No, this is not the "Same Old Vanderbilt." The first five games proved that these Commodores are different. They're more athletic, more confident and play with more swagger than past teams.

At the same time, they're still one of the least talented teams in the Southeastern Conference. That's not meant as an insult. Look around. This league is loaded. As much as Vanderbilt has improved, it's not as if other teams have stood pat and let the Dores catch up.

So what does that mean? In order to win, there are certain things Vanderbilt simply must do, regardless of the opponent. It needs to take care of the football, which it didn't do Saturday. It needs to play smart, which it certainly didn't do Saturday. It needs to force turnovers or get big plays from its special teams, neither of which happened Saturday.

When you look at it that way, it's pretty darn remarkable that the Commodores had two chances to take the lead in the final quarter against the Bulldogs. Past teams would have been blown out. Sure, Mississippi State has struggled this season, but they still play in the SEC. They're well-coached, have a stout defense by any standard, were playing in front of a cowbell-crazed home crowd and had two weeks to prepare for a game they desperately needed to win.

Still, I'm not a fan of the "Hey, if someone told you Vanderbilt would be 5-1 through six games..." argument either. The Commodores missed a big opportunity this weekend. A big one. And the fact that they lost isn't nearly as frustrating as how they lost it. They beat themselves.

I don't believe that the players overlooked Mississippi State for a second, nor was it a "letdown" or "trap" game. But, for one reason or another, the passion and intensity just wasn't there. They seemed to be going through the motions. No spark. No fire. No momentum-changing plays. No "in-your-face" moments. It sure didn't seem like a program that's been waiting 26 years to become bowl eligible.

However, that's over with. There's no way to take a mulligan or hit the reset button on the PS3. It is what is so let's move on.

No. 22 Vanderbilt is 5-1 and atop the SEC East with a 3-1 league record heading into Athens this Saturday. (That still sounds pretty cool, doesn't it?) No. 10 Georgia (5-1, 2-1 SEC) has been good, but not great, through the first half of the season.

Obviously, the past two seasons have shown that the Bulldogs are beatable, but it won't be easy. Georgia held Tennessee to one yard rushing on 15 yards in their 26-14 victory, which does not bode well for the Commodores. It's hard to win in the SEC when you can't run the football, especially when you can't throw it either.

We'll find out a lot about Vanderbilt this weekend. For starters, we'll see whether coach Bobby Johnson decides to stick with the struggling Chris Nickson or switch to Mackenzi Adams. However, the Commodores' problems go well beyond quarterback.

"We had too many penalties, dropped balls, missed tackles and couldn't seem to make the big play," Johnson said Saturday. "So that's what happens to you. We'll try to bounce back, our guys are pretty resilient and our coaching staff will be too."

They'll have to be, or it could be a long second half for the Dores. I'm hesitant to look too far ahead, but you can't ignore the fact that Vanderbilt's final six opponents are a combined 23-11. Three are top 25 teams, five have winning records and the other is an always-dangerous in-state rival. By comparison, the first six opponents are a combined 18-20.

"We're 5-1," Johnson said. "We've done five good things and one bad thing and we know it's a tough journey. It's not going to get any easier either. We're going to play some tough teams in the future, but we knew that. We knew it was going to tough when we came down here. Don't bury us yet."

So there you have it. Halfway through the season, do you see the Vanderbilt glass as half-full or half-empty? I'll have more insight after today's press conference so be sure to check back here at C&P throughout the afternoon.