The next time someone says, "Tennessee is in the driver's seat in the SEC East," I won't snicker. I won't even be tempted to snicker.

That division-championship rhetoric has been making the rounds since Georgia knocked off Florida two weeks ago. But the Vols made the words resonate in a 34-13 victory over Arkansas on Saturday afternoon at Neyland Stadium.

They almost looked like a division champion in the one-sided victory. And Arkansas looked like Georgia in early October.

UT fans couldn't have asked for more.

The Razorbacks should have rented an English bulldog for the afternoon and let him roam the sideline. Not since the Georgia Bulldogs stumbled through Neyland Stadium a month ago have the Vols looked so dominant against a conference opponent.

And in the topsy-turvy SEC East, they suddenly look top drawer.

Never mind what happened against Florida or Alabama. That's old news.

Forget Florida and Alabama. Think "Vanderbilt and Kentucky."

That's all it takes. Hit another Vanderbilt-Kentucky November parlay, and the Vols are in the SEC championship game in Atlanta.

How tough is that?

Answer: Tougher than it used to be.

UT hasn't lost to Kentucky since 1984. It has lost only once to Vanderbilt since 1982.

In assessing their need for hotel accommodations in Atlanta, UT fans must weigh that track record against the current state of affairs in the SEC. Kentucky is bowl eligible, and the Commodores are a win away.

But the improvement of the East's least formidable programs shouldn't be UT's greatest concern. The conference's up-and-down nature is more ominous.

Take Arkansas, for example. A week earlier, Arkansas running backs Darren McFadden and Felix Jones set an NCAA single-game rushing record for teammates by running for 487 yards in a 48-36 victory over South Carolina.

The Razorbacks entered Neyland Stadium on a roll and proceeded to roll over. Arkansas State did more damage against the UT defense. In fact, Arkansas State running back Reggie Arnold was more effective against the Vols than either McFadden or Jones, who was limited to only three carries because of a leg injury.

Arkansas' swoon isn't the exception in this conference. After South Carolina's most impressive game of the season (a 38-23 victory over Kentucky) it lost its next three SEC games. After Alabama's best game (a 41-17 rout of UT), it lost back-to-back conference games against LSU and Mississippi State. Florida's best game (a 59-20 victory over UT) was followed by a near loss to Ole Miss, the SEC's worst team, and two consecutive losses. LSU ascended to No. 1 nationally with a victory over Florida, then lost the following week to Kentucky.

UT knows the storyline. The Vols bounced back from the devastating loss to Florida with victories over Georgia and Mississippi State, then bottomed out in the loss to Alabama.

Could it happen again? Sure. Even in the convincing victory over Arkansas, UT's offense wasn't overly impressive. But a defense that has played so dreadfully for most of the season more than made up for an offense that managed only 279 yards.

An Arkansas offense that averages an SEC-leading 473.1 yards per game gained 289 on UT. That might be the most significant single-game stat of UT's season.

That's also the biggest reason to believe UT won't stumble again on the way to Atlanta.

The Vols got the best of Arkansas' acclaimed offensive line. They tackled better than they have all season. They also forced turnovers (three interceptions), as they did two weeks ago in a victory against South Carolina.

UT won't face another Heisman Trophy-caliber running back the rest of the season. They won't have to contend with a quarterback as good as Tim Tebow or a receiver as threatening as Percy Harvin. There's no DeSean Jackson or Brandon James waiting on Britton Colquitt's next punt.

The roughest road is in UT's rear-view mirror. Vanderbilt and Kentucky are ahead.

The Vols don't have to play two great games to win the East. They just have to avoid a letdown.

But in an SEC season as unpredictable as this one, avoiding a letdown might be UT's biggest challenge of all.

Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knews.com.

© 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.