Trophies commemorate the occasion of winning the national championship. When tournament organizers award the hardware to the winning team, it signifies: You are No. 1. You are the champs. The trophy says so. Glory be.

As for the tournament also-rans, was their season a success? That’s a matter of opinion, a subject for debate, a topic that can be scrutinized from a variety of angles, in the absence of national championship rings.

Tennessee reaffirmed its status as one of college baseball’s premier teams by advancing to the College World Series on Sunday with a 12-1 win against Evansville. Afterward, Tony Vitello reaffirmed his status as one of college baseball’s best talkers, as well as one of its best coaches.

Vitello used six minutes of his postgame news conference to escort his audience on a meandering mind journey in which he addressed whether Tennessee needed to reach Omaha for the season to be deemed a success.

A reporter’s question about that very subject the previous night sparked Vitello's thought exercise.

Vitello’s fiery monologue was, at times, difficult to follow.

Among his tangents: He discussed Father’s Day. He called Noah Webster, a former U.S. Representative who authored a dictionary and has been dead for more than 180 years, a “big-time patriot.” He wondered aloud whether he should’ve used a pinch-hitter in Game 2. And he suggested Mexico travel destinations.

In between those amusing tangents, Vitello said this season has, indeed, been successful, regardless of the outcome of Sunday’s NCAA super regional elimination game.

Vitello made his point more succinctly following Game 2.

“There’s no way it’s not a successful season,” Vitello said, in response to a reporter who implied the season would be unsuccessful if Tennessee didn't reach the CWS.

Vitello’s opinion is valid. (So is his opinion about Mexico’s travel destinations. I vacationed again to Costa Mujeres last month. Great spot. Maybe I should recommend it to Vitello. Excuse my tangent.)

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INSIDE THE RANT: What Tony Vitello said about success after Tennessee baseball reaches College World Series

Many would share Vitello’s opinion about success. Tennessee’s 55 victories lead the nation, and its fan base remains enraptured by this program. Just look at the scenes emerging from Lindsey Nelson Stadium last weekend.

Vitello uplifted a program that, for years, languished within the nation’s toughest conference. The Vols won 206 games these past four seasons. Tennessee baseball became the hottest ticket in Knoxville. The ballpark’s left-field stands morphed into a party pad, and a flag flying there proclaims Tennessee to be a “baseball school.” Before Vitello’s arrival, such a flag would’ve been a gag. Now, it’s a source of pride.

The CWS remains unpredictable. The frontrunner’s perch is a precarious place in Omaha. Miami’s 1999 team stands as the last top overall seed to win the CWS.

On cue, plucky Evansville won Game 2 to heighten the drama and push the Vols to the brink. The Purple Aces even claimed a brief lead Sunday, but the Vols mashed their way out of the deficit and into a rout, one homer at a time. The long ball remains Tennessee’s ace in the hole, but the Vols are well-rounded and without significant weakness.

I agree with Vitello, by the way, that the Vols have been a success – for years now.

In Omaha, they’ll enjoy the chance to become champions.

Never has Tennessee baseball won a national championship. No one could argue with making history.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's SEC Columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer.

Also, check out his podcast, SEC Football Unfiltered, and newsletter, SEC Football Unfiltered. Subscribe to read all of his columns.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tony Vitello rant translated before Tennessee baseball plays in CWS