On New Year’s Day, Tennessee will attempt to defeat Northwestern in the Outback Bowl and propel itself into a highly anticipated 2016 season. But before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s take a look at the five biggest takeaways from Tennessee’s 2015 regular season.

1. Tennessee has continued to progress under Butch Jones: This season, the Volunteers won six of their final seven games and finished with an 8-4 overall record — their best record since 2007. Tennessee also finished second in the SEC East — its best finish since 2009. During Jones’ tenure, Tennessee’s regular-season win totals have risen each year (five in 2013, six in 2014 and eight in 2015). Tennessee’s development under Jones has been steady.

2. Tennessee’s 2015 “Oh, what could’ve been” season: Regardless of how much improvement Tennessee showed during the course of the 2015 regular-season, the lasting memory will be the 63-yard touchdown reception that Tennessee’s defense allowed on fourth-and-14 with 1:26 remaining in the fourth quarter against Florida. If the Vols had defeated Florida, there’s a good chance they would have represented the East in the SEC Championship Game. Instead, this season will mostly be remembered for opportunities missed in losses against Oklahoma, Florida, Arkansas and Alabama.

3. Tennessee’s rushing attack was dominant: Tennessee finished regular season ranked third in the SEC in rushing with 223.5 yards per game. The Vols’ 2,351 total rushing yards for were the most since 2004 when Gerald Riggs Jr. and Cedric Houston helped produce 2,418.  Most importantly, Tennessee’s three leading rushers from 2015 — Jalen Hurd, Alvin Kamara and Joshua Dobbs — will be back.

4. When healthy, Tennessee’s offensive and defensive lines controlled games: When guard Jashon Robertson was healthy in the final two regular-season games, the Vols rushed for 248 yards against Missouri and 331 yards against Vanderbilt. The offensive line also didn’t allow a sack in either of those contests. And after a slow start, the defense accumulated 17 sacks in its final six games, including five against Vanderbilt.

5. Tennessee’s passing game struggled: Despite throwing mostly short passes, swing passes and screens, Dobbs’ completed only 59.9 percent of his passes. Tennessee’s wide receiving corps was inconsistent, and two veteran receivers — Jason Croom and Marquez North — didn’t play much because of injuries. The offensive line also suffered injuries and was inconsistent when protecting Dobbs in the pocket.