Tennessee Football: Burning Questions Ahead of the TaxSlayer Bowl

With the clock winding down to the 2015 TaxSlayer Bowl, there are a few questions that could dictate the outcome of the Tennessee Volunteers' matchup with the Iowa Hawkeyes on Jan. 2.

The Vols managed to fight and claw their way to a bowl game, and while the 15 extra practices are invaluable, Tennessee absolutely needs the positive momentum gained by actually winning the postseason matchup.

Simply showing up and collecting participation rings won't cut it for a team that's projected by some analysts to challenge for the SEC East crown in 2015. 

While the matchup with the Hawkeyes is favorable for the Vols, it's by no means a sure win. Iowa is a senior-laden team that is familiar with postseason berths, and its head coach Kirk Ferentz has bowl wins over SEC teams like LSU and Florida.

The answers to the following five questions will go a long way toward not only determining whether the Vols have a chance against the Hawkeyes, but also whether they're worthy of the preseason hype heading into 2015. 

Did the Offensive Line Improve Since the Vanderbilt Game?

Wade Payne/Associated Press

Injuries and a lack of depth turned Tennessee's thin and inexperienced offensive line into a unit that was hanging together by a thread by the time the Vols played Vanderbilt on Nov. 29.

The good news is that starting center Mack Crowder and backup guard Austin Sanders both recovered from injuries that made them unavailable for Tennessee's final games down the stretch.

The bad news is that starting left tackle Jacob Gilliam, who has played with a torn anterior cruciate ligament all season, suffered a hand injury during practice on Monday and spent Tuesday practicing with a cast on, according to Wes Rucker at 247Sports.

Unless the hand injury renders him completely ineffective at blocking, it's doubtful that Gilliam will miss out on the chance to play in his last-ever collegiate football game.

The Vols need Gilliam along with the entire offensive line to put an entire season's worth of painful lessons to use against Iowa's veteran defensive front. 

The Hawkeyes aren't known for having a particularly effective pass-rushing unit, but the Vols also gave up five sacks to Chattanooga and struggled to move the ball and protect Dobbs against Vanderbilt.

With more than a month to rest and recover and a combined 60 additional starts under its belt since the season opener on Aug. 31, can Tennessee's offensive line use the bowl game to prove to the doubters that 2015 will be a breakout year?

Will Josh Malone Step Up in Jason Croom's Absence?

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It's well known that Tennessee's wide receiver corps is banged up at the moment, but at least two of the unit's top receivers are healthy and ready: Pig Howard and Von Pearson.

That leaves the third starting position open for freshman Josh Malone to step up and return to midseason form.

Patrick Brown of the Chattanooga Times Free Press reported that Malone battled a groin injury, turf toe and an undisclosed shoulder injury throughout the season. 

Wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni told Brown that Malone is healing well:

"

He's getting healthier now, so that helps. He had a turf toe, he had a groin, he had a shoulder -- he had a lot of little dings that he's never had to play through, quite frankly. He battled through it.

The thing I love about him is he didn't really say much. 'Yeah, I had a groin (injury), and it kind of slowed me down a little bit, but I'm better.' That's him, and that's what I like about him.

"

Malone appeared to be unstoppable in Tennessee's spring game in April, but only showed flashes of his potential throughout the 2014 regular season.

With a clean bill of health and an unchallenged starting position for the bowl game, can Malone take advantage of what should be a favorable matchup against Iowa's defensive backs and have his first truly breakout game as a Vol?

Will Derek Barnett Find Success Against Brandon Scherff?

Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

Freshman Derek Barnett came out of nowhere to be one of Tennessee's defensive MVPs in 2014. 

He racked up 10 sacks in the regular season, all against SEC competition, and earned a slew of honors, including Freshman All-American from 247Sports and ESPN. 

But Barnett's toughest test this year is still to come, as he will face off against redshirt senior, Outland Trophy winner and likely first-round NFL Draft pick Brandon Scherff on Jan. 2.

Barnett is 18 years old. Scherff is 23 years old. Barnett has 12 career starts under his belt while Scherff has either started or played in the majority of games since his redshirt freshman season in 2011. 

On paper, Scherff should handle Barnett easily based on his size, strength and experience alone. But Barnett is a special player who has a good chance of being a first-round pick himself in two years. 

The Vols can't afford for Scherff to make Barnett a non-factor in this matchup, but getting past college football's best offensive tackle won't be easy for the Boy Wonder. 

Will Jakob Johnson or Kenny Bynum Be a Liability at MLB?

Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

The picture above says it all.

A blown coverage by freshman middle linebacker Jakob Johnson led directly to a Vanderbilt touchdown during Tennessee's final regular season game and kept the Commodores within striking distance until their final possession.

Those types of blown coverages might be expected from true freshmen, but the Vols can't afford any against the Hawkeyes.

The loss of senior A.J. Johnson is still affecting the team and will continue to be an issue until the final whistle blows on Jan. 2. That's why it's so important for Jakob Johnson and redshirt sophomore Kenny Bynum to minimize the impact of his absence as much as possible.

As it stands, the middle of the field went from being a strength for the Vols on defense to a potential liability, and that's a great thing for a methodical, run-heavy team like the Hawkeyes.

Johnson and Bynum will have to play smart football to prevent Iowa from gashing Tennessee right up or over the middle and extending drives that end in touchdowns. 

Can Joshua Dobbs Lead Tennessee to a Win?

Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

Joshua Dobbs ended the 2014 season with the most important win of his career but a statistically mediocre night.

His 92 yards passing and two interceptions made Dobbs look like the same player who occasionally showed flashes of brilliance as a freshman but mostly looked unprepared and out of his element in 2013.

Although the Vols will likely utilize Dobbs' legs throughout the game, he will need to be much more effective through the air than he was against the Commodores.

The Hawkeyes aren't a team where 92 passing yards, 11 completions and two interceptions equal a win. 

Granted, Dobbs was without starting center Mack Crowder, starting running back Jalen Hurd and his top targets at wide receiver. 

With a much healthier supporting cast, he should look better, but if Tennessee needs late-game heroics once again, can he deliver the same performance that lit up the college football world in Columbia, South Carolina, on Nov. 1?