Nashville, TENN--If Vanderbilt wants to do it again it'll have to be nearly perfect.

Clark Lea's team put together a near-flawless effort in a week six win over No. 1 Alabama, as it welcomes No. 5 Texas to town this weekend it will have to turn in a similar performance.

In fact, it may have to be better.

Lea's team will face off against the SEC's number one defense in terms of points and yards given up per outing on Saturday. It will also see the SEC's third-best offense in nearly every statistical category against Steve Sarkisian's team.

"A great challenge for our program," Lea said of facing Texas. "This is one of if not the best team in the country."

Lea believes his team can compete at that level, although Saturday's 18.5-point spread indicates that it will have an uphill climb to embracing its role as seditious spoilers.

Vanderbilt offensive lineman Gunnar Hansen and the rest of Vanderbilt's roster have embraced their role as America's underdog, though.

“S**t I kinda like being the underdog," Hansen said on the VandySports pregame show. "[just] go out there and shock the world every week.”

Vanderbilt has done it once before, but a win on Saturday would prove to be as shocking as the first time, particularly after Texas' loss last weekend crushed its hopes of an undefeated season.

It feels as if Saturday's matchup will provide a look at Texas' best. Vanderbilt isn't a team that its conference opponents feel comfortable sleepwalking against anymore. It won't sneak up on anyone.

It has to bring it.

If it does it will once again be the darlings of the country and will have one of its biggest wins in program history. If it doesn't then its momentum starts over.

So what will it be for Vanderbilt?

Will it be a day of celebration unlike many others on West End or will it be a day where Vanderbilt finds some adversity on a three-game winning streak.