I'm going to preface this with a couple of clarifying comments.
Yes, I've been an offensive coordinator and I've been VERY successful in that role. No, I don't think mike debord is the issue either.
Ok, the scheme that some call "middle school", and others call terrible, is not the issue. Basically the read, or inverted veer or "power read" is an offense that is unbelievably explosive and hard to defend if it has the right pieces. The issue is it relies on the right guy running it.. no, I'm not talking about mike, but Dobbs rather.
I counted 12 times since Georgia that Dobbs has missed a keep and kept the next play only to be absolutely stuffed. Dobbs for all his endearing qualities has not been good at running this offense this year save a couple times. Why? My theory is multiple.
1. He believed the hype. He bought into how good he was, and wasn't a good film study. It isn't like muschamp, or saban, or chavis was doing anything special, or different, they played it just like everybody else does and has. Josh, didn't seem to me to have a good grasp of what was there and what wasn't.
2. Fear. Yes, you read that correctly. I believe Dobbs had a TON of fear, and that kept him from making the correct read, and who could blame him? He did have a defender trying to break him about the time he received the snap on almost every play, but his fear paralyzed his mind and because of that he kept balls he shouldn't, and have balls he shouldn't. OT against tx am comes to mind.
3. Offensive line. Goodness what can I say here? Probably the least physical, least aggressive group of o linemen I have ever seen in an orange shirt. Singularly, I think they are a very aggressive man, but collectively it is insane how mentally weak they were. No mentality of a nasty bunch and it was showing a lot.
4. Physical strength. That's right, physically inferior to every team besides Ohio that we've played. We were just far more athletic and their QB made the mistakes. The o line HAS to get so much stronger, or it will get worse before better. I think attrition at this position will happens. I also think there will be a new S&C coach by years end.
5. Timing. I think debord is a fantastic coordinator and can scheme some stuff but I think his feel and flow for the game have been very suspect to say the least. He got into rythym a few times and it showed. (Florida, tech, etc..) but other times, he simply couldn't find it.. I've done it as a coordinator myself. Sometimes it's because I was "told" to do this.. well, as a coordinator as it is with most jobs, there is a boss involved, and it's generally a fantastic idea to do as your instructed if you'd like to keep that position, but I think this is likely some of that issue.
6. Turnovers. Holy shit.. 3.3 per game.. nothing else needs to be said here.
The scheme is fine, when it's clicking, nobody can stop it. That has been proven. Maybe the discord in the locker room can be partly to blame, maybe not. One thing is for sure... This team has 4 weeks to prove themselves and come out and completely silence the critics. Obviously some have no chance of steering away from the rocks, and will never change but if they come out like gangbusters and whip the next four teams, it will go a long way towards perception and rightly or wrongly, Jalen will be the ultimate fall guy..
This is all my opinion.. we shall see if I'm wrong..
I do believe that if you gave me the talent on the offensive side of the ball that tennessee has, it would be hard for me to call the dogs off after I have absolutely smoked every team except bama, and I would have scored a lot on them, on the schedule. This offense has/had the potential to be scary good.
Yes, I've been an offensive coordinator and I've been VERY successful in that role. No, I don't think mike debord is the issue either.
Ok, the scheme that some call "middle school", and others call terrible, is not the issue. Basically the read, or inverted veer or "power read" is an offense that is unbelievably explosive and hard to defend if it has the right pieces. The issue is it relies on the right guy running it.. no, I'm not talking about mike, but Dobbs rather.
I counted 12 times since Georgia that Dobbs has missed a keep and kept the next play only to be absolutely stuffed. Dobbs for all his endearing qualities has not been good at running this offense this year save a couple times. Why? My theory is multiple.
1. He believed the hype. He bought into how good he was, and wasn't a good film study. It isn't like muschamp, or saban, or chavis was doing anything special, or different, they played it just like everybody else does and has. Josh, didn't seem to me to have a good grasp of what was there and what wasn't.
2. Fear. Yes, you read that correctly. I believe Dobbs had a TON of fear, and that kept him from making the correct read, and who could blame him? He did have a defender trying to break him about the time he received the snap on almost every play, but his fear paralyzed his mind and because of that he kept balls he shouldn't, and have balls he shouldn't. OT against tx am comes to mind.
3. Offensive line. Goodness what can I say here? Probably the least physical, least aggressive group of o linemen I have ever seen in an orange shirt. Singularly, I think they are a very aggressive man, but collectively it is insane how mentally weak they were. No mentality of a nasty bunch and it was showing a lot.
4. Physical strength. That's right, physically inferior to every team besides Ohio that we've played. We were just far more athletic and their QB made the mistakes. The o line HAS to get so much stronger, or it will get worse before better. I think attrition at this position will happens. I also think there will be a new S&C coach by years end.
5. Timing. I think debord is a fantastic coordinator and can scheme some stuff but I think his feel and flow for the game have been very suspect to say the least. He got into rythym a few times and it showed. (Florida, tech, etc..) but other times, he simply couldn't find it.. I've done it as a coordinator myself. Sometimes it's because I was "told" to do this.. well, as a coordinator as it is with most jobs, there is a boss involved, and it's generally a fantastic idea to do as your instructed if you'd like to keep that position, but I think this is likely some of that issue.
6. Turnovers. Holy shit.. 3.3 per game.. nothing else needs to be said here.
The scheme is fine, when it's clicking, nobody can stop it. That has been proven. Maybe the discord in the locker room can be partly to blame, maybe not. One thing is for sure... This team has 4 weeks to prove themselves and come out and completely silence the critics. Obviously some have no chance of steering away from the rocks, and will never change but if they come out like gangbusters and whip the next four teams, it will go a long way towards perception and rightly or wrongly, Jalen will be the ultimate fall guy..
This is all my opinion.. we shall see if I'm wrong..
I do believe that if you gave me the talent on the offensive side of the ball that tennessee has, it would be hard for me to call the dogs off after I have absolutely smoked every team except bama, and I would have scored a lot on them, on the schedule. This offense has/had the potential to be scary good.
