• I didn't lose in September, opening up 3-0 in conference games and knocking off three straight opponents that would finish with at least seven wins, two of which are set to play in New Year's Day games. I finished the season 4-3 against eventual bowl teams.

• After the early success against good teams, I lost three games over the second half of the season to teams that would finish at least two games below .500.

• I suffered a four-game losing streak in October and early November, the worst of a second half swoon in which I was outscored by an average of 23-16 over the last seven games.

• I finished in the bottom 20 nationally (100th or worse) in passing, pass efficiency, total and scoring offense, and dead last in the conference by three of those four measures. After Oct. 1, I was held to 14 points or less in seven of the last eight games. I placed zero offensive players on the all-conference team.

• Statistically, the defense improved for the fifth consecutive season, finishing in the top-30 nationally in pass, pass efficiency, total and scoring defense as well as sacks. I placed one player on the first-team all-conference defense and one player on the second team.

• I was outscored by .66 points per game on average.

So ... am I a bowl team?

Begrudge them their second half collapse, loss to Duke, atrocious offense and 6-6 final record if you must, but you can't deny Vanderbilt some sense of pride in qualifying for the hometown Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl presented by Bridgestone (get all that? You know which hotel to bring your news tires back to on your next road trip), where the Commodores will pack LP Field for their first postseason game in 26 years. Vandy will line up against ACC runner-up Boston College, whose second straight nine-win, division-championship season still isn't good enough to get the Eagles into a January game. Note to Boston College fans: You gotta travel to get that Gator Bowl nod, folks, or else just start a New Year's game in Boston. Everyone's doing it.