The 2016 season is Tennessee’s time to shine.

The Volunteers shouldn’t become an afterthought like they were this season after a 2-3 start. They should find a way to win more close games than they did this season. They will defeat at least some of the SEC’s bullies. And they will become nationally relevant again.

Over the final eight games this season, Tennessee learned the most important lesson of all — how to win.

The Vols learned how to pull off a comeback when they erased a 24-3 deficit against Georgia.

They learned that they can not only compete with, but also potentially defeat Alabama, the top program in the SEC.

They learned how to extend leads against Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Northwestern.

They learned how to hang onto a lead against South Carolina.

And the players learned how to pick up each other. When Tennessee’s offense was struggling  against North Texas and Missouri, the defense stepped up. And when Tennessee’s defense was struggling to stop QB Kyle Shurmur and RB Ralph Webb in the Vols’ regular-season finale against Vanderbilt, the offense put on a show.

Sure, only two of Tennessee’s wins during its final eight games of the regular season came against opponents with winning records. But the fact remains that they found ways to win all but one of those games. Plus, the only way that Tennessee was going to learn how to win was by believing that it could win.

That kind of belief didn’t come easily.

In 2013, Butch Jones’ first year as Tennessee’s head coach, the Vols won only five games. The next year, Tennessee reached seven wins and finished the season with a blowout win over Iowa in the TaxSlayer Bowl.

This season, the Vols won nine games, finished second in the SEC East and demolished No. 13 Northwestern in the Outback Bowl. Tennessee’s win total has improved each year since Jones has been the coach, and Tennessee’s trajectory is expected to peak in 2016.

In Tennessee’s first game of 2016 — a 45-6 blowout win over Northwestern in the Outback Bowl — the Vols proved how good they could be.

Sophomore RB Jalen Hurd rushed for 130 yards on 24 carries against a defense that only allowed 117.8 rushing yards per game. Junior QB Joshua Dobbs also rushed for 48 yards and two touchdowns against a defense that had given up only 99 rushing yards to quarterbacks coming into the Outback Bowl. And Tennessee’s front seven on defense finished with eight tackles for loss and four sacks.

The game against Northwestern wasn’t just a good win for Tennessee. It was a statement.

Tennessee told every other team in the SEC that it has talent, depth and the ability to win games that matter. The Vols’ offense is expected to return nine starters. Their defense might lose only two starters.

It’s amazing what this program has accomplished over the past three years. Before Jones arrived, the Vols were prey for Alabama, Florida and Georgia. But next year, Tennessee might prey on a Florida team losing some of its stars on defense and a Georgia team searching for a new quarterback.

It’s Tennessee’s time to shine. The bricks have been placed. The cracks have been filled with mortar. And the mortar has finally dried.