The Tennessee Vols did some elite things as a football program in 2022. 

Tennessee knocked off Florida, LSU, and Alabama, ending multiple-year losing streaks to all three programs. 

The Vols also ascended to No. 1 in the nation for the first time since 1998. 

Despite those accomplishments, there are still plenty of folks out there — most opposing fan bases — who question if Tennessee is really "back". 

Was the 2022 season what we should expect from the Vols moving forward? Or will Tennessee be a one-year wonder? 

While we won't truly know until the next few seasons play out, there were a couple of signs in recent weeks that suggest the Vols are once again a powerhouse in college football. 

The first sign came from Nick Saban. 

Saban recently complained, via Sports Illustrated, about Alabama's proposed opponents in the SEC's expected new "3-6" scheduling format (no official decision has been made on that format yet, but it would be a surprise if it's not the 3-6 setup). 

Alabama is expected to have Auburn, LSU, and Tennessee as the three permanent opponents starting in 2024. 

Saban isn't a fan of that proposal and his problem seems to lie with the Vols. 

“I’ve always been an advocate for playing more [conference] games,” said Saban recently (via Sports Illustrated). “But if you play more games, I think you have to get the three fixed [opponents] right. They’re giving us Tennessee, Auburn, and LSU. I don’t know how they come to that [decision].”

“They said they did a 10-year whatever,” added Saban. “Well, some of those years, Tennessee wasn’t as good as they’ve been in the previous 10 years, but now they are as good as they used to be before those 10 years."

This is essentially Saban saying he doesn't want Tennessee on Alabama's schedule. 

So far, we've heard nothing from the Vols about not wanting Alabama on their schedule. 

I'm not suggesting that Tennessee suddenly has the upper hand in this rivalry. But it's quite telling that Saban, after years of dominating the Vols, suddenly views Tennessee as an elite program that he doesn't necessarily want to play every year. 

If that doesn't suggest that the Vols are elite again, I don't know what else could. 

But if you need more evidence, don't worry — there's plenty. 

We can also look to recruiting to see how the perception of Tennessee has changed. 

NIL is one of the big buzzwords in college football right now. That's because NIL deals have played a big part in numerous recruitments over the last year. 

While Tennessee does a great job of utilizing NIL deals for players, that's not their primary recruiting method. Ultimately, it's still about relationships. 

And those relationships are why recruits are interested in the Vols — their interest isn't driven by potential NIL deals. 

A top defensive end recruit in the 2024 class recently told On3 about the NIL deals he's heard about at Ole Miss before noting that he doesn't think about NIL deals with Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia because of the relationships at those schools. 

From On3: 

NIL’s impact in recruiting can depend on the school. A highly touted defensive end in the 2024 class said NIL takes up about “50 or 40 percent” of his recruitment. He’s heard stories about an Ole Miss running back driving around a new Mercedes-Benz. “Honestly, it depends on the school,” he said. “Tennessee is a really good school. I don’t look for any money going to Tennessee because I love the relationship with them. Georgia, I honestly see no money going to Georgia because they have a great school; they’re back-to-back champions. Same with Alabama.” 

That's a telling comment. High-end recruits essentially view Tennessee as being in that same elite group as Alabama and Georgia (that's probably why the Vols are getting a visit from a five-star Florida State commit….Tennessee is operating in a different recruiting world these days under Josh Heupel).

The Vols obviously have to keep winning on the field — but that's true of every program. 

For now, some of the most important people in the sport — Saban and top recruits — view Tennessee as an elite program. 

I'm not sure what else folks need to see. The Vols are back. Now they just have to sustain the recent success they've found. It won't be easy, but the program is well-equipped to make it happen with Heupel at the helm