Butch Jones understands that he took over a beleaguered program when he replaced Derek Dooley prior to the 2013 season.
The Vols—once perennial contenders for the SEC East title—hadn't been to a bowl game since 2010 and hadn't been to the SEC Championship Game since losing to LSU in Atlanta in 2007.
Things have changed a bit.
No. 23 Tennessee will host 19th-ranked Oklahoma on Saturday night in Neyland Stadium in one of the biggest early-season battles of the season. It's also the biggest game of third-year head coach Butch Jones' career on Rocky Top and the biggest game for the Tennessee program since that loss to LSU.