NASHVILLE - Vanderbilt football is getting out of hand, and coach Bobby Johnson is to blame. The guy has no respect for history.

Give him credit. He beat Tennessee last season for the first time in 23 years. His quarterback, Jay Cutler, was a first-round NFL draft pick. He won five games.

So take a bow. Get a raise. Then come back next season and lose nine games.

Isn't that the way it works at Vanderbilt?

This is Johnson's fifth year at Vanderbilt, and he still doesn't get it.

He won five games last season, lost his star quarterback and came back this season against a tougher schedule and won another four games. If Vanderbilt had an athletic director, his head would be spinning.

So he won four or more games in back-to-back seasons. Big deal, huh?

At Vanderbilt, it's a career-maker.

Gerry DiNardo did it in 1993 and 1994. Never mind that he lost his last game 65-0 to UT. LSU couldn't hire him fast enough.

It's not just the winning that makes Johnson atypical. It's also the losing.

The Commodores haven't lost a game by more than 20 points. The last time that happened was 1982.

Doesn't Johnson know Vanderbilt is supposed to suffer at least one blowout loss even when it wins four or five games? His disrespect for the school's tradition is shameful.

Vanderbilt's worst loss this season is 27-7 to No. 2 Michigan. The Commodores also lost by six points to third-ranked Florida and by two to sixth-ranked Arkansas.

Not only have the Commodores played three top-10 teams. Saturday afternoon's matchup with UT will be their 12th game in 12 weeks.

But you have to goad Johnson into suggesting that the lack of an open date might be a handicap. He's even reluctant to play the injury card.

What's with this guy? Didn't he read the excuses chapter in the coaching handbook?

He's coaching at a school that hasn't had a winning season in 24 years, and doesn't have the decency to belabor you with excuses. Imagine how that makes his predecessors feel.

Obviously, Johnson has an attitude. And it's rubbing off on his players.

You can count senior defensive end Chris Booker among the converts.

"I think we'll be a top-25 team next year," he said matter-of-factly, as though what he said wasn't the college football equivalent of the tabloid headline: "Hillary gives birth to alien baby."

"What do you base that on?" asked a sportswriter, trying not to look as though he had just seen someone walk across the ceiling.

"I'm looking at who we've got coming back," Booker said. "The guys we're losing, their backups are just as good."

Vanderbilt will start two seniors on offense and three on defense against UT. Another senior, Ben Koger, won't start but hopes to contribute.

A former starter at free safety, Koger suffered a broken right leg against Temple on Sept. 30. He started jogging last week and wants to run full speed on behalf of Vanderbilt football.

"The worse-case scenario is the same thing might happen, and it takes four to six weeks to heal," Koger said. "If I can run, I'm going to try and go. If I can help the team in any way - maybe on special teams - I'll do it."

You're probably wondering why a family member or close friend doesn't pull Koger aside and say, "Ben, it's only Vanderbilt football. Forget it."

Sorry, folks. It's too late for that, because a coach with no respect for tradition has convinced his players that Vanderbilt football isn't what it used to be.

Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knews.com.