Posted by: Josh Kendall on November 13, 2012

A year ago, Vanderbilt coach James Franklin promised never to forget the video he saw of Tennessee coach Derek Dooley celebrating the Volunteers win over the Commodores in the locker room.

This week, it's all in the past, Franklin said.

"I have matured dramatically since that game," Franklin joked Monday during his weekly news conference.

After Tennessee beat Vanderbilt 27-21 last year, in what is Dooley's only SEC win in two seasons, the video surfaced quickly and angered Franklin.

"We'll talk about it next year... a lot," he said then.

Now, it's a different story.

"It's about Vanderbilt," Franklin said. "It's about us getting better and doing our jobs. I have tremendous respect for the state of Tennessee and the University of Tennessee and their traditions. Our focus is on Vanderbilt. We've been trying to get better ever since the day we arrived on campus and that's our focus. If we need any other outside focus, then our focus isn't where it needs to be."

Vanderbilt has not beaten Tennessee since 2005, but Franklin doesn't believe this game is bigger than any other on the schedule, he said.

"When we beat Elon, that was significant. It was a watershed moment for us," he said. "When we got here and there were four wins in two years, every win is significant. Every game for us is a Super Bowl and every situation is important. To me, I don't think we're at the point as a program where we should be distinguishing wins."

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Josh Kendall is a staff writer for CoachingSearch.com and has covered the SEC for more than 15 years for papers such as the Athens Banner-Herald, Macon Telegraph, and The State. He’s the father of two boys who he’s hoping don’t inherit his wide receiver frame and offensive guard feet. Follow @EyeOnCoaches on twitter and send your feedback to josh@coachingsearch.com