Now Is the Time for Tennessee to Prove the Hype Is Real

Somewhere—lost in the whirlwind of flowery words reserved for media darlings, the star-studded recruiting classes, the excitement of a Week 1 juggernaut offense and the gnashing of teeth over a defense that allowed 30 points to Bowling Green—lie the real Tennessee Volunteers.

Right now, the Vols are a hype-fueled enigma ranked 23rd in the nation by the Associated Press because the college football world doesn't know whether to embrace all that talent or fear the unknown of inexperience.

To twist the line from "Rocky Top," are they half-bear or half-kitty-cat? Ready for prime time or destined to be swept back into the pack of pretenders?

The nation will find out this Saturday night in Neyland Stadium. Everybody will be watching as No. 19 Oklahoma comes to town.

For all the talk surrounding Tennessee, it's time to see if there's any substance or if Vols fans will be clearing their throats to say those four words uttered for much of the past decade: "Wait until next year."

To be completely fair, the season would be far from over if UT slips up against the Sooners at home in front of what surely will be a raucous crowd. The season goals—such as ending long, winless droughts against Florida, Georgia and Alabama and competing for the SEC East—would still be unscathed.

Also, a loss to OU shouldn't do anything to deter the positive upward trajectory of Tennessee under coach Butch Jones, a man who has proven he can recruit with the best of them and turn around a program.

But are the Vols ready to win right now?

A prime-time game against a marquee opponent with a blue-blood name like Oklahoma is an ideal time for Tennessee to prove it belongs. According to Rocky Top Insider, Vols cornerback Cameron Sutton is ready:

Now's the time to show everybody what UT's identity is.

Though UT fans know Jones' Vols want to run a scheme based on quick-tempo offense and pressure-heavy defense, it has never really come to fruition in a big-time win on a national stage.

If it doesn't happen this time, the headlines will fade to black and the Vols will still have to prove to everybody that they can win a meaningful game against a quality opponent.

Considering the work that has been put into reshaping the image of the program and rebuilding the mentality of the players, what would a loss do to their psyche? How much would it affect the more important game against the Gators looming on Sept. 26?

While the Vols can turn right around and beat Florida in Gainesville in two weeks to recapture the excitement, a victory against the Sooners would be monumental.

Not only would it justify all the buzz surrounding Tennessee all offseason, it would stir a fanbase into a frenzy and keep Jones' recruiting machine going.

Lose to the Sooners, and that stage in the Swamp gets a little bit smaller.

So much hype has swirled around Rocky Top all offseason as national media members circled Knoxville, swooping down on a weekly basis to chronicle a team on the rise.

Is quarterback Joshua Dobbs really the potential next face of a storied conference because of his talent on the field and intelligence off it? Now's the opportunity for him to beat his first ranked opponent and rise to that next level it takes to make plays with an important game on the line.

Are Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara really one of the SEC's best running back tandems, as they claim they're striving to be? Though the early returns (267 combined rushing yards) from that Bowling Green game suggest they can be special, everybody will see what transpires against a rugged Sooners defense that will pose a tougher test.

The Vols' perceived two biggest strengths—their pass rush and veteran-laden secondary—were anything but that in a shaky opener against Bowling Green. Was that an aberration or is this a worry moving forward?

This week will go a long way toward answering all of those questions and therefore determining UT's immediate fate as a contender or pretender.

Tennessee is a product of the hype machine, and now everybody will see if it's actually warranted or if the tender Vols need to marinate just a little longer.

There's no denying their immense talent and potential. They've got a stable of playmakers that anybody would feel fortunate to trot onto the field. Back-to-back top-10 recruiting classes have outfitted Jones' arsenal with enough weapons to keep opponents worried.

But the program rebuild is nowhere near complete, and the Vols are about to take on an entrenched coach in Bob Stoops whom Jones hailed during Monday's press conference as a man who has built a "top-five program."

Right now, Tennessee just has a top-five recruiting class.

Turning the latter into the former can only happen by winning games like Saturday's.

They'll have to do it without the services of starting defensive tackle Danny O'Brien who was suspended indefinitely Wednesday for a violation of team rules, according to Jones (via Chattanooga Times Free Press reporter Patrick Brown.)

Tennessee fans everywhere are hungry for a champion, and the expectations are that now in the third year of Jones' tenure, the time has come to win some important games. Think it's not going to be rowdy? According to 247Sports' Wes Rucker, UT students set a record for ticket requests.

The third-year coach loves to speak to his players about the expectations at Tennessee and embracing them. 

The Oklahoma game may not be the biggest of the season, but the outcome certainly could dictate how big the others will be.

Moral-victory time is over. This is a prime opportunity to get a real one and announce to the rest of the college football world that Tennessee is back.

All stats gathered from UTSports.com unless otherwise noted. All recruiting information gathered from 247Sports unless otherwise noted.

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