Tennessee was an after-thought for preseason prognosticators, many of whom instead fancied Georgia, Florida or even South Carolina in the SEC East

Of the 88 writers who voted at the SEC Media Days in Birmingham, Ala., in July, not one picked the Vols to win the division.

Yet, here's UT - 8-2 and ranked No. 15 - on the verge of taking coach Phillip Fulmer to his fourth SEC championship game in the past eight years.

The Vols have done it despite having the youngest starting lineup in the SEC and losing the two biggest playmakers - Kevin Simon and James Banks, as voted by UT lettermen in the preseason - on the team to injury.

So how did the Vols do it?

As is often the case, it came down to key plays at key times.

Here's a list of seven plays Vols' fans can be thankful for as UT spends Thanksgiving morning preparing for Saturday's game with Kentucky.

Unthinkable as it might seem, UT could be 3-7 if not for these magnificent moments:

Sept. 18 vs. Florida

Florida led 28-27 when it lined up with a third-and-3 at its own 38 and 55 seconds left. The Vols had no timeouts, so a first down would have ended the game. Earlier in the second half, UT's defense stood firm with a goal-line stand, and they rose to the occasion again. Parys Haralson and Kevin Burnett stopped tailback DeShawn Wynn for no gain. At the conclusion of the play, Florida receiver Dallas Baker was flagged for a personal foul, and the referees forgot to start the clock after the play, giving the Vols an extra 15 to 20 seconds to operate after the Gators punted the ball back to them.

Sept. 18 vs. Florida

Two Erik Ainge completions gave UT the ball at the Florida 33 with 13 seconds remaining in the game, giving kicker James Wilhoit the opportunity to atone for a mixed extra-point kick that enabled Florida to hold a 28-27 lead. Wilhoit's 50-yard field goal sailed through the uprights, sending UT onward to an improbable run of success.

Oct. 9 at Georgia

Fourth-and-2 at the Georgia 32 late in the third quarter, and the Vols held a 13-7 lead. The Bulldogs' fans were getting back into the game, and you could feel the momentum swinging. Having converted a fourth down earlier in the game, Fulmer elected to go for it and succeeded when Ainge fired a quick pass to Derrick Tinsley, who picked up 3 yards to sustain the drive. Six plays later, Ainge hit Chris Hannon for a 4-yard TD, providing the winning points in a 19-14 victory.

Oct. 16 at Ole Miss

It was third-and-10 for the Vols at the Ole Miss 30 with just more than seven minutes remaining in this road game. Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium was rocking, sensing an upset after UT had gone flat and allowed Ole Miss to rally for a 17-14 lead. Ainge, unflappable on the drive, stayed hot and found a streaking Bret Smith for a 30-yard TD pass that put the Vols in command for good.

Oct. 23 vs. Alabama

Alabama held a 10-7 lead when it punted to Tennessee with 3 1/2 minutes left in the first half. To that point, the Vols' offense had been held in check, as UT's only points had come when Haralson returned a fumble 18 yards for a score.

Tinsley, however, provided the necessary spark on his punt return, cutting back across the field and running 45 yards before being dragged down at the Tide's 29. Three plays later, Ainge hit Alabama native Jayson Swain for a 19-yard touchdown that put the Vols out front for good.

Oct. 30 at South Carolina

Perhaps the most improbable play of the season unfolded in Columbia, S.C., at the end of a first half that the Gamecocks had thoroughly dominated. With his offense facing a third-and-18 at the UT 24 and the Vols trailing 8-0, offensive coordinator Randy Sanders called for a timeout. With dual-threat quarterback Brent Schaeffer in the game, Sanders wanted one final shot for his offense, and Schaeffer delivered. The mobile freshman rolled to his left and unleashed a 55-yard bomb to C.J. Fayton to the South Carolina 21.

Two plays later, Ainge hit David Holbert for a TD, and then Schaeffer ran in the two-point conversion, tying the game at 8-8 and giving the Vols all the momentum they'd need for a 43-29 victory.

Nov. 20 at Vanderbilt

UT was staring down the barrel of a very unlikely upset in Nashville after a furious Vanderbilt rally.

The Commodores, scoreless in the fourth quarter of their seven previous SEC contests, struck for 13 points in the final stanza and had possession of the ball at their own 20 with 2:16 remaining.

Haralson, however, ended the threat quickly. Knowing he had worked the edge on Vandy's offensive tackle throughout the afternoon, Haralson instead spun furiously to the inside and found a gap. Shooting through the line, Haralson hit quarterback Jay Cutler's arm as he was throwing, resulting in a wobbly pass that cornerback Roshaun Fellows intercepted to preserve a 38-33 victory.