SEC Football Q&A: Is Tennessee Destined to Flop over Tough 4-Game Stretch?
Tennessee will enter its rivalry matchup with Florida at 3-0, but it's hardly the 3-0 that head coach Butch Jones probably anticipated.
During wins over Appalachian State, Virginia Tech and Ohio, the Vols have struggled to protect quarterback Joshua Dobbs, haven't been able to stretch the field deep through the air consistently and have been bitten by an injury bug that has limited several key players, including cornerback Cameron Sutton, as head coach Butch Jones announced Monday he would be out for an extended period of time with a fractured ankle.
Was the 3-0 start a tease, or do the Vols have staying power?
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That question and more are answered in this week's edition of SEC Q&A.
Things are about to get real dicey for Tennessee because that subpar offensive line that has allowed 20 tackles for loss—third-most in the SEC—has to face the defensive fronts of Florida, Georgia, Texas A&M and Alabama over the next four weeks.
With that said, though, the Vols could be getting one of their key pieces back this year when Chance Hall returns from a knee injury suffered in fall camp, according to Jones. His presence will help fend off a Gator defense that leads the SEC in total defense (129.7 YPG), yards per play (2.59) and scoring defense (4.7 PPG).
"We are playing a Florida football team that has great team speed and has playmakers all over the field," Jones said Monday. "What can I say about them defensively? This is probably the best defense we faced since I have been here. They make you earn everything that you get."
How much of a difference will Hall make against this Gators group?
If he provides some sense of continuity, it could kick-start a unit that should never be as bad as it has been over the first three games of the season. But if the struggles continue, it's hard to imagine a scenario in which the problem gets fixed over the next month based on the opposition in store.
Even if it doesn't improve, it's not like Florida and Georgia are known commodities at this point.
Neither can block effectively, both have playmaker issues outside, and Tennessee does still have ends Derek Barnett and Corey Vereen to help limit the damage from each offense.
The Vols can "ugly" their way through the stretch for a while, but there's no doubt the issues have to improve in the process. Otherwise, those issues will catch up to them in College Station and against the Crimson Tide.
Yeah, at this point, it seems likely (the SEC gives the award to a freshman overall, not on each side of the ball). But it won't be without a challenge.
Head coach Kirby Smart didn't commit to his former blue-chip quarterback full-time after Jacob Eason threw for 308 yards and three touchdowns—including the game-winner on 4th-and-10 with 1:29 to play—in the 28-27 win over Missouri.
"Jacob's going to be able to start our game, assuming he has a good week of practice he will," Smart said Monday, according to quotes emailed by Georgia. "That's the plan going forward, is that if he continues to practice well and do the right things, then he'll be the starter."
But let's be real here. He went the entire way against Missouri when nothing else worked offensively, came through in the clutch and has taken the majority of the snaps over the last two-and-a-half games.
The foundation he built for himself in Columbia, Missouri, on Saturday night is huge for his development, and you'd have to imagine the running game will pick up with Nick Chubb and Sony Michel rounding back into form at some point—even if the offensive line continues to struggle.
Elsewhere, who else will mount a challenge?
Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts broke out over the first three games and has established himself as one of the most electric quarterbacks head coach Nick Saban has produced. Texas A&M running back Trayveon Williams has 236 yards, one touchdown and is averaging 8.43 yards per carry. South Carolina wide receiver Bryan Edwards has 207 yards receiving, and he and quarterback Brandon McIlwain seem to be establishing an identity for the offense together but will probably steal votes from each other.
Hurts will be Eason's biggest competition from the offensive side. How each continues to handle adversity throughout the season will probably make the difference. Hurts did well in a three-score hole at Ole Miss in Alabama's big win, and Eason's heroics were obvious against the Tigers.
Which player keeps it up will have the inside track to freshman honors.
Yes, because they already had a ton of success with dual-threat quarterback Blake Sims in 2014—when the Crimson Tide won the SEC title and made the College Football Playoff.
Sims—who once played running back at Alabama—ran for 350 yards and seven touchdowns in an offense that set the program record with 484.5 yards per game.
Hurts has already proved he's as capable—if not more—on the ground as Sims (197 yards and two touchdowns in three games), has completed 61.5 percent of his passes as a true freshman while facing two pretty good teams in Southern California and Ole Miss, and did so while learning the offense on the fly.
Hasn't offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin proved enough to shed at least some of the criticism?
Yeah, he struggled with some of the ancillary issues associated with being a head coach, like public relations, speaking out of turn and keeping players out of trouble.
But from an X's and O's standpoint, he's fine. More than fine, actually. He was a Broyles Award finalist in 2014, won a national title in 2015 and did so with quarterbacks who aren't being confused for Aaron Rodgers anytime soon.
Alabama has evolved into a team that can win conservatively, win shootouts and win with any style quarterback it wants.
That's a huge compliment to head coach Nick Saban's vision and recognition of what football has become.
At this point of the season, yes—due in large part to just how good the top three teams in the ACC Atlantic are.
Clemson and Louisville are legitimate Top Five-ish teams, with Florida State being one of the most talented and dangerous teams in the nation despite getting blown out by Louisville last weekend. What's more, the Seminoles have a win over an SEC West team already in their back pocket.
What can the SEC West produce that's remotely comparable to that?
Alabama is obviously elite, but the jury is still out on just how effective Texas A&M's offense can be, Arkansas' offensive line still has questions and must face some incredibly challenging defensive fronts over the next two months, and LSU and Auburn have questionable offenses that still have issues.
That's not to say it has to be this way for the entire season.
All of the teams behind Alabama could certainly improve, solve their issues and become national powers.
But the top three teams in the ACC Atlantic are legitimate national title contenders, while the SEC West can only boast one at this point of the season.
Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Statistics courtesy of CFBStats unless otherwise noted. All recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports. Odds provided by Odds Shark.
Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and national college football video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on SiriusXM 83. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
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