Last fall, Tennessee beat No. 3 Alabama, earned the No. 1 ranking for a fleeting moment, lost a close game to eventual national champion Georgia and came within a whisper of making the College Football Playoff for the first time.
Had it not been for the Nov. 19 loss at unranked South Carolina -- an ugly 63-38 drubbing while playing without SEC Offensive Player of the Year Hendon Hooker -- the Vols would have had a chance to make some history.
In 2023, they have that chance again.