Tennessee Vols fans are frustrated after watching UT lose to Ole Miss 31-26 on Saturday night in a sold-out Neyland Stadium.

And I get it.

Rebels quarterback Matt Corral looked like Michael Vick, rushing for 195 yards and seemingly doing most of his damage on crucial third downs.

There was also a bizarre call in the first quarter that took six points off the board for Tennessee on what appeared to be a fumble returned for a touchdown by Tyler Baron.

A loss is a loss. And there's never a good feeling after losing a game.

But Vol fans should take solace in the fact that this team isn't that far away from being relevant in the SEC.

If this would've been the Vols team from last year, Tennessee probably gets boat raced by Ole Miss and their high-powered offense.

Instead, the Vols had chances. This was a game for all four quarters. Near the end of the first half, it looked like Ole Miss was going to pull away for good. Tennessee, however, kept fighting. They kept battling. They put pressure on Ole Miss. They made Lane Kiffin sweat.

Unfortunately for Tennessee, the Vols just don't have the depth right now to compete with top 10-15 teams (Ole Miss was ranked No. 13 entering the game).

But they'll get there. And it's going to happen faster than folks think.

Josh Heupel's scheme works. It's not perfect. And there are nights where it won't hit on all cylinders (it could've been better against Ole Miss). But this is the best offense that Tennessee's had in years.

And it should get better with more depth and talent.

The Vols are going places with Heupel at the helm. I don't know how far they'll get. But this program is going to be in better shape than it's been with any coach since Phillip Fulmer was in town.

Featured image via Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports