After back-to-back nine-win seasons in 2012 and 2013, Vanderbilt came crashing down to 3-9 in Derek Mason’s first year at the helm.

Will the Commodores be able to recapture the magic that sent them to three consecutive bowls for the only time in program history?

Let’s take a look into our crystal ball to see what 2015 has in store for Vanderbilt.

5 predictions for Vanderbilt in 2015

5. One quarterback will win the starting job during fall camp and keep it all season

Much of last year’s offensive struggles can be traced to the constant unrest at the quarterback position. Four different players started a game there during the 2014 season. New offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig could go a long way in squashing concerns over last season’s woes at the position by picking his guy for the starting job and avoiding the weekly carousel. The Commodores thought they had settled the situation with Patton Robinette, but he decided to forgo his remaining eligibility to pursue medical school following spring practice. Instead, sophomores Wade Freebeck and Johnny McCrary are expected to be the top competitors this fall. Incoming freshman Kyle Shurmur could bring some new blood to the competition, though it is probably best for the long-term health of the program if he takes a redshirt season.

4. The Commodores defense will be better this season

Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason fired defensive coordinator David Kotulski after just one season, and replaced him with … Derek Mason. Mason earned the head coaching job at Vanderbilt based on his performance as the defensive coordinator at Stanford, so with his job on the line after a rough first season decided it was best to control his own fate on that side of the ball. The results were not great in a year of transition from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4 look, with the Commodores giving up 33.3 points per game just two years after holding teams to 18.7. But the Commodores are capable of a rebound, as they do have a good deal of talent on that side of the ball, notably linebackers Nigel Bowden, Stephen Weatherly and Darreon Herring.

3. Vanderbilt will break its conference losing streak

A year after taking down SEC East powers Georgia, Florida and Tennessee all in the same season, the Commodores found themselves 0-8 in conference play. While another 0-8 performance is within the realm of possibility for 2015, the chances are good that Derek Mason will find a way to get his first SEC win this season. His job may depend on it. The question is: When will it happen? September match-ups against Georgia and at Ole Miss seem like unlikely spots, meaning the losing streak is likely to extend into double-digits before breaking. Keep an eye on an Oct. 17 game at South Carolina. The Commodores will be well-rested after a bye week and South Carolina will be coming off a game against LSU. If not there, a home game against Kentucky on Nov. 14 may be the best chance.

2. Vanderbilt will lose at least one of its non-conference games

The Commodores have a tricky out-of-conference schedule. There is a cupcake in Week 3 (Austin Peay) and no Power 5 monster to be found on the slate, but it is still a schedule that could cause the Commodores problems. Vanderbilt opens the season on a Thursday night against Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers are just a short car-ride from Nashville, and should bring plenty of fans excited to see what turned into a prolific offense last season. WKU returns QB Brandon Doughty, who threw for 4,830 yards and 49 touchdowns last season. The Commodores must also navigate through two October road games at Middle Tennessee and Houston. The Blue Raiders beat Vanderbilt three times from 2001-05, and have marked this game as Homecoming at their campus located just 30 miles down the road in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Vanderbilt beat Houston in the Birmingham Bowl in January of last year, but the rematch on Cougar turf is likely to be a coin-flip outcome.

1. Another year without a bowl game

The annual trip to a bowl game was a refreshing change for Commodores fans during the James Franklin tenure. Unfortunately, the second season under Derek Mason is likely to produce another postseason on the couch. Vanderbilt will see improvement from the dreadful 2014 season, but the out-of-conference schedule could end up being the roadblock to progress in the win-loss column for this team. To win the six games necessary to become bowl eligible (doubling last year’s win total in the process), Vanderbilt must find a way to win two conference games, while also going 3-for-3 in games against Western Kentucky, Middle Tennessee and Houston. While the Commodores are capable of doing so, it would take way too many “good breaks” to consider it a likely outcome.