Flash back to Aug. 28, 2014. Vanderbilt had lost James Franklin to Penn State, but former Stanford defensive coordinator Derek Mason declared with gusto that the Commodores would contend for an SEC East title.

Could this finally be the moment when Vanderbilt created a sustainable program? The team had won a combined 18 games the previous year, and the fan base felt a tinge of unfamiliar excitement even without Franklin. If Mason doesn’t show progress in ’15, that could be the high point of his coaching career with the ‘Dores.

RELATED: Best-case scenario — Vanderbilt wins two SEC games in 2015

A nasty Nashville thunderstorm forced the season opener to kick off at 10:50 p.m. ET. Vanderbilt turned the ball over seven times in a sloppy, embarrassing 37-7 loss to Temple. The rest of the season wasn’t much better, as the Commodores won three games thanks to close wins against UMass and Charleston Southern.

Will Mason figure out the head coach thing in ’15? Can Vanderbilt avoid slinking back into a permanent SEC doormat? We’ll find out in a few months.

WHAT THE MAGAZINES ARE SAYING

ESPN: “Last year Johnny McCrary, Wade Freebeck, Patton Robinette and Stephen Rivers threw 19 picks and just 13 TDs. If that turnstile at QB continues, so will the Commodores’ struggles.”

Lindy’s Sports: “The defense lacked a pass rush or the ability to create turnovers last fall, but coach Derek Mason’s move to defensive coordinator resulted in multiple sacks and interceptions during spring action.”

The Sporting News: “One year in Nashville and Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason is already under fire. … Mason has to show progress in Year Two, which means a winning record in the nonconference schedule and at least one or two SEC victories.”

Athlon Sports: “Mason’s second Vanderbilt team should be improved, thanks in part to more experience on both sides of the ball and upgrades on the coaching staff. But the Commodores will have to be drastically better, especially on offense, to make a move in the SEC East.”

Phil Steele: “This team is much stronger than the ’14 version but probably won’t improve much on their 3 win total.”

BEST PLAYERS

  • RB Ralph Webb
  • KR Darrius Sims
  • TE Steven Scheu
  • LB Stephen Weatherly
  • DE Adam Butler
  • DE Caleb Azubike

WHAT WE LEARNED

  • Derek Mason has emphasized creating bigger, more physical players along the line of scrimmage with new strength coach James Dobson (previously at Nebraska).
  • Vanderbilt barely brought five or more pass rushers last season, doing so on just 6.8 percent of its defensive snaps, about half of the SEC average (stat courtesy of ESPN).
  • Mason feels like the defense didn’t play fast and confident last year, as if the players were overthinking the scheme. Mason should simplify the scheme this year and play more of a risk/reward style.
  • Vanderbilt’s turnover margin regressed from +7 (2013) to -16 (2014), according to Athlon Sports. That’s a difference of 23 possessions through the course of one season.
  • Most of the publications seem to think Mason is in legitimate jeopardy of getting fired after his second season at Vanderbilt if the team can’t win at least four games, including at least one SEC contest.

BIGGEST AGREEMENT

None of the preseason magazines are expecting much from Vandy in ’15, and you won’t find a disagreement here. The team is in danger of beginning the Mason era 0-16 in SEC play, with the best opportunities coming at home against Missouri and Kentucky.

To be frank, Vanderbilt likely will lose a game — maybe even two, which would be a disaster — to the non-conference trio of Western Kentucky, Middle Tennessee State and Houston. The latter two contests represent road games.

Between Patton Robinette’s post-spring retirement, Mason’s insistence on adding to his responsibilities by coordinating the defense despite struggling as a young head coach and the team’s lack of a big-time playmaker at receiver or in the secondary, this team seems shell-shocked right now.

BIGGEST DISAGREEMENT

According to Athlon Sports, last year’s top pass-catcher Steven Scheu (39 receptions) may not play early in the season due to a leg injury. (“His return for Week 1 is in doubt,” they wrote.)

But The Tennessean reported well before the end of March that Scheu will be good to go by fall practice. We expect Vanderbilt’s best receiving target in uniform for the Sept. 5 game against Western Kentucky.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Biggest Remaining Question: Starting QB
Consensus Projection: 7th place, SEC East
Impact Newcomers: LB Josh Smith, CB Donovan Sheffield