Tennessee Will Compete for SEC Title Soon After Earning First Bowl Since 2010

When Tennessee freshman running back Jalen Hurd is running over opponents and sophomore quarterback Joshua Dobbs is running past them next season, Saturday's struggle will be looked at as a catalyst. 

When the Volunteers add to the mix a stable of highly coveted defensive linemen in another top-shelf recruiting class compiled by coach Butch Jones, the ulcer-inducing, how-is-this-happening close call against Vanderbilt will be remembered fondly.

Yes, Tennessee had to go into ultimate survival mode with Hurd hurt just to squeak by the Commodores, 24-17, on Saturday night in Nashville. But the bottom line is the Vols did it.

Now, they're going to their first bowl game since 2010.

And it seems like they're standing on the top of that mountain they've tried so hard to get over through the forgettable Lane Kiffin and Derek Dooley eras, staring directly at a future where they'll be an immediate contender in the SEC East race moving forward.

Sure, they looked far from championship-caliber on Saturday, but the Vols (most importantly) found a way. You may be disgruntled with the way the game went, but Jones sure wasn't.

Unlike Kiffin and Dooley, Jones is not only recruiting as well as anybody nationally, but players are developing, the team is competitive virtually every week and the Vols have broken through for some meaningful victories. Any team can say it buys in to what its coach is saying, but UT is backing it up on the field.

They did it again Saturday.

The Vols got timely quarterback pressure by defensive ends Derek Barnett and Curt Maggitt. They got a dynamic, foot-dragging interception from freshman Todd Kelly Jr. that was parlayed into a touchdown.

With Marquez North out for the year and Josh Malone injured, they combated virtually no downfield passing game with Dobbs' dynamic feet. The sophomore quarterback struggled with passing, but he wound up with 183 total yards and a pair of touchdowns that were just enough.

When absolutely nothing else worked, UT rode Dobbs, and Dobbs came through.

Each of these players return next season, too.

With so many injuries, so much adversity and so little depth, Tennessee had to fight through the cruel present to break through into the daylight of the future. Now that the Vols have secured a bowl berth, that future is very, very bright.

It's easy to forget when a team is struggling to beat Vandy that the offense was decimated by the losses of North and Hurd, not to mention Malone and Jason Croom being limited.

The defense just two weeks ago lost its heart and soul in middle linebacker A.J. Johnson and starting cornerback Michael Williams, who are being investigated for a sexual assault.

But the team banded together, playing a lineup full of true freshmen to somehow get to six wins. Add another massive class of highly ranked prospects into the fold next year, get the playmakers healthy and UT is a team nobody wants to face.

Once Jones and crew inserted Dobbs two series into the Alabama game, the entire trajectory of the program changed.

UT trimmed a 27-point deficit against the Tide with Dobbs under center. Then, the season's turnaround came when the Vols came from two scores behind late to upset South Carolina in overtime on the road, followed by a blowout win over Kentucky.

When Dobbs came in, Hurd came alive. The Vols will add former Alabama running back and the nation's second-ranked JUCO runner, Alvin Kamara, into the fold next year, and that will not only provide depth but quality and talent to an offensive backfield needing it.

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UT's victory parade was derailed by the SEC East champion Missouri Tigers last week, but it got back on track against Vanderbilt with UT trotting basically a M.A.S.H. unit out there.

The only real gaping hole heading into the future for UT is that porous offensive line that has been both injury-riddled and downright bad all season. But with that group losing only former walk-on tackle Jacob Gilliam and grooming redshirting JUCO transfer Dontavius Blair for the left tackle, the unit should be more talented and a year better.

Lines get better the longer they play together, so an offseason could work wonders.

Defensively, UT will return a pair of defensive centerpieces in Barnett and Cameron Sutton as well as its emotional leader in Maggitt, who'll be a senior. With those three and a group of star prospects coming in, the Vols should get even better on that side of the ball.

They enjoyed a massive turnaround this season under coordinator John Jancek.

While Tennessee would love to win a bowl game and exit the season with more positive momentum, just getting to one was the biggest deal. Securing 15 extra practices is massive for a program needing to develop depth and find answers for a future full of promise.

The Vols are now 6-6 with a chance to win a seventh game. With a more favorable schedule, 2015 could produce eight wins or maybe even nine. After that, the depth and talent will be back in place for the program to return to its rightful place: competing for championships.

Saturday was the hump, and the Vols finally got over it. It wasn't pretty, but don't deny that it was memorable.

Anybody who believes otherwise failed to see the joy, jubilation and the relief strewn all over the faces of everybody involved with UT's program on the Vanderbilt Stadium football field.

There were plenty of mistakes, and there's plenty of reason for Vols fans to be concerned about the ability to win a bowl game this season with all the injuries and all the holes. 

There are plenty of superstar youngsters around whom a championship-caliber team can be built.

Given the way the way the players already on campus are developing, the resounding response necessary to send this program to the next level was breaking through and getting to a bowl.

Now, that's happened, and it doesn't matter that the Vols didn't earn any style points Saturday in getting there.

It was an ugly game, but it was a beautiful win; for now and for the future.

All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All stats gathered from UTSports.com and recruiting information gathered from 247Sports.com, unless otherwise noted.

Brad Shepard covers SEC football and is the Tennessee Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow Brad on Twitter @Brad_Shepard.