Most sportswriters listed the Commodores as the best team in the South and winners of the championship outright, resulting in their receiving the Champ Pickens Trophy.

The defense, which allowed and average of 2.33 points per game at home, was anchored by All-Southern ends Lynn Bomar and Hek Wakefield.

Returning players included Kuhn, Lynn Bomar, Tuck Kelly, Red Rountree, Gil Reese, and Fatty Lawrence; who composed "the nucleus around which Dan McGugin and his assistant "Josh" Cody are forming the 1923 eleven.

Those who played for baseball in the South Georgia league, or any other unrecognized one, were disallowed from participating in varsity athletics in the Southern Conference.

[18] To the woe of Commodore fans, tackle Tex Bradford was ruled ineligible on October 10; on grounds of having already played four years of college athletics.

[19] His loss was lamented so near the eve of the Michigan game, for his line work against them was "materially responsible" for the 0 to 0 tie of last year.

[19] In the second week of play, Vanderbilt traveled to Ann Arbor for a rematch of last year's scoreless tie with the Michigan Wolverines.

[2] Reese and Doc Kuhn were said to raise fans to their feet with the showcase of speed, but the Wolverines kept it confined to sideways runs of little gain.

The Wolverines' backfield having three men who could pass the ball in Kipke, Steger, and Uteritz, was said to help them throughout the game by vexing Vanderbilt's secondary.

For a good part of the time it gave one the same sort of feeling which was so common during the Great War, when a gain of a few yards was a matter for rejoicing, and it was hard to believe that even the most dashing attack could accomplish any lasting results."

[22] Michigan and Red Grange's Illinois both finished the 1923 season undefeated and share both Big Ten and national titles.

Before the game, the Mexia Daily News reported "that Vandy outweighs Texas about fifteen pounds to the man but remember the saying "the bigger they are the harder they fall"'[30] The Longhorns were coached by Ed Stewart.

"[32] Blinkey Horn, sportswriter for the Nashville Tennessean, wrote "In Texas, Oscar Eckhardt has displaced Davy Crockett, Sam Houston, and the Alamo.

He recounted, "Once Eckhardt put the ball in play from his 15-yard line following a fair catch and punted 65 yards on the fly over the entire Vanderbilt team.

Ed Hebert of the Times-Picayune wrote of underdog Tulane, "Handicapped through the absence of their captain "Little Eva" Talbot, through an injury, the Greenbacks have become more determined to upset the dope kettle and completely bathe the Vandy eleven in a contest that points every way to a victory for the powerful crew that held the Michigan Wolverines to a 3–0 victory recently at Ann Arbor.

"[39] On having played similar foes in Texas, he went on, "Thus if Vandy can be so outclassed by a club that Tulane has already fought every inch of the way it stands that there is going to be fur-flying in copious quantities when the Commodores and Greenbacks meet Saturday.

Reese had hurt his knee, and during the previous week's game against the Texas Longhorns, Kuhn was hit on the head and had still yet to gain his mental composure.

On the ensuing punt, Tulane's line was broken by Tom Ryan, Bob Rives, Bo Rowland, and Lynn Bomar.

[2] Reese against lost considerable yardage Vandy's next possession, being thrown back 19 yards on an attempted end run.

But even with defensive tactics letting Vandy hold the ball the majority of the time they scored half as many first downs as did the Commodores.

"[43] Gil Reese was the biggest feature of Vanderbilt's offense, as Bomar, Wakefield, and Kenneth Bryan were given praise on the defensive side of the ball.

Halfbacks Stephens and H. G. Perkins were offensive standouts for Mississippi A & M. The Aggies went on to also tie Florida, their only Southern loss coming against Tennessee the week before the Vandy game.

"[48] Early on in the first quarter, Gil Reese fumbled a punt from Georgia's Joe Bennett; and the Bulldogs' own Jim Taylor recovered it on Vanderbilt's 25-yard line.

He further lamented,"when you say that Mr. Reese is a combination of a greyhound, rabbit, antelope, and greased pig you only mildly do this young gentleman justice.

The drive of 85 yards included 8 first downs; likely a result of a change in strategy, "the Bulldogs decided to quit using the shift and try the old fashioned punt formation.

[51] Vanderbilt won the toss and elected to defend the north goal, making it so Sewanee had to kick against the wind to open the game.

[2] On this same Thanksgiving Day, the Florida Gators beat the Alabama Crimson Tide in the rain to help ensure a Southern title for the Commodores.

[53] Then Florida players Cy Williams, Goldy Goldstein, and Ark Newton later teamed up with Vanderbilt tackle Bob Rives in 1926, on the Newark Bears of the American Football League.

Among the stars were Stan Keck, Frank Murrey, Hank Garrity, John P. Gorman, Ralph Gilroy, A. Barr Snively and Herb Treat.

The trophy was presented at the annual football banquet on December 4, held at the Commercial Club, to captain Oliver Kuhn, by brother Jordan Stokes.