Opposing coach who faced the Vols makes strong statement about Tennessee's chances of winning a national championship

The Tennessee Vols have yet to hit on all cylinders this season in conference play, but the program is still 5-1 at the midpoint of the season, which means they fully control their own College Football Playoff destiny.

Tennessee's defense has played at a high level -- the Vols have the No. 4 scoring defense in the nation (10.7 points per game). The offense, on the other hand, has shown flashes of being elite. But inconsistency from everyone on the offensive side of the ball has led to some unexpected struggles in SEC play (UT is averaging 20 points per game against SEC opponents this season).

Despite the Vols' offensive struggles, one coach who coached against Tennessee earlier this season told The Athletic this week that the Vols have what it takes to win a national championship.

“They’re probably one of the best football teams I’ve seen in the last 10 years, honestly,” said the coach to The Athletic . “This is a team that can win the national championship. They have enough pieces. I was surprised they lost to Arkansas, but it’s hard to go undefeated. It might be the best thing that ever happened to them.”

Another coach suggested that Tennessee's play-calling has been a bit more conservative because head coach Josh Heupel trusts his defense, which means he doesn't have to put quarterback Nico Iamaleava in risky situations.

“Josh feels comfortable with the defense now, more than he used to," said the coach. "He’s trying not to put (Nico) in a position where he screws it up.”

Tennessee is still in a position where the program can achieve all of its goals this season (reaching the playoff and winning it all). And it seems clear that opposing coaches think they have the talent to get it done.

But it's also obvious that the Vols' offense is going to have to play better down the stretch. Tennessee's defense is going to keep the Vols in most games, but 23 points isn't going to get it done every week. There will be some games where the Vols need a 40 or 50 point performance to win.

There's a lot of season left. Tennessee's in a good spot -- as long as they find a way to keep winning.

Related: An under-the-radar reason for the Tennessee Vols' recent offensive struggles may have been discovered