A popular pick to contend for the SEC East Division title and spend the season in the top 25, Tennessee just can’t win. At least not on the field.

Sure, Butch Jones continues to pull in top recruiting classes. The Vols have a slew of talented young players. But they keep finding a way to lose. And Tennessee fans are getting tired of waiting until next year.

In Week 2, the Vols blew a big lead at home to Oklahoma. In Week 4, they missed a last-second field goal to lose to Florida. Then last week, Arkansas — another heralded team struggling to win — rallied to beat the Vols in Knoxville.

Adding to the plot for Saturday’s game against a Georgia team smarting from a humbling loss to Alabama, veteran receiver Pig Howard was kicked off the team this week.

How much more can the Vols fall? Forget about a division title. Merely qualifying for a bowl game may be an optimistic goal. The Vols haven’t won a division title in eight years or gone to a major bowl game in 16 years, and Big Orange fans expect titles and BCS bowl trips.

Vols fans were willing to give Jones a few years to restock after Derek Dooley’s unsuccessful stint as coach. They were able to accept losses with inferior talent. But fans and boosters are likely to blame coaches for close losses when talent levels seem relatively equal.

The Vols have beaten Western Carolina and Bowling Green but have the likes of Georgia and Alabama on the schedule. If they lose those, they’ll have to win four of their last five to merely qualify for a low-level bowl game.

Could Jones hold his team together after losses to Alabama and Georgia? His young group of 4- and 5-star recruits might be devastated and demoralized with a 2-5 record.

Fortunately, there should be at least four victories left on the schedule. Beating Georgia and Alabama are longshots, though belief in the Vols’ talent is obvious in making the Bulldogs a mere field-goal favorite.

So what’s wrong in Knoxville? Is the talent overrated? Is Jones mostly to blame?

Yes, the Vols have had injuries, including offensive line standout Jashon Robertson, pass rusher Curt Maggitt and safety Todd Kelly Jr. But they’ve gone down to the wire with unbeatens Oklahoma and Florida. And every team faces injuries. At least the Vols haven’t lost QB Joshua Dobbs or RB Jalen Hurd.

Luck has played a role. Hard to blame Jones when a field goal attempt sails a few inches wide. But you can easily blame him for failing to go for a 2-point conversion with a 12-point lead.

Plus, it’s Jones’ responsibility to teach a team to win. The Vols obviously haven’t learned that.

Dismissing Howard, a good player but a distraction, could help the Vols.

Jones’ team is too good to lose seven games. Home games against South Carolina, North Texas and Vanderbilt should be victories, leaving it up to the Vols to win on the road against Kentucky or Missouri for bowl eligibility.

The Vols should go bowling. High-profile recruits, which continue to come in, keep Jones’ job safe for another year. But patience is wearing thin on Rocky Top.