I know, it's easy to roll your eyes when someone tries to tell you for what seems like the 17th consecutive year that, really, Tennessee could be back soon. But if you ignore the logo and the Dreamsicle colors and just look at the situation on paper, it's not hard to talk yourself into it because of both recruiting rankings (as always) and massive experience, especially in the areas that tend to have the biggest impact on year-to-year improvement: quarterback, receiving corps and secondary.

Kirby Smart needed a season of installing a Saban-esque culture at Georgia before his program could ignite with both a combination of high-upside youth and seen-it-all veterans. Jeremy Pruitt, who was Smart's replacement in Tuscaloosa for a couple of years, has now had a year to do the same with the Vols. If he actually is good enough to get that type of culture to stick -- not everyone is -- then now's the time for ignition.

A three-point jump in S&P+ would place the Volunteers 38th, while a 10-point leap would make them 17th and an 18-point surge would place them eighth.

Of course, Georgia had shown a higher ceiling in the years preceding its 2017 leap than Tennessee has of late. The Vols haven't won 10 games in a season in 12 years (Georgia won 10 the year before Smart took over) and haven't enjoyed a top-10 S&P+ ranking in 18 (UGA had been in the top 10 every year from 2011 to 2014). So really, Smart had to tweak a winning culture, while Pruitt has to build one.

Still, Jarrett Guarantano is one of the nation's most underrated quarterbacks, new offensive coordinator Jim Chaney has a history of strong quarterback play and the defense is experienced enough to improve its efficiency levels. There's potential here, is all I'm saying.

More
https://www.mutigersedge.com/Albert_Okwuegbunam_Jersey
https://www.mutigersedge.com/Blaine_Gabbert_Jersey
https://www.mutigersedge.com/Brock_Olivo_Jersey
https://www.mutigersedge.com/Charles_Harris_Jersey