Tennessee Football: Burning Questions for the Vols Heading into Their Final Game

With only one game remaining on the schedule against a struggling Vanderbilt team, the 5-6 Tennessee Volunteers are looking to break even with a 6-6 record in 2014.

Although Tennessee fans likely would have been delighted at the outset of the season with the prospect of going to a bowl game for the first time since 2010, a 6-6 record now seems somewhat underwhelming given how close the Vols were to winning nine games and even securing an SEC East championship.

Then again, preseason predictions for the Vols by most college football analysts had them winning anywhere from four to seven regular-season games, with the majority predicting that Tennessee would stay at home in December for the fourth straight year.

The 2014 season was full of ups and downs: Tennessee punched above its weight by nearly upsetting a fully healthy and Todd Gurley-led Georgia Bulldogs team in Athens, then allowed a struggling Florida Gators team to steal a win at Neyland Stadium.

A dramatic come-from-behind win in Columbia against the South Carolina Gamecocks was the highlight of the Vols' regular-season slate, and a 50-16 dismantling of an improved Kentucky Wildcats team gave fans a glimpse of the Tennessee teams of old.

As 17-point favorites against Vanderbilt, Tennessee should take care of business and become bowl-eligible. That alone makes the season a success. 

But as the Vols head into their final game, there are many uncertainties surrounding this team both to finish out the season and look ahead to 2015. Can the Vols put together a complete season next year and challenge for the SEC East, or are there too many weaknesses that can only be solved with time and recruiting?

The answers to the following four questions could be the difference between another middling 6-6 or 7-5 season or a triumphant return to national relevancy in 2015. 

Is Joshua Dobbs the Answer to Tennessee's Offensive Struggles?

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When Joshua Dobbs entered the game against Alabama a few weeks ago, he looked like the missing piece of Tennessee’s struggling offense. The Crimson Tide didn’t really have answer for him, but a healthy 27-point second-quarter lead ensured their victory.

Dobbs played even better against South Carolina and Kentucky, and it appeared the sky was the limit for the sophomore. But last week, Missouri’s heralded defensive line showed that no matter how improved he is, Dobbs isn’t yet good enough to erase the deficiencies of the five young players tasked with protecting him in the pocket.

How Dobbs performs this weekend against Vanderbilt will prove how well he can bounce back from a bad game, but because the Commodores defense is among the worst in the SEC, it won’t necessarily prove if he’s the real deal or just the beneficiary of a weak November schedule.

Although likely to be much improved next season, Tennessee doesn’t quite have the depth necessary to compete for the SEC East crown. However, if Dobbs can live up to his hype and get better protection from his offensive line, the Vols just may be the team to beat for a ticket to Atlanta.

Will the Offensive Line Improve in 2015?

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The biggest thing separating Tennessee from a potential 9-3 record this season was its porous offensive line that shackled Jalen Hurd, led to countless sacks (and a career-ending injury) to Justin Worley and prevented offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian from taking many shots downfield.

The good news is that in 2015, Tennessee’s subpar offensive line will be a year older, stronger and wiser. The bad news is that it’s going to be composed of mostly the same players who are regularly losing their one-on-one matchups.

Junior college transfer Dontavius Blair will be coming off a redshirt season and should be ready to finally contribute, and the Vols will also have the services of talented freshmen like Jack Jones and Zach Stewart.

It's unlikely that a single offseason will transform one of the worst position groups in the SEC to one of the best. However, with Joshua Dobbs' mobility, Tennessee's offensive line doesn't necessarily have to be a brick wall. Simply improving from abysmal to average would buy Dobbs an extra second or two in the pocket and give him more time to effectively manage the offense. 

Can Tennessee Beat Florida, Georgia or Alabama in 2015?

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Tennessee lost to Florida and Georgia by a combined four points this season and scored its most points on Alabama since 2003. But no matter how close the scores were, the results were the same as they have been every year since 2009...or 2006…or 2004: a loss. 

Yearly losses to Florida and two consecutive blowout losses to Alabama led to the end of the Phillip Fulmer era in 2008. Derek Dooley lost to all three in mostly blowout fashion from 2010 to 2012, and Butch Jones is currently 0-6 against the trio himself.

At a certain point—and that point is almost certainly next season—Jones has to prove that he can take down at least one of Tennessee’s biggest rivals. Two wins in a row against South Carolina proves that he has the coaching acumen to hang with the league’s big boys, but close losses to the three-headed monster won’t do him any good once his team’s roster is in fighting shape.

With games against Florida and Alabama both on the road next season, Jones needs to circle the Georgia game as soon as this team closes the book on the 2014 season, because there’s a very good chance it will be the biggest game of his career.

Does Butch Jones Need to Make Any Changes to His Coaching Staff?

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On one hand, the last thing Tennessee needs right now is coaching changes. Since 2008, the program has been a revolving door for head coaches, coordinators, position coaches and even strength-and-conditioning coaches. Having coaching stability for a third year in a row would be a rare luxury for a team that once had two head coaches in a 30-year span.

But it’s also fair to say that coaching is a profession that demands results. Although it’s unlikely Jones makes any changes during the offseason, there is one position that stands out more than others as being deficient: the offensive line.

From an outsider’s perspective, it’s hard to fault offensive line coach Don Mahoney for his group’s underperformance, considering how inexperienced and young it was across the board to start the season.

Could a better coach have squeezed out more from such a young group of players that also lacked quality depth? It’s possible. Only Jones knows the answer to that for sure.

With Tennessee poised to have its best season in years in 2015 that could set up a playoff run in 2016, Jones may take a long and hard look at his staff during the offseason to determine which assistants will help him get there and which ones will be liabilities.