Vanderbilt coach Steve Martin, err, check that, Bobby Johnson is next up on the podium. Here's what he had to say:

• The Commodores play 12 straight weeks, a byproduct from some scheduling problems with the MAC from a few years ago. "I'm really not happy about it but I don't think there is anything anyone could do to avoid it," he said.

• Vanderbilt finally had a winning record last season, taking down Boston College 16-14 in the Music City Bowl. Johnson thinks it was the next step for the program and has changed the attitude of the program. "Hopefully our players know what it takes to get to that point," Johnson said.

• The 'Dores have a couple of quarterbacks who have played in the past for various reasons, with Mackenzi Adams and Larry Smith vying for the job. "Devastating things happen to your season if you don't have a guy ready to be in there," Johnson said. He's not going to make any decisions soon on who is going to start, either.

• Johnson voted Tebow to the first-team all SEC. "I don't know if you're going to find that culprit who didn't vote for him," Johnson said to the questioner.

• Johnson has some pretty dry wit. Asked about how he would evaluate Florida this season, he deadpanned, "They have a chance to be pretty good." He waited a beat or two before actually giving a real answer.

• Johnson is hoping the winning season will help make Vanderbilt a more attractive option for recruits. "We have a fantastic product to go out and recruit with," he said, noting the school's academic reputation, the SEC's football reputation and Nashville's fun reputation. "We're much better on the food chain as far as recruiting is going," he said.

• The Commodores return nine starters on defense, including their entire front seven. The only positions with turnover are at strong safety and cornerback, where a group of sophomores and redshirt freshmen will compete.

• More questions about how satisfying it was to make (and win) a bowl, which is a pretty big deal, since it's been so long (53 years since its last bowl victory! I just looked it up). "You say satisfying, I would also say necessary for our program to move forward," he said. "It was satisfying but not satisfying enough."

• Another respect question. (We media types know how to latch on to one storyline, don't we?) Another smart answer. "We weren't seeking respect," he said. "We were seeking to do as well as we could with our program. ... I'm not that motivated by people patting you on the back and saying you're doing well.

• Johnson, with eight years of service at Vanderbilt, is one of the longest-tenured coaches in the SEC, which is clearly a high-pressure league. He acknowledged three horrible years at the start of his tenure (2-10, 2-10, 2-9) before he got a 10-year extension, and how important it was for the Vanderbilt higher-ups to stick with him. "Everybody I think is impatient. They want instant success," he said. "I'm really proud of our administration for sticking with us. I think it's great that they weren't impatient."

• "I think the sky's the limit for Vanderbilt," Johnson said. He doesn't expect his team to rest on its laurels and wants to eventually compete for championships. Then again, what else do you expect him to say. Somehow, I just don't see that happening any time soon.

That's all she wrote for Vandy. Mississippi State's Dan Mullen is up next at 3:10 p.m. CT.