Stat rankings: Can the Vols continue doing well what they're currently doing well?

The Top 30 chart grows fat on special teams and turnovers with a dash of offense, the Bottom 30 chart gets stomach staples, and the Big Fat Middle discovers a new notch in its belt. All in this week's review of where the Tennessee Volunteers rank in all of the major statistical categories kept by the NCAA.

What Tennessee is currently doing well

There's nothing like a game against an FCS opponent to make the mirror shine again. Several categories that had fallen out of the Top 30 after the Oklahoma game climbed back in this week, including the all important First Downs Offense, Red Zone Offense, and Scoring Offense. We did lose Team Tackles for Loss this week, which is a bit of a concern.

Does anyone else have this odd feeling of being happy and proud of this team and yet a bit unsettled about them? I do, and I have a theory as to why. The early returns show that the team is doing especially well in the special teams and turnover categories. Of the 17 stat categories in which they rank in the Top 30, 11 of those fall in those two categories.

For Vols fans for too many years, "special teams" was something the other team used to beat us on the scoreboard even if we stayed even with them in yards on offense and defense. We've longed for this for too long, and boy does it feel good to perk up and pay more attention when a ball is about to be dropping from the sky into the hands of Evan Berry, Cam Sutton, or ALVIN! Kamara. But because it's a brand new (or again-new) feeling, it's hard to trust to help win a game.

Even more dangerous to trust are the turnovers categories. There's an age-old debate we can wage once again in the comment section about whether turnovers are skill or luck, but at the end of the day the conclusion will be that they are generally a bit of both. And relying on a recipe that is randomly seasoned with Luck is wildly entertaining, but only if you're the one who wins.

So this team is currently really, really good at things that we hope can and will continue. That it's only hope is what's making me queasy.

The team also ranks in the Top 30 in five other categories that are related to the offense, and that's good news except for the fact that two of three opponents so far were FCS and Bowling Green's terrible defense. I expect us to wonder where our offense went against Florida's defense this week, much like it did in the second half against Oklahoma. I hope the coaching staff has answers or aces in pockets.

Where Tennessee needs major improvement

This on the other hand is very good news. Last week, the team was in Terrible Land in 11 stat categories. This week, we're only terrible at two things, and of those two only Passing Offense is truly disconcerting. I think we're going to need to pass the ball against Florida, and when I say "pass," I don't really mean throw it to the sideline.

THE BIG FAT MIDDLE

Again, there's a lot of improvement here, which is encouraging. We'll see whether it holds up in SEC play.

Players in the Top 30

Special teams and turnovers. Mayhem on defense, Hurd on offense. Oh, and Mr. Invisible, Trevor Daniel.