Pavie scored five touchdowns in Vanderbilt’s 35-27 win over Georgia Tech at rain-soaked Protective Stadium. It was easily one of the best Birmingham Bowls in the game’s 18-year history. The crowd was excellent despite the cold and rain, and the teams played their Nerd Bowl with all the hatred and toughness of a game rivalry between Vandy and Tech around 1910.

Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech were two of the first Southern universities that introduced the Deep South to college football. Today, they’re just schools for smart kids, even though Georgia Tech did one of the stupidest things in American history in 1964 when it allowed former coach Bobby Dodd to leave the SEC because of his stupid conflict with Paul Bryant and Alabama.

I would like to see Georgia Tech re-admitted to the SEC, and I know I’m not the only one who feels that way. We might, however, need a straight jacket and a tranquilizer gun for tech coach Brent Key. He came unstuck against Vanderbilt in the third quarter after a series of questionable calls, and his lack of composure gave Vandy an advantage.

However, it wasn’t the officials who ultimately gave Vandy the lead. It was Pavia, the Commodores quarterback who is 4-0 in his career against teams coached by Hugh Freeze and Kalen DeBoer.

Pavie has a way of driving the best coaches in the business crazy.

This season, DeBoer’s Alabama has never been able to figure out how to stop Pavia on third down. Pavie then played in pain against Auburn, but still found a way to win. He was back to his old self against Tech and they couldn’t stop him.

Pavia passed for three touchdowns, ran for two, and then proceeded to hint to everyone that he was ready to lead Vanderbilt even further next season.

“This is just a stepping stone to what we want to do here at Vanderbilt,” Pavia said. “We have bigger dreams.”

Pavie is already a cult hero within the SEC, but he would become a revolutionary icon if he returned to his adopted honky-tonk city and led the ‘Dores to an SEC championship. After everything we’ve seen, do you still doubt his abilities?

There’s tough SEC football and then there’s tough Pavia. I’ve seen him in person three times this season. He looks more like a UFC fighter on the field than a quarterback. He’s just fast enough to outrun defenders on first downs and more than strong enough to take on any linebacker or safety head-on.

He’s also more than a little crazy. During the Birmingham Bowl, he enjoyed pointing at Tech’s middle linebacker before the snap. I’m coming for you.

There are, however, brains to go along with these muscles. After last season, Pavia sued the NCAA for an additional year of eligibility. It worked. A judge granted him an injunction, and the NCAA was then forced to give all current FBS players who spent time at a junior college and were ineligible the opportunity to play an additional year.

The aftermath of Pavia’s fight with the NCAA will have a major impact on college football next season.

But can Vanderbilt actually win the SEC in 2025?

The combination of the transfer portal and money for players has been a game changer. Vandy will likely need a few more pieces to be a true contender, but the opportunity is there, as is the desire. The ‘Dores are back.

Pavie will be one of the most electric players in the country next season. Who wouldn’t want to play with him?

BE HEARD

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Joseph Goodman is the leading sports columnist for the Alabama Media Group and author of the book “We want Bama: a season of hope and the creation of Nick Saban’s ultimate team.”