It’s been a long time since Vandy was favored over LSU…

Well, it finally happened. For the first time in 77 years, the Vanderbilt Commodores football team is favored over LSU. Yep, you read that right — the Commodores, often the SEC’s lovable underdogs, are actually expected to win. The last time the betting gods smiled upon Vanderbilt? 1948.

Let that sink in. Gas was 26 cents a gallon, a loaf of bread cost 14 cents, and nobody had ever heard of Taylor Swift. The Brooklyn Dodgers still existed, and your grandparents were probably just figuring out how to work a refrigerator.

So, what kind of world were the Commodores dominating back then? Let’s take a trip to the past — no DeLorean needed.

The World Was on Edge (and in Black & White)

1948 wasn’t exactly chill. The world had just wrapped up World War II, and everyone was either rebuilding, rethinking, or rearming.

• The Berlin Airlift Takes Off: The Soviets tried to block off Berlin, and the U.S. responded by basically turning the city into the world’s busiest airport. Planes flew nonstop for almost a year, dropping off food, fuel, and hope — like a 1940s Amazon Prime with propellers.

• Israel Becomes a Nation: In May, Israel declared its independence, and the very next day, several Arab nations attacked. World history, as they say, escalated quickly.

• The Marshall Plan: Over in Washington, President Truman decided to throw billions of dollars at Europe to help it rebuild and, hopefully, not fall to the Soviets. Think of it as the biggest “stimmy” check in history.

• Tragedy in India: Sadly, 1948 also saw the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi — a sobering reminder that even in times of progress, the world can still lose its greatest voices for peace.

Meanwhile in America: Truman Stuns Everyone

Back home, the U.S. had its own drama — political, social, and yes, headline-worthy.

• The Ultimate Upset: In the most “everyone called it wrong” election ever, President Harry S. Truman beat Republican Thomas Dewey, despite every poll, pundit, and newspaper (looking at you, Chicago Daily Tribune) predicting otherwise. The photo of Truman gleefully holding up that “DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN” headline? Iconic.

• Desegregating the Military: Truman also made history by signing Executive Order 9981, officially starting the process of desegregating the U.S. armed forces — a massive step toward equality.

• The Dixiecrat Drama: Not everyone was thrilled about progress, though. Southern Democrats broke off to form their own “Dixiecrat” party, led by South Carolina’s Strom Thurmond. Spoiler: it didn’t go well for them.

Pop Culture Was Popping (Sort Of)

While the world was dealing with major change, 1948 was also the year when modern pop culture started to take shape — or at least boot up in black and white.

• TV Invades the Living Room: Harry Truman became the first president to give a live televised address, which officially started the long and awkward marriage between politics and TV.

• Instant Cameras Arrive: The Polaroid Land Camera made its debut, letting people take a picture and see it develop right before their eyes — the 1940s version of “pics or it didn’t happen.”

• Baseball Gets Legendary: At age 42, pitching icon Satchel Paige became the oldest rookie in Major League Baseball history, proving that greatness doesn’t have an expiration date.

When Vandy Was a Juggernaut (Yes, Really, sort of)

And then there were the 1948 Vanderbilt Commodores, coached by Henry “Red” Sanders, who were a full-on wrecking ball that season. They went 8-2-1, finished ranked No. 12 in the nation, and during one stretch, outscored opponents 307–26.

When they played LSU, they didn’t just win — they obliterated the Tigers 48–7 after a slow start. Imagine Vanderbilt fans in 1948: smoking pipes, wearing wool suits in the stands, and thinking, “This’ll probably happen every year!”

So yeah — 1948 was a wild time. The world was rebuilding, nations were being born, baseball was breaking barriers, and Vanderbilt football was, somehow, terrifying.

Now, 77 years later, the Commodores are favored again. Maybe it’s an omen. Maybe history really does repeat itself. Or maybe it’s just Vegas being Vegas.

Either way, somewhere up in football heaven, Coach Red Sanders is lighting up a victory cigar and saying, “Told ya we’d be back.”