Dobbs. One of the most electric players at Tennessee in a long time. Done some things that were pretty special. 2014 SC at SC, scores 14 points in a few minutes, playing totally out of his mind, then wins in OT. Would be the difference maker in going to a bowl. 2015 UGA at home, leads a dramatic comeback, seemingly unstoppable when he wanted to make a play. 2015 UF in the swamp, rips off a 60 yard run like he's playing in the back yard.
Great ambassador for the school, great role model for kids, great team leader. Maybe too great.
Dobbs has some downsides, too. His "CEO-ness" affects the whole team.
You see, CEOs set the tone at the top (a key concept) of an organization. If the CEO inspires people, is passionate about the mission, and wants to lead others to be the same, over time the organization seems to have a spontaneous generation of exceptional ideas. Smashing expectations quarter after quarter. The same is true on the opposite side. If the CEO doesn't believe in the product or service, doesn't enjoy the mission, or simply lacks visions and passion, it becomes every man for himself in the organization.
Here's where this becomes a bit of speculation on my part. This isn't about blame, judging, or criticizing. It's observation and an attempt to understand what we've seen on the field the past few years, and the last three games. If you disagree, that's ok with me. This isn't canon.
Dobbs sets the tone for this team,
on both sides of the ball. When the offense gets out of rhythm, it usually includes a few wild throws. But not gunslinging wild throws.. it's throws like mid throwing motion a girl in a bikini with beer and pizza walks by. It's a "what was that?" throw. Short drive. Punt. Defense struggles to get off the field... until it's crunch time.
The Vols are 3-0 because they when they had to make plays in both sides of the ball, they did.
How many drives have they stopped the other team in the red zone and forced a field goal or no score, or forced an underdog team with nothing to lose to go for it on 4th down? I don't know the stats. It may not be that great, but it FEELS (again... key) like a lot.
We've watched this miserable offense running on fumes sputtering on and on. Said it's the play calling. Said it's the coaching. Blamed refs, injuries, cats, dogs, wives, witch doctors, most of which have affected the outcome. But, any play can be executed for a touch down, right? It's not common, but possible.
If you go back and watch these games again, you see how bad this offense (and as a result, defense) is when they're not in sync. You also see how dynamic it can be when it's in sync. They score at will. They slice and dice defenses like a hot knife through butter. Hurd stiff arms DBs like they're children. Dobbs runs the read option so well he makes the best DEs look silly when they realize the ball isn't in the RBs gut, it's flying 15 yards down the field behind them. To top it off, as soon as the MLB and safeties focus on the would be ball carriers, Malone is 35 yards down the field about to catch a laser over the middle.
What gives? It's Dobbs. He goes in and out of this rehearsed, diligent, hard working football player that can only go as fast as his practiced motions and schemes will let him, and a freak athlete that gets in a flow and plays with instinct instead of choreography. When he gets in the zone, he looks like the best player in college football. In that state, he probably is.
Psychologists have studied this type of effect in lots of different areas over the past few decades. The layman's term for it is "flow theory." It's how rock climbers climb incredibly high rock faces with no safety lines. How snow boarders jump small canyons in the air... and land. It's how surfers skim through waves so big falling risks death. Studies have shown being in this state increases focus and productivity by 500%. If you get in flow all day on Monday, you could accomplish a whole week's of work in one day. We've all experienced it at some point. When you've gotten so focused 9 hours go by and you don't notice. That time somebody's elbow bumps the ketchup bottle off the table at the restaurant and before you realize what you've done, you caught the thing behind your back and avoided a mess. Did you try to do it, or think "I'm going to catch this thing and look like super dad." No. it just... happened. It's how the drunk guy tailgating (who science says can't possibly have the motor skills to win) goes on some impossible roll in cornhole and is unbeatable for 2 hours. It's not about trying and thinking, it's about getting out of your own way and letting it happen.
There's a few steps psychologists have found can lead to this flow state. The first step is developing enough knowledge and expertise to do the job. The second is usually a chaotic stimulus of some kind where it seems like the world is bombarding you. The third is a break. A lull.. letting your mind and body process things and calming your thoughts. The fourth is letting your instincts takeover, not thinking, forcing, or trying... just letting the flow happen for as long as it lasts. The fifth stage is a crash... your mind and body come off the high of performing at an exceptionally high level without consciously trying.
This is Dobbs. He goes in and out of flow. It's why the offense is pathetic for a few drives, then looks unstoppable, only to return to looking like a mess. Dobbs does not have the arm to be a QB that can put up points like a Chad Kelly or Deshaun Watson. He's not as fast and big as a Cam Newton or as slippery as Mike Vick. But, when he's in flow, his skill set shines because he's not relying on a practiced or even physical skill. When in flow, psychologists say your brain and body function so fluidly, there's no need for thought or word communication to accomplish its goal.. there's not even a need to set a goal or action plan. It's just happens. It flows. With a player like that with such highs and such lows, timing and game situations can majorly impact what's going on. It can win you some games, and lose you some. The key to winning big games for this Vols team is Dobbs getting into flow at moments on the game where he can capitalize. When the other team is particularly weak due to a turnover, momentum shift, or even if they take a deep breath because they're up a couple scores (for Dobbs, this seems to be something to puts him in overdrive).
Since he's the team leader and the team reflects him, they go through the same ups and downs, leading to barely edging out trash teams, but showing up in crunch time.
Obviously, there's exceptions to the rule, and there's a lot of other things at play. Coaching, play calls, disruption from the other team all are very real and impacting variables. But, at the root, the ups and downs of this team ride with Dobbs tendency to go in and out of flow.
The good thing is Dobbs usually doesn't lay an egg in big games. He shows up. The question is for how long, and in what quarters. If he can develop into a closer, where he can get into flow at will when he has to have it late in the game, Tennessee could be 7-0 and ranked number 1 in 4 weeks. Is that likely? Probably not.
