It’s go time college football fan! Right now, everyone has the same dream. With the 2007 season kicking off this week, all fans carry the torch of hope and possibility. Some torches will be extinguished in the first week. Some will take longer to put out. But for the lucky few that can cling to hope and possibility all year, a championship can be enjoyed. Can Tennessee hoist the trophy December 2nd in Atlanta? They can, and will, if several key elements to success fall into place.
With much talk centering on the need for Tennessee to find a playmaker or playmakers at the wide receiver position, the true identity of this program must be regained to find true ’07 success. I will get to the playmaker at wide-out issue, but the primary question for this team can be found up front offensively. Can this offensive line be physical enough to consistently provide enough space for its running backs to “pound the rock?†This question has not been answered properly since a 5’9 back out of Clarksville danced around the opponent’s secondary at a dizzying pace. Travis Stephens consistently gained positive yards despite defenses crowding the box in a futile attempt to stop what they knew was coming. Stephens ran with passion, heart, grit and determination behind a line, FB and wide-outs who were his equal in all of those categories. Stephens finished twelfth in the nation in rushing that year and it is no coincidence that Tennessee was one half of football away that year from playing for its second National Title in four years. The talent at running back for the Vols is deep, but will the offensive line get nasty enough to play meaningful winter games?
To play at an elite level you must not only be able to run, you must also be able to stop the run. Will Demonte Bolden step out of his own enormous shadow of potential and become the disruptive interior defensive line force that was promised by many? At 6’6 290, Bolden will intimidate opponents from the moment they see him. However, Bolden’s ability to prove that disruption between whistles is a big key towards success for Tennessee this year. Stopping the run is a little like baseball. To be consistently good at this aspect of the game, you must be good up the middle. With Jonathon Hefney at safety and Jerod Mayo at middle linebacker, the question lies at defensive tackle. Bolden and JT Mapu along with Walter Fisher and others must keep offensive linemen off of Hefney and Mayo, allowing those guys to freelance in run support and make the plays they are accustomed to making. Disruption by the defensive tackles would be a welcomed bonus. Demonte Bolden has the potential to be an unruly force that must be accounted for by opposing offenses. But does he realize this potential? If the answer to this question is yes, the Vols can be special defensively.
Talk radio listeners having been asking one question much more than others; can Tennessee find a playmaker or playmakers at wide receiver on offense? The question may not be if, but when. Tennessee has a large haul of talent in this year’s freshman class. This talent that has proven its playmaking abilty on various levels. Gerald Jones, Ahmad Paige and Denarious Moore come to Knoxville straight from high school. Brent Vinson made a one year stop at prep school. And Kenny O’Neal played briefly at Florida St. before heading to junior college and then to Tennessee. Someone must provide Tennessee with a vertical threat and an ability to get deep in an attempt to keep defenses honest. Without this playmaking ability on the outside, teams become one dimensional and much easier to contain. Tennessee can be accused of this since 2001.
Fan expectation cannot be contained at this time of year. Tennessee fan is undefeated for now. However, so is every other fan. This is the beauty that can only be found during game week before the opener. If Tennessee fan gets positive answers to these three questions, a championship could be enjoyed by those clinging to their orange gear. Luck must be discovered and injuries avoided. With all of that, and many other positive answers to many other questions, TN fan will celebrate in Atlanta on the first Saturday in December. Easy, right? Nope. Prior to week one, everyone holds the torch of hope and possibility. Even Mississippi St. fan is undefeated now. Well, at least until Thursday.
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Thanks for reading. Happy football watching! –Brent.