Nashville, TENN--In all likelihood, the only thing standing between Clark Lea's program and a top 25 ranking is itself and a potential College Gameday experience is how it handles business against Ball State.

If Lea's program takes care of things the way its talent level indicates it should on Saturday then it gives itself a chance at conquering things that its program hasn't historically.

Lea's team is in uncharted territory as it sits as the AP poll's 26th-ranked team in the country. A boost of one spot would mark the first time that Vanderbilt has made an appearance in the poll's top 25 since 2013.

A sentence like that seemed almost unfathomable a few months ago.

It will continue to be unfathomable if Vanderbilt doesn't come out Saturday night at FirstBank Stadium with the appropriate level of focus.

Lea knows that Vanderbilt's wins over Kentucky and Alabama will lose a part of its meaning if Saturday goes Haywire. Now it's about defending the meaning of its season.

"Every game is a big game for us," Lea said "The focus is Saturday."

How Vanderbilt's focus presents itself on Saturday will determine its fate as 25.5-point favorites.

Lea's team doesn't necessarily need to cover that spread for Saturday to be successful, but it needs to reaffirm to the nation why it's receiving attention.

"I think every game from now on is gonna be a statement game," Vanderbilt linebacker Nick Rinaldi said. "Just being ready for the next opponent I think is the biggest challenge to us."

Rinaldi and Vanderbilt have prided themselves on proving people wrong. Saturday is about proving people right, though.

Vanderbilt can do that with an emphatic win over its MAC opponent.