Enki_Amenra
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Before the season began, there were a lot of us who were predicting Tennessee to have an unexpectedly successful run through the schedule as Coach Butch Jones' very first team.
Some said 10+ wins, others were @ 7 wins. Personally, I felt like our Vols could've produced an 8+ win season (based on what I knew then, I still stand behind my opinion).
I'm not a very popular member here on VN. No matter your popularity, if you predicted 8+ wins, you likely heard someone bet that you'd be nowhere around when the season turned out nothing like you predicted.
Not asking to have my nose rubbed in 'it', I'd like to acknowledge my poor prediction and offer an idea on how our Vols could've had a much different, better season.
Unexpected things happened throughout the season, some factors were out of UT's control. Examples of this can be seen in Missouri & Auburn turning in completely unexpected seasons of success.
Even now we can look at the season and see where, with only some small changes, our W/L total could be very different:
- Had Worley started and played decently against the Gators, we may have taken that game.
- Had only 1 play been different in the UGA game, we may have another nice mark in the W column.
- Had our offense capitalized against VU, 1 more W... had the refs followed the rules of the replay overturn process, 1 play would've changed and so would UT's W/L record.
- Had Missouri been the terrible team that was expected in the pre-season we may have another W
- Had Auburn turned in another poor season, as expected, we would have yet another W in the W/L column.
If these things worked in our favor, we would be looking at a much different December in Knoxville...
4-6 + UF W = 5-5
5-5 + UGA W = 6-4
6-4 + Miss W = 7-3
7-3 + AU W = 8-2
8-2 + VU W = 9-1
9-1 + an expected W @ Kentucky = 10-1
10-1...
Even if we remove the Missouri & Auburn W's, our Vols would still be sitting on a 7-3 record and could presumably finish 8-3 & 9-3 w/ a bowl win.
9-3
With the incoming talent of the 2014 recruiting class, we may just be 12 months away from posting a record similar to the one we had the potential to accomplish in the 2013 season.
Many will be quick to point out that we do not have elite talent in 2013, but there are many teams who find success without an overflow of elite talent.
Even though the talent is no where near what we see from our mid-level and top level SEC counterparts, the talent is still much higher than our performance and record indicate.
Our players are talented, they are not simply a bunch of bums we picked up at the Greyhound station as our bus passed the 'The Old City'.
I was high on what I'd learned about CB Jones previous success and I truly felt like he would be capable of adjusting schemes and game plans to maximize the production from the players available on the 2013 roster.
Looking back, I am a bit puzzled as to why our offense wasn't customized to maximize any potential success. I know there are reasons why the schemes weren't adjusted, I don't know what they are.
Running-Backs Neal & Lane, aside from our under-achieving offensive line, carried the most potential to put an identity on our offense. I felt like this could've been maximized by running a more 'pro-style' scheme or even a 'veer' type of offense.
Fugate left the team, but I think it would have been nice to see a set that allowed a blocking full-back to help increase Lane & Neal's production.
Although our TE's are not world-beaters by any stretch, I would've liked to see a 2 tight-end set with an I-form backfield. Featuring a true I-back and a hard-nosed full-back, this offense could have been assembled with our current talent pool and would've provided a great tool to convert some of those 3rd & 1 or 4th & 4 situations.
Before someone points out the fact that we don't have a hard-nosed FB type, I'd like to say that A.J. Johnson would've truly been a beast of a blocking back!
I think a very productive offense could have been fielded by assembling a basic Wing offense, using some counter-traps with Pig Howard, and executed various read option plays.
While I'm at it, I think it would have been awesome to see our Vols take the field with a true-to-form Power/offset I scheme, using either a 1 or 2 TE set.
I think our current talent could've benefited from any of these sets that may have allowed for more success while our coaching staff recruits the players for their specific philosophy.
There may have been a fair amount of success, and excitement, from a Wing formation. Neal & Lane split behind Worley/Peterman/Dobbs/Ferguson, Pig Howard in the Wing position with a Closed TE and Marquez North as the Split/Wide receiver and the potential to add another WR, a 2nd Closed TE, or an Open/split TE would've allowed for a read-option play calling philosophy. Also, I think Brent Brewer could've caused some damage as a blocking Wing-Back or @ FB.
I'd also like to add that I am not suggesting the entire spread-option offense Coach Jones is implementing to be scrapped. I'm not suggesting it should have played a minority role, or less than 80% of the offensive scheme. I'm only suggesting that any number of these sets could've provided some looks that may have afforded our Vols chance to be much more productive with the talent of the current roster.
Like I mentioned earlier, I know there are probably very good reasons why we didn't see anything like this implemented and I do not know what those reasons are. I'm really just speculating, in fantasy-land, on what might have been.
Using your knowledge of the 2013 Vols roster & talent, what offensive sets would you like to have seen implemented?
Some said 10+ wins, others were @ 7 wins. Personally, I felt like our Vols could've produced an 8+ win season (based on what I knew then, I still stand behind my opinion).
I'm not a very popular member here on VN. No matter your popularity, if you predicted 8+ wins, you likely heard someone bet that you'd be nowhere around when the season turned out nothing like you predicted.
Not asking to have my nose rubbed in 'it', I'd like to acknowledge my poor prediction and offer an idea on how our Vols could've had a much different, better season.
Unexpected things happened throughout the season, some factors were out of UT's control. Examples of this can be seen in Missouri & Auburn turning in completely unexpected seasons of success.
Even now we can look at the season and see where, with only some small changes, our W/L total could be very different:
- Had Worley started and played decently against the Gators, we may have taken that game.
- Had only 1 play been different in the UGA game, we may have another nice mark in the W column.
- Had our offense capitalized against VU, 1 more W... had the refs followed the rules of the replay overturn process, 1 play would've changed and so would UT's W/L record.
- Had Missouri been the terrible team that was expected in the pre-season we may have another W
- Had Auburn turned in another poor season, as expected, we would have yet another W in the W/L column.
If these things worked in our favor, we would be looking at a much different December in Knoxville...
4-6 + UF W = 5-5
5-5 + UGA W = 6-4
6-4 + Miss W = 7-3
7-3 + AU W = 8-2
8-2 + VU W = 9-1
9-1 + an expected W @ Kentucky = 10-1
10-1...
Even if we remove the Missouri & Auburn W's, our Vols would still be sitting on a 7-3 record and could presumably finish 8-3 & 9-3 w/ a bowl win.
9-3
With the incoming talent of the 2014 recruiting class, we may just be 12 months away from posting a record similar to the one we had the potential to accomplish in the 2013 season.
Many will be quick to point out that we do not have elite talent in 2013, but there are many teams who find success without an overflow of elite talent.
Even though the talent is no where near what we see from our mid-level and top level SEC counterparts, the talent is still much higher than our performance and record indicate.
Our players are talented, they are not simply a bunch of bums we picked up at the Greyhound station as our bus passed the 'The Old City'.
I was high on what I'd learned about CB Jones previous success and I truly felt like he would be capable of adjusting schemes and game plans to maximize the production from the players available on the 2013 roster.
Looking back, I am a bit puzzled as to why our offense wasn't customized to maximize any potential success. I know there are reasons why the schemes weren't adjusted, I don't know what they are.
Running-Backs Neal & Lane, aside from our under-achieving offensive line, carried the most potential to put an identity on our offense. I felt like this could've been maximized by running a more 'pro-style' scheme or even a 'veer' type of offense.
Fugate left the team, but I think it would have been nice to see a set that allowed a blocking full-back to help increase Lane & Neal's production.
Although our TE's are not world-beaters by any stretch, I would've liked to see a 2 tight-end set with an I-form backfield. Featuring a true I-back and a hard-nosed full-back, this offense could have been assembled with our current talent pool and would've provided a great tool to convert some of those 3rd & 1 or 4th & 4 situations.
Before someone points out the fact that we don't have a hard-nosed FB type, I'd like to say that A.J. Johnson would've truly been a beast of a blocking back!
I think a very productive offense could have been fielded by assembling a basic Wing offense, using some counter-traps with Pig Howard, and executed various read option plays.
While I'm at it, I think it would have been awesome to see our Vols take the field with a true-to-form Power/offset I scheme, using either a 1 or 2 TE set.
I think our current talent could've benefited from any of these sets that may have allowed for more success while our coaching staff recruits the players for their specific philosophy.
There may have been a fair amount of success, and excitement, from a Wing formation. Neal & Lane split behind Worley/Peterman/Dobbs/Ferguson, Pig Howard in the Wing position with a Closed TE and Marquez North as the Split/Wide receiver and the potential to add another WR, a 2nd Closed TE, or an Open/split TE would've allowed for a read-option play calling philosophy. Also, I think Brent Brewer could've caused some damage as a blocking Wing-Back or @ FB.
I'd also like to add that I am not suggesting the entire spread-option offense Coach Jones is implementing to be scrapped. I'm not suggesting it should have played a minority role, or less than 80% of the offensive scheme. I'm only suggesting that any number of these sets could've provided some looks that may have afforded our Vols chance to be much more productive with the talent of the current roster.
Like I mentioned earlier, I know there are probably very good reasons why we didn't see anything like this implemented and I do not know what those reasons are. I'm really just speculating, in fantasy-land, on what might have been.
Using your knowledge of the 2013 Vols roster & talent, what offensive sets would you like to have seen implemented?
