A little over a month ago, the thought of the Tennessee Vols playing in a bowl game seemed silly.

In fact, plenty of folks were wondering if the Vols could even equal last year's 5-7 record.

But with only four games left this season, the expectation, once again, is that Tennessee is playing past November.

That's because a recent surge from the Vols, which includes conference wins against Mississippi State and South Carolina, has the program in a position where they need to win three of their final four games to reach bowl eligibility.

The Volunteers are playing their best football of the season right now. And with a favorable schedule down the stretch (UAB, Kentucky, Missouri and Vanderbilt), it's not out of the question that UT could win out and finish the season at 7-5. If that happens, then I can't imagine the hype heading into next season (even though the 2020 schedule looks daunting, thanks to a scheduled road matchup with Oklahoma).

So what are the biggest reasons the Vols have started playing at a high level?

Well, I think there are three key reasons for Tennessee's turnaround this year.

Three biggest reasons for the Vols' recent surge —>>>

Featured image via Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

Coming together as a team

Talent, speed, size and strength are all necessary for a team to be great.

But I've always felt that one of the most overlooked components of a team (in any sport) is team chemistry. It doesn't matter how much talent a team has — if they don't gel, they won't win.

Of course, it takes time to build team chemistry. It doesn't happen overnight.

I don't necessarily think Tennessee's team chemistry was bad at the start of the season, but I think as the season has progressed, we're seeing a much more tight-knit team.

This was extremely evident in linebacker Daniel Bituli's comments to reporters this week.

When Bituli was asked about his 15 tackle performance against South Carolina, the senior linebacker was quick to deflect any praise. Instead of making it about him, Bituli gave UT's defensive line all the credit for his huge day, saying “It honestly only happened because of my D-line. They did a god job of holding the O-linemen up, so they couldn’t climb up to the secondary and block us."

That's the sign of a team that's really coming together. Bituli recognizes that his performance wouldn't have been possible without his teammates. That kind of attitude is contagious — especially when it comes from a team leader like Bituli.

Image via Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports

A better understanding of Jim Chaney's offensive system

When Jim Chaney agreed to come back to Tennessee to serve as Jeremy Pruitt's offensive coordinator, most fans had visions of an unstoppable vertical passing game that opened up the field for UT's best players to show off their playmaking abilities.

During the first part of the season, however, Tennessee's offense didn't look very effective….or exciting. They managed only 16 points in regulation against BYU and only three points against Florida.

Now, some of those offensive struggles were obviously due to quarterback play. Jarrett Guarantano wasn't at his best early this season. But it's important to remember that Guarantano was working with his fourth different offensive coordinator in four years. There's a learning curve there and Guarantano, along with the rest of Tennessee's offense, had to adjust.

Over the last couple of weeks, it's clear that UT's players are feeling more comfortable in Chaney's offense.

Junior running back Ty Chandler called Chaney a "mastermind" this week, adding "Everybody’s starting to grab the whole concept of the offense and parts, why we’re doing this and why we’re doing that. So, everybody is starting to grab that, and I feel like it’s all coming together."

Now that the Vols are understanding what Chaney wants to do with the offense, it frees up Tennessee's players to think less and react more. Which in turn allows them to make plays.

Image via Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Playing with confidence

Tennessee wasn't very confident at the start of the year.

And how could they have been, after devastating losses to Georgia State and BYU.

In recent weeks, however, the Vols have looked like a completely different team. And not just because of their execution on the field, but because of how they're carrying themselves on and off the field.

This is a team that's currently playing with a high level of confidence. The ability for some of these guys has always been there — they just needed to be confident in those abilities.

Bituili noted this week that Tennessee's gaining confidence as the season progress, saying "This confidence level, it only gets bigger after games like that (beating South Carolina), just seeing how well we can really be".

It probably helps that Pruitt is a coach who the players believe in. Bituli told reporters that Pruitt's passion fires the team up.

"Coach Pruitt, it’s obvious that he has our backs. You can see how fired up he is and that’s him each and every time."

The Vols are a confident team right now. And that should be a scary thought for the final four teams on Tennessee's schedule.

Image via USA Today/Randy Sartin