Comment from Oklahoma defender shows how the Tennessee Vols' reputation has changed in college football

For almost 15 years, the Tennessee Vols' football program was a punchline.

Rival fan bases and even some folks in the national media enjoyed taking shots at the Vols anytime the program dropped a big game or had to fire a coach. From the Derek Dooley era to the Butch Jones era to the Jeremy Pruitt era, there were a lot of laughs at Tennessee's expense.

Well, thanks to Josh Heupel and his staff, the Vols have gone from being a punchline to being a measuring stick.

This past weekend, Tennessee beat Oklahoma 25-15 in Norman in a game that was as hyped as any Vols game in recent memory (Heupel's return to OU and the Sooners' first SEC game provided plenty of storylines).

After the game, Sooners linebacker Sammy Omosigho said that the way Oklahoma's defense performed against Tennessee's offense shows that OU can play with anyone in the country.

"Man, shout out to Tennessee, they're an amazing offense," said Omosigho . " That just really showed me that we can play with anyone in the country and we're ready for whatever comes next ."

Oklahoma is obviously pissed that they lost to Tennessee. It's a game they believed they can win. But it almost sounds like playing well against the Vols' potent offense was a moral victory for the Sooners.

When was the last time that an SEC team talked liked that after losing to Tennessee?

It feels like it's been a while.

Tennessee has progressed to the point where ranked programs feel good about themselves after playing the Vols close. That's the ultimate sign of respect. And it shows that Tennessee football has truly taken some major steps forward under Heupel's leadership.

Related: Former Alabama RB Mark Ingram points out the trait that he thinks makes the Tennessee Vols 'dangerous'