Tennessee Football: What You Should and Shouldn't Be Concerned About

Stop me if you've heard this before: The Tennessee Volunteers are 2-0 and appear improved over last year, but now they're about to square off with one of the best teams in the country with a roster full of question marks. 

Just like the 2011, 2012 and 2013 seasons, Tennessee managed to take care of its two out of conference games to open the season.

Despite the strong start, a quick glance at the Vols schedule shows that additional wins will be hard to come by—particularly if the team doesn't show improvement in a few key areas.

Although it's clear this Tennessee squad is one of the fastest in recent years, the team's deficiencies could cost the Vols yet another bowl game.

However, not all is lost. The youth and inexperience on the roster will grow up in a hurry, and head coach Butch Jones should see vast improvement in his team between now and a three-game stretch in November consisting of Kentucky, Missouri and Vanderbilt. 

All three of those games are must-wins for Tennessee to have a chance to go bowling. Not only do Tennessee's talented freshmen need to be ready to make plays by then, but the team's veterans also must continue to play sound football.

This season may be the most interesting since 2009—its last winning season—for Tennessee, as there's enormous potential for the team to either overachieve or to fall flat on its face.

Here's what you should and shouldn't be concerned about for the remainder of the Vols' 2014 season if you hope to see the team play in December. 

Should: The Offensive Line

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Two games into the 2014 season and it looks like everyone's fears about Tennessee's new and inexperienced offensive line were well-founded.

The drop-off between 2013's starting five and the starting five this season is tremendous and will only become more noticeable as the season continues, starting with the Vols' trip to Norman, Oklahoma, on Saturday. 

Tennessee's veteran offensive line took some heat last year for not being able to get a push in critical third-down situations, but it also paved the way for Rajion Neal to rush for more than 1,100 yards and 12 touchdowns. 

In addition, it kept Justin Worley safe in the pocket.

Not only is this year's offensive line struggling to open up any room for tailbacks Marlin Lane and Jalen Hurd, but it also frequently loses its matchups with the opposing defensive line, giving way to sacks and tackles for a loss. 

Ryan Callahan of 247Sports reports that Tennessee will continue to change its starting five on the offensive line until it finds success—especially since starting left tackle Jacob Gilliam is out for the season with a knee injury.

According to Callahan's report, Jones said virtually every position on the line is up for grabs:

"

We’ll have a battle. We’re going to continue to mix it around. We’re going to look at Coleman Thomas a little bit more, possibly at right tackle. You may see Kyler Kerbyson going to left tackle a little bit. Dontavius Blair, we're going to ask him to play left tackle.

You'll see players moving around. You’ll see mixes within the offensive front. Again, it's finding the right five individuals that have a mindset, a mentality to protect the passer, run the football and finish blocks.

"

Tennessee must find a combination that leads to better quarterback protection and running lanes, or the team's offense could quickly become one-dimensional, which is a recipe for disaster in the SEC. 

Shouldn't: Justin Worley

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Quarterback Justin Worley may be the SEC's most improved player.

At times during the 2013 season, he had trouble completing screen passes to wide-open receivers who were barely off the line of scrimmage. 

Now, Worley appears to not only have full command of Tennessee's offense, but also the confidence to make nearly any throw offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian asks of him.

In fact, some of the most impressive throws of Worley's career came on a red-zone series against Arkansas State where he threaded the needle three times for what could have been three touchdown passes in a row. The first two were near misses by the receivers, while the third was caught by Marquez North. 

Anyone who watched Worley last year knows that he simply wasn't capable of making those throws in 2013. 

His head coach agrees. According to the Knoxville News Sentinel's David Cobb, Jones believes Worley is a completely changed player from last season.

"New year, it’s a new Justin Worley,” Jones said. “Justin is not even close to being the same quarterback he was last year. He’s poised, he’s confident."

In a conference where quarterback play is more and more important, Worley's development happened at the perfect time for Tennessee. 

Should: The Kicking Game

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While Tennessee's speed on special teams has improved since last season, the kicking game may take a big step back.

Freshman Aaron Medley arrived on campus with big shoes to fill after the departure of Michael Palardy. While he has made three of five field goals so far, he's not anywhere close to being the reliable kicker the Vols can go to for points when drives stall or the game is on the line.

A big part of that is simply because of Medley's youth and inexperience.

Points are often hard to come by in the SEC, especially on the road, and Tennessee can't afford to waste scoring opportunities due to a rattled kicker. 

"

Butch says freshman Aaron Medley hit a 'game-winning FG' that Butch threw at him as a surprise. Also says the team is faster overall.

— Paul Fortenberry (@Volquest_Paul) August 2, 2014"

According to Volquest's Paul Fortenberry, Medley is cool under pressure, especially during practice. But can the Vols rely on him to make a field goal with the game on the line in Norman, Oklahoma; Athens, Georgia; or Oxford, Mississippi? 

Shouldn't: Beating Vanderbilt

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After back-to-back nine-win seasons that included bowl-denying victories over the Vols, it's shocking to see the state of the Vanderbilt Commodores football program under first-year head coach Derek Mason.

The Commodores were on the verge of becoming legitimate contenders for the SEC East under James Franklin, and while 2014 was likely going to be a down year no matter who was at the helm, it's clear that Mason and his staff are in over their heads.

Not only have they wiped out three years of positive momentum for the program, but they also may be fielding one of the worst Vanderbilt squads in the modern era.

Although Mason could still right the ship this year, it's unlikely he will be able to generate a turnaround sufficient to hold off a Vols team hell-bent on exacting revenge for the past two seasons. 

Should: Beating Kentucky

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Exit Vanderbilt, enter Kentucky.

Although the Wildcats haven't exactly played tough competition so far, it's hard to deny that they look like a much improved team this season.

Like Tennessee, Kentucky brought in a great 2014 recruiting class that will see extensive playing time this year. And like Tennessee, the Wildcats are off to a 2-0 start, which just so happens to match their win total from the 2013 season. 

Second-year head coach Mark Stoops appears to have found his quarterback in Patrick Towles. After playing host to a revolving door of signal-callers since the departure of Mike Hartline in 2010, Towles looks like the real deal for the Wildcats.

Luckily for Tennessee, this year's contest with Kentucky will be at Neyland Stadium on Nov. 15. The home crowd and overall talent advantage should give Tennessee an edge in this one, but don't be surprised if the Wildcats stick around late and make the Vols earn the win. 

Shouldn't: Making a Bowl Game

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The ultimate goal for everyone associated with Tennessee football in 2014 is making a bowl game. 

The fans want it and Jones expects it. Not only is it important from a practice and conditioning standpoint for a team full of first-year players, but it also represents a big step forward for a once-proud program struggling to regain relevancy. 

The good news is that with two wins under their belt, Tennessee is technically a third of the way there. 

The bad news is that finding four more wins on the schedule isn't easy.

Wins over Chattanooga and Vanderbilt are likely at this stage, and Tennessee should beat Kentucky at home.

If Oklahoma, Georgia and Alabama are the most likely losses, that leaves the Vols with four chances to get that elusive win they need to finally reach the postseason: Florida, at South Carolina, at Ole Miss and Missouri.

It's too early to tell how improved Florida is from its 4-8 record last year, but the latter three all look like winnable games—particularly the matchup with Missouri at home.

Last season Tennessee was able to upset a South Carolina team much better than the 2014 version with a roster nearly devoid of playmakers. This year, they're all over the field.

Expect Tennessee to pull off at least one win out of the toss-up games mentioned above and finish the season either 6-6 or 7-5.

Make no mistake: Team 118 is going bowling.