Did they truly take a step forward, or were they just cashing in on an easy schedule? Anybody who has watched Tennessee football play over the past month and a half know that the team has clearly dramatically improved, and that’s worthy of praise. Reaching a bowl game also shows improvement for Jeremy Pruitt his second season on the job.
However, the Vols have to win their bowl game if they are going to prove that they truly have taken a step forward. After all, despite beating two teams on the road who are 7-5 and 6-6 respectively, there is still a case to be made that the only reason they were better than their 5-7 campaign in 2018 is due to an easier schedule.