Vanderbilt is in the Power 5 and has seen a rise in quality of play this season as the commodores loom to be on the right track to building something competitive in Nashville.

But they’re one of the teams that still has the longest AP Poll drought after programs like Kansas and Illinois brought an end to their respective streaks. Vanderbilt has not been ranked in the AP Poll since Jan. 7, 2014, while other Power 5 programs including Oregon State (Aug. 17, 2013) and Rutgers (Nov. 18, 2012) have not seen the rankings for an even longer period of time.

Vanderbilt showed the ability to hold its own in the first half of Saturday’s 52-28 loss to the Ole Miss Rebels, heading into halftime with a 3-point lead. Despite the fact they didn’t come out victorious, that still says a lot about where this team is and gives optimism that it too may have the chance to end the drought soon.