The Tennessee Vols learned on Wednesday night that life as the No. 1 team in the nation isn't easy.

In Tennessee's first game as the top team in the country, the Vols traveled to Nashville, which looked more like Knoxville West, to take on the Vanderbilt Commodores.

On paper, the game should've been a blowout. Vanderbilt was extremely overmatched. But Tennessee, who trailed by six with just over a minute to go in regulation, needed overtime (and a questionable flagrant foul) to squeak out an 88-83 win against the Commodores.

The final score of the game is not at all indicative of the true state of Tennessee and Vanderbilt's respective basketball programs. The Vols are riding high with a 17-1 record, while the Commodores are riding a six game losing streak.

Tennessee should've ran Vandy out of the gym on Wednesday night. The Vols are that good.

But for one night, the Commodores were able to get locked in and give Tennessee their best effort.

And it was almost enough.

That's essentially what the Vols can expect the rest of the season. Or as long as they're the No. 1 team in the country.

Grant Williams, who led the Vols with 43 points against the Commodores, gets it. He understands that UT is going to get everyone's best shot from this point forward.

Grant Williams: "Life as No. 1 is difficult. You're going to get everyone's best shot … everyone wants to be that team that says, 'We knocked off the No. 1 team in the country.' That's what we thought back in the day."

— @GrantRamey (@GrantRamey) January 24, 2019

A challenging final six weeks of the season

Unfortunately for the Vols, their schedule is heavily backloaded. Tennessee still has to play Kentucky twice. They also have to travel to LSU, Ole Miss and Auburn. And they host Mississippi State.

Oh, and they have several "trap games" on the schedule as well. A matchup on the road against South Carolina next week won't be easy. And hosting Florida and Missouri in back to back games in February, after a trip to Texas A&M, will certainly be challenging.

But here's the good news — it really doesn't matter if the Vols drop a couple of games during the regular season. When a team plays over 30 games a season, it's bound to happen.

Tennessee has already proved they're a championship caliber team. It won't matter if the Vols have one loss during the regular season or five losses. All that matters is how they perform in the NCAA tournament. North Carolina won the championship two years ago with seven losses. UConn won in 2014 with eight losses. Villanova had four losses last year when they won.

The Vols just need to make sure they don't become complacent. If they lose their edge, then this can all fall apart very quickly.

Tennessee has the chance for an incredibly special season. They have the talent to beat anyone, at anytime.

But the rest of the season is going to be a dogfight for the Volunteers.

Fortunately for UT, they have a coach in Rick Barnes that's more than ready for whatever challenges await.

Featured image via Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports