen to Baylor v. Mizzou on the radio because it didn't warrant a TV spot and listening in astonishment when Baylor beat Mizzou. It was embarrassing to lose to Baylor back then. Now, just a few years later it's normal for them to win 8-10 games.

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The problem for Vanderbilt is sustainability. The SEC is a much tougher conference for a school like Vanderbilt to build a consistent record of winning in. They're also very much space/facilities limited due to being in Nashville and have to compete with not just UT and Titans fans everywhere they look but also the fact that there's more to do in Nashville than most other college towns.

The university itself will also only go so far in support -- academics and academic facilities will always come first things like parking lots and dorms second and anything sports related wayyyyy further down and again with space limitations they can't really devote as much to football as most other schools even if they chose to.

Despite their W-L records, Vandy has never been all that horrible but they've suffered for playing in the SEC where the schools were a whole lot better than most other conferences. Put them in a weaker conference even when they were only getting 2 wins a year and their record would be different. If their AD had smartened up and changed their OOC schedule two decades ago instead of more recently them getting to a bowl wouldn't be a shock to anyone. And they should be able to maintain that with a decent coach.

However, becoming a regular threat in the SEC is a much steeper climb for a multitude of reasons. And a lot of those reasons are things that can't really be changed, only mitigated to some degree. If Franklin leaves it will be more out of frustration that success can't bring all of the structural changes he wants or needs to sustain winning - not money or even greener pastures.