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Monday's CFB watercooler chatter now: Danger time at Tennessee
LSU and Tennessee were viewed similarly in the preseason. They were up and down in 2015 but had a lot of good players coming back. It was easy to project improvement. Easy ain't always right.
The key matchup against Virginia Tech is QB Joshua Dobbs against the Hokies' pass defense. There were more than a few Dobbs skeptics in the preseason, particularly among NFL scouts, and his struggles against Appalachian State did little to dispel those notions.
"Dobbs is a good dual-threat QB for the college game, but his reads are limited and his downfield accuracy is suspect for the NFL," a longtime NFL scout said. "He is not close to Dak Prescott, at this same time, in terms of a comparison or in his development as a passer."
The Hokies might have the ACC's best secondary, and last weekend, Liberty completed 9 of 25 passes for 70 yards (2.8 yards per attempt) with three interceptions and no TDs. The Flames also rushed for just 90 yards.
The Vols didn't run the ball well in the opener, averaging just 3.0 yards per carry against a Sun Belt team. Jalen Hurd looked pedestrian, and the experienced offensive line couldn't maintain its blocks. Part of that can be attributed to the Mountaineers not fearing Dobbs' arm.
That said, the Vols own an 87 percent predicted win percentage, according to FPI, which projects a 16.3-point win differential. Math says folks are overreacting to the performance against a better-than-you-think Appalachian State team. This game could reverse that overreaction and at least provide Vols fans hope for an upcoming four-game gauntlet against Florida, No. 9 Georgia, No. 20 Texas A&M and No. 1 Alabama.
Monday's CFB watercooler chatter now: Danger time at Tennessee
LSU and Tennessee were viewed similarly in the preseason. They were up and down in 2015 but had a lot of good players coming back. It was easy to project improvement. Easy ain't always right.
The key matchup against Virginia Tech is QB Joshua Dobbs against the Hokies' pass defense. There were more than a few Dobbs skeptics in the preseason, particularly among NFL scouts, and his struggles against Appalachian State did little to dispel those notions.
"Dobbs is a good dual-threat QB for the college game, but his reads are limited and his downfield accuracy is suspect for the NFL," a longtime NFL scout said. "He is not close to Dak Prescott, at this same time, in terms of a comparison or in his development as a passer."
The Hokies might have the ACC's best secondary, and last weekend, Liberty completed 9 of 25 passes for 70 yards (2.8 yards per attempt) with three interceptions and no TDs. The Flames also rushed for just 90 yards.
The Vols didn't run the ball well in the opener, averaging just 3.0 yards per carry against a Sun Belt team. Jalen Hurd looked pedestrian, and the experienced offensive line couldn't maintain its blocks. Part of that can be attributed to the Mountaineers not fearing Dobbs' arm.
That said, the Vols own an 87 percent predicted win percentage, according to FPI, which projects a 16.3-point win differential. Math says folks are overreacting to the performance against a better-than-you-think Appalachian State team. This game could reverse that overreaction and at least provide Vols fans hope for an upcoming four-game gauntlet against Florida, No. 9 Georgia, No. 20 Texas A&M and No. 1 Alabama.
