When Is Tennessee Going to Run Out of Miracles?

Tennessee is good enough to be 5-0, and Tennessee is 5-0, but by god the Vols are so, so miraculously lucky to be 5-0.

After a string of good fortune to win its first four games, Butch Jones' team had perhaps its most batshit-crazy win yet. The Vols took the lead against Georgia with a strip sack in the endzone with three minutes left, then lost the lead with 10 seconds left. Then they won the game on a Hail Mary as time expired. How much closer can it get?

The win against Georgia all but locks up the SEC East after the Vols beat Florida last week. Here's a laundry list of other impossible victories from this season so far:

• The Vols beat Appalachian State in overtime only because the Mountaineers missed an extra point in regulation and Tennessee recovered its own fumble in overtime.
• They started down 14-0 against Virginia Tech.
• They started down 21-0 against Florida.
• They started down 17-0 against Georgia.

It's unsure if they made a pact with the devil or not, but they just keep pulling off these games at the last second.

This was supposed to be Tennessee's breakout year, as both Georgia and Florida are rebuilding, but the Vols haven't exactly looked elite all season. Thanks to some lucky breaks, they'll win their division. But can they get to the College Football Playoff? That's a different story.

Next week, Tennessee visits Texas A&M. The week after, the Vols host Alabama. By all logical measures, if the Tennessee we've seen for the past five games shows up, the Vols aren't going to win those games—and certainly not against Alabama.

Have a day, Vols fans. Or more correctly, have a month. But these shenanigans won't work in the next two weeks.