The Tennessee Volunteers start spring football today. They are the last SEC football to start spring drills -- heck, Vanderbilt had its spring game over the weekend and, yes, Vandy lost -- and UT may have the most complex spring session in the league.
Think of what Vols coach Butch Jones and company have before them.
After two years of playing freshmen and shuffling catch phrases in the nation's toughest football conference, the talent and the worm have turned for Tennessee. This is arguably the most experienced UT football team since Phillip Fulmer was prominently involved in the program.
Tennessee returns as many as 18 starters, depending on how you view the roster, and almost all of them come back in places of need and import.
Yes, Jones and Co. have questions. There are the concerns over the lack of numbers this spring, especially on the defensive line and at running back. Those concerns will be eased this August, of course, when the troops return from precautionary measures this spring.
In fact, Jones came on "Press Row" on ESPN 105.1 FM and said the injured players will go through walk-throughs on off days to make sure the walking wounded still feel like part of the process.
There also will be the feeling-out process of new offensive coordinator Mike DeBord, whom Jones hired after Mike Bajakian bolted to the NFL.
Tennessee football coach Butch Jones (left) and new offensive coordinator Mike DeBord with the media on Friday, February 13th, during DeBord's first news conference since he was hired by the Volunteers.DeBord's hiring raised eyebrows, and Jones was emphatic in his praise and confidence in the longtime assistant. Still, this the first staff change in Jones's time in Knoxville, and that transition will be crucial for an offense that figures to be led by one of the league's best collections of skill players in 2015.
And of course there are the zooming expectations for a Tennessee team that closed strong last year and will enter the 2015 season with a higher bar and smaller margin of error.
Jones has rightly said that high expectations -- and the possibility and potential of winning on the biggest stages -- is why he came to Tennessee in the first place. This, however, will be the first time the heat of the spotlight will be magnified.
Simply competing was the focus on year one. Finding a way to win and get postseason-eligible was the onus of year two.
Year three under Jones does not offer any such safety net. The baseline is eight wins, and there are bigger hopes in some Orange-clad circles.
In truth, beyond making sure everyone is healthy and everyone -- especially quarterback Josh Dobbs -- is comfortable with Coach DeBord, here's saying the biggest item on the spring agenda is making sure everyone in the program is ready for those heightened expectations.
The time is now for the Vols to take the next step back into the discussion of winning the SEC East, especially with the question marks around the division.
The time is now for Jones and his staff to turn five-star recruits into five-star results.
The time is now for Tennessee to go back to being Tennessee, and whether the Vols know it or not, that starts with the spring.
The lack of competition and the dearth of depth has been a hurdle since before Ol' Orange Pants showed up. So while the names on the sideline such as Hurd and Barnett and Maggitt, among others, may be more recognizable than some of the names on the field this spring, there will be tangible results over the next month.
Finding depth -- a commodity as scarce in Knoxville as Mike Hamilton fans -- is a paramount excursion. And a refreshing one for a fan base that has been grasping for highlights and inspiration for the last five years.
The patience required to be a Vols fan over the last few seasons looks to be paying off. Tennessee enters a spring with the guns and the talent ready to battle the best in the SEC once again.
Can they compete is no longer the question. Will they be able to handle the moment becomes the next big hurdle for Jones and Co.
The answers -- and the rising expectations -- start today.
So, Tennessee fans, welcome the spring and welcome the new day.
Jay Greeson's columns will appear on Page A2 on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. His sports columns are scheduled for Tuesdays and Fridays. You can read his online column "The 5-at-10" Monday through Friday at timesfreepress.com after 10 a.m.
Contact him at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com and follow him on Twitter at @jgreesontfp.