Five burning questions about the SEC East

#1

VolDad

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#1
"Is Tennessee REALLY going to throw these rookie running backs into the fire right away?

This much we know about Tennessee’s first team under Lane Kiffin: All season it is going to be a struggle between getting the team ready to play the next game and preparing for the long haul. That will again be the case when Kiffin and OC Jim Chaney decide how to use the highly-recruited running backs, Bryce Brown and David Oku. How much these guys actually get on the field, I believe, is up to the offensive line. If Tennessee had to play tomorrow, instead of Sept. 5 against Western Kentucky, it’s a pretty good bet the Vols would have five seniors starting up front. This is significant. If this group really jells, then Kiffin and Chaney can be a little bolder. If not, you stick with the proven players in Montario Hardesty and Lennon Creer and you spot play the freshmen. The toughest things for young running backs to learn are how to block (because the game is much faster) and picking up pass protection schemes. You wonder how much a highly-recruited kid like Brown was asked to block in high school."

Five burning questions about the SEC East | Mr. College Football
 
#2
#2
"Is Tennessee REALLY going to throw these rookie running backs into the fire right away?

This much we know about Tennessee’s first team under Lane Kiffin: All season it is going to be a struggle between getting the team ready to play the next game and preparing for the long haul. That will again be the case when Kiffin and OC Jim Chaney decide how to use the highly-recruited running backs, Bryce Brown and David Oku. How much these guys actually get on the field, I believe, is up to the offensive line. If Tennessee had to play tomorrow, instead of Sept. 5 against Western Kentucky, it’s a pretty good bet the Vols would have five seniors starting up front. This is significant. If this group really jells, then Kiffin and Chaney can be a little bolder. If not, you stick with the proven players in Montario Hardesty and Lennon Creer and you spot play the freshmen. The toughest things for young running backs to learn are how to block (because the game is much faster) and picking up pass protection schemes. You wonder how much a highly-recruited kid like Brown was asked to block in high school."

Five burning questions about the SEC East | Mr. College Football

:eek:hmy::eek:hmy:He's back??? LOL,Wow, how long has it been since Creer left school?

Aside from that, good find VolDad...And yes Kiffin is going to play the young guys, sometime the youngsters are the best on the field and it not only pays off now but in the long run as well
 
#3
#3
"Is Tennessee REALLY going to throw these rookie running backs into the fire right away?

This much we know about Tennessee’s first team under Lane Kiffin: All season it is going to be a struggle between getting the team ready to play the next game and preparing for the long haul. That will again be the case when Kiffin and OC Jim Chaney decide how to use the highly-recruited running backs, Bryce Brown and David Oku. How much these guys actually get on the field, I believe, is up to the offensive line. If Tennessee had to play tomorrow, instead of Sept. 5 against Western Kentucky, it’s a pretty good bet the Vols would have five seniors starting up front. This is significant. If this group really jells, then Kiffin and Chaney can be a little bolder. If not, you stick with the proven players in Montario Hardesty and Lennon Creer and you spot play the freshmen. The toughest things for young running backs to learn are how to block (because the game is much faster) and picking up pass protection schemes. You wonder how much a highly-recruited kid like Brown was asked to block in high school."

Five burning questions about the SEC East | Mr. College Football

looks like this sportswriter is a little behind...lol
 
#4
#4
I stopped reading after he mentioned Creer. Do some fact checking. It's not that hard.
 
#5
#5
Just a mental slip on Tony's part, I'm sure. He's one of the best we have, of the old guard at least.
 
#9
#9
Just a mental slip on Tony's part, I'm sure. He's one of the best we have, of the old guard at least.

He responded in the comments:

"Thanks for the catch on Lennon Creer. Yes, he left the program. I meant to say Tauren Poole, who had a couple of decent games (9 carries vs. UAB, 11 carries vs.Wyoming) last season."
 
#10
#10
Kiffin is going to put the 11 young men on the field that gives us the best chance of winning. I firmly believe that.
 
#11
#11
He responded in the comments:

"Thanks for the catch on Lennon Creer. Yes, he left the program. I meant to say Tauren Poole, who had a couple of decent games (9 carries vs. UAB, 11 carries vs.Wyoming) last season."

So he meant Poole when he was referring to proven players? Pretty bad either way.
 
#13
#13
"Is Tennessee REALLY going to throw these rookie running backs into the fire right away?

This much we know about Tennessee’s first team under Lane Kiffin: All season it is going to be a struggle between getting the team ready to play the next game and preparing for the long haul. That will again be the case when Kiffin and OC Jim Chaney decide how to use the highly-recruited running backs, Bryce Brown and David Oku. How much these guys actually get on the field, I believe, is up to the offensive line. If Tennessee had to play tomorrow, instead of Sept. 5 against Western Kentucky, it’s a pretty good bet the Vols would have five seniors starting up front. This is significant. If this group really jells, then Kiffin and Chaney can be a little bolder. If not, you stick with the proven players in Montario Hardesty and Lennon Creer and you spot play the freshmen. The toughest things for young running backs to learn are how to block (because the game is much faster) and picking up pass protection schemes. You wonder how much a highly-recruited kid like Brown was asked to block in high school."

Five burning questions about the SEC East | Mr. College Football

:banghead2:
 
#14
#14
Many good examples here of why sometimes good old-fashioned newsprint, with EDITORS, is superior to blogs.
 
#15
#15
I really do not believe for a second that this team had no talent last year or this year. I don’t think that they have been coached for several years and that is why there had to be a change at the top. Now will this new group go out and coach? I don’t know, we will have to watch and see.

All I can say is that I am excited about the start of the season for the first time in about 5 years as I now have hope that we won’t lose the ones that we shouldn’t on a consistent basis and might win a few we shouldn’t more than we have over the last several years.
 
#16
#16
I really do not believe for a second that this team had no talent last year or this year. I don’t think that they have been coached for several years and that is why there had to be a change at the top. Now will this new group go out and coach? I don’t know, we will have to watch and see.

While I do believe our talent is not on the same level as FL, I think the talent-gap-argument is overrated and WAAAAAYYYY overplayed right now.
 
#17
#17
I may be wrong (shock) but I thought CLK had already touched on this when talking about a back's grasp of pass blocking, i.e. let him do what he does well w/out putting him in situations that bring out his weaknesses/inexperience. Brown will get his touches and early in the season even as his grasp of the playbook expands.
 
#18
#18
I may be wrong (shock) but I thought CLK had already touched on this when talking about a back's grasp of pass blocking, i.e. let him do what he does well w/out putting him in situations that bring out his weaknesses/inexperience. Brown will get his touches and early in the season even as his grasp of the playbook expands.

He has said that. But instead "Mr SEC" presented us with the tired and canned (and very fulmeresque) policy statement on learning the blocking schemes.
 

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