So what if coach Josh Heupel's offense often hasn't lived up to its lofty reputation this season. Or that Tennessee football won't get a boost from its strength of schedule, which has been softer than usual.
The Vols now have established themselves as a favorite for the 12-team College Football Playoff after improving their record to 6-1 with a 24-17 comeback victory over Alabama on Saturday.
They aren't winning with outrageous offensive outbursts. They aren't racking up style points.
But they're doing what's necessary in this topsy-turvy SEC season. They're overcoming adversity.
Not everybody is.
Consistency, not greatness, will carry the day in this SEC season. Superpowers are nowhere in sight. Just when you think you see one, it disappears in a flash of mistakes. Formerly No. 1 Texas can vouch for that after losing to Georgia.
I thought the Vols were bound for greatness when they outscored their first three opponents 191-13. I changed my mind when mediocre Arkansas knocked the greatness out of them in Fayetteville.
You might have conceded the championship to Alabama when it bolted to a 28-0 early lead against Georgia. And you probably thought otherwise when the Bulldogs passed the Tide's dysfunctional secondary silly in the second half.
Alabama lost the lead but won the game. Then, it lost to Vanderbilt. That's the same Vanderbilt team that lost to Georgia State.
Ole Miss looked like a playoff cinch until it flopped against Kentucky. It outplayed LSU, too, but didn't win.
You don't ascend to No. 1 on highlights. You need to pull victories from defeat even when defeat seems certain.
The Vols didn't turn heads in beating Oklahoma and Florida. They didn't dazzle anybody by rallying past Alabama in the second half. Instead, they won a game fraught with turnovers and penalties by bowing their backs and rising above mistakes.
Texas was dazzling everybody in climbing to No. 1 in its first SEC season. Then, it ran into a Georgia team that apparently checked it clock and realized it was time to start playing like a champion.
As dominant as the Bulldogs looked in taking a 23-0 lead against Texas on its home field, they looked helpless in that dreadful start against Alabama and bereft of offense in a 13-12 victory over Kentucky.
This season has taught us to hesitate in proclaiming any team as the next big thing. Better to wait for more evidence. One exceptional performance doesn't necessarily lead to another one. And one lackluster showing doesn't mean you're doomed to something just as awful in the next game.
You can't be sure Tennessee's offense has found its footing and is about to soar to new heights just because it was much more successful against Alabama, whose defense has repeatedly proved to be unreliable. But what you saw from UT was an upgrade over what you had seen in the previous three games against Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Florida.
Again, greatness isn't required. Just keep getting better. There's a body of work that indicates UT's defense will do the rest.
Tennessee's defense has been as consistent as anything you have seen in the SEC this season. It lost a stalwart linebacker like Keenan Pili for the season to injury but didn't miss a beat.
The relentless rush from its 12-man rotation on the front four has led the charge. But the back end of the defense - regarded as a weakness in preseason - has made more impactful plays than any other Tennessee secondary in the Josh Heupel era.
Walk-on safety Will Brooks ended Alabama's hopes with an interception but also might have saved a touchdown when he tripped up quarterback Jalen Milroe early in the game.
Jermod McCoy, a gift from the transfer portal via Oregon State, has emerged as one of the SEC's top cover corners. He had a crucial first-half interception against the Tide and spent much of the game causing problems for star freshman wide receiver Ryan Williams.
You can trust Tennessee's defense. You can be hopeful for the offense. But you can't assume the second half against Alabama is the new normal.
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Nor can you assume Georgia has regained its championship magic. Or be sure it will beat the Vols in Athens in mid-November just because it beat Texas in Austin.
But after Saturday, you can be more confident that the Vols will qualify for the playoffs.
John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com. Follow him at: twitter.com/johnadamskns.