Less than three days before Michigan takes the field in an attempt to get their 850th all-time victory, which is, of course, a record. Ann Arbor will welcome the SEC into the city limits for the first time since a 1980 visit by South Carolina. As you well know, Michigan is no stranger to the teams of the SEC, as the Big Ten-SEC bowl contracts seem to arrange for a holiday matchup nearly every year. Simply put, if you are in the Big Ten and you don't make the BCS, chances are you'll be staring across the field at an SEC opponent. Come to think of it, sometimes you'll see the SEC even when you are in the BCS.

This will be the 28th time that Michigan has faced an SEC opponent, and the 11th time they have faced Vanderbilt, compiling a 21-5-1 and 9-0-1 record respectively. The Wolverines last squared off against the Commodores in the 1969 season opener...the first game for Michigan under Bo Schembechler, in a season that would see round one of Woody vs. Bo.

The University

Enrollment: 6400

Vanderbilt Stadium capacity: 39,773

Famous Alumni (in order from most to least important)

David Brinkley

Amy Grant

Al Gore

The Long Past:

Vanderbilt is 538-526-50 all time.

Vanderbilt was 352-140-31 through 1950. That's right, a pre-WWII powerhouse. However...

With a 186-386-19 record since 1950, Vanderbilt finds itself dead last in winning percentage in all of college football for that period.

Last winning season was in 1982

Most wins in a season: 9 (1904, 1915)

The Recent past

Finished 2005 with a 5-6 record

Had big wins at Tennessee and at Arkansas, though Tennessee and Arkansas both had horrible years.

Had an embarrassing loss to Middle Tennessee State

Lost QB Jake Cutler in the first round of the 2005 NFL draft

Player to watch:

Sophomore WR Earl Bennett

Freshman Team All-American in 2005

Preseason all-SEC

Preseason Biletnikoff Candidate

42 catches for 545 yards and 9 touchdowns in the final five games of 2005.

Fun Facts:

Vanderbilt's head coach from 1995-2001 was Woody Widenhofer, who grew up in Riverview, Michigan and was childhood friends with Lloyd Carr and Bill McCartney.