Nashville, TENN--The phrase 'best win in program history' shouldn't be thrown around lightly.

On Saturday throwing it out was an absolute no brainer, though.

A Vanderbilt program that was previously 0-60 against top 5 opponents, 0-10 against No. 1-ranked opponents and held a 23-game losing streak against Alabama defied history on Saturday night and took down No. 1 Alabama.

It was almost an unthinkable outcome, but Vanderbilt did it on Saturday.

Clark Lea's team stunned the country and the entire college football landscape by taking down a program in which it was outscored 148-3 by in its last three meetings and hadn't scored a touchdown against since 2007.

More important than any history it defied, Lea's team looked like it belonged on the field with the No. 1 team in the country.

When its back was against the wall it pulled a rabbit out of its hat. When it felt like Alabama was out of its league it proved that it could hang over and over again.

As it looked like the big crimson crowd and the five-star talent would push Alabama over the edge Vanderbilt found magic.

With a chance to take the lead Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe was forced into a game-altering fumble by Miles Capers. As Vanderbilt's back was to the wall on fourth down, Diego Pavia found Junior Sherrill for a 36-yard touchdown.

Vanderbilt answered the call every time its past indicated it wouldn't.

It wasn't your father or mother's Vanderbilt on Saturday. This was something entirely different.

This was an upset unlike Vanderbilt has ever had. Not in football. Not against this program.

Saturday's upset victory in which Vanderbilt was over 20-point underdogs was a validation of Lea's vision and the claim that he's the guy for the job on West End.

Now Lea isn't just proving himself, a win like this allows his program to dream. A bowl eligible season is now on the horizon.

A win like this allows more than that to be possible. It unlocks a different level of momentum for Vanderbilt's program than it's ever had. Vanderbilt just knocked off a team that took the country's attention captive just a week ago against a top-three team.

On Saturday, Vanderbilt had the nation's attention.

When has that been able to be said?

The 'program-changing win' cliche is often thrown around, but on Saturday the change was tangible.

A program that has been deeply haunted by the demons of its past found a day without fear overcoming it.

It found its signature win. Not only this season. Not only in Lea's tenure. But, in program history.