When a five TD win feels like a loss

[Eddie Vol Halen]

This game against FCS competition should have had a single objective as I wrote earlier in the week: implementing new offensive schemes to overcome the current glaring shortcoming of the offense. It was a chance for Bajakian to demonstrate he is a coach and not a tutor explaining his playbook (can’t wait for the video tutorial from the coaching staff coming soon!).

I, for one, can’t stand the meme on VN about a no-talent offensive line, two freshmen, etc. These are 3* and 4* linemen with SEC offer lists. Derek Barnett is a freshman on defense; he’s playing all SEC ball. And the entire offensive line philosophy needs a heaping spoonful of Derek Barnett. That’s all coaching, my friends.

If we had won 24 – 10 but had addressed what we absolutely needed to address, yes, most of VN would have been in Chicken Little mode. But the astute here would have seen important progress; would have understood the game was never in danger, and executing a tweaked offense against UTC is sometimes the best practice before implementing it against Ole Miss and Bama. If the O-line just fired off and started hitting someone, ANYONE in front of them, I would have seen progress. If we had seen a little Derek Barnett from the O-line, I would have been smiling ear to ear with a 24 – 10 win. That would have been real progress.

Instead, we addressed none of our problems during a game in which that should have been the only objective. Is Bajakian a coach or is he a playbook author? Isn’t it time for the O-line to worry about nothing except hitting the guy in front of him and pushing him back five yards? Isn’t it time to start addressing the clear and obvious problem? Wasn’t that better done against UTC vice UoM?

 

[SeniorDrill]

Interesting that Mullen said his process had taken two and a half years to get to this point!

 

[LocoVol]

Im not really sure he knows how to adjust the offense.

 

[K-town Vol Fan]

I know I'm probably wasting my time, but playing OL is a lot different than playing DL. To be good on OL, the most important thing to have his experience. It is truly a developmental position. Not only do we have guys who have never started before this year, they are also playing out of position. We have guards who are trying their best to play tackle. You can thank the previous coach for not recruiting OL.

 

[barknoxbrawler]

Trying to adjust your offensive scheme in one week is impossible. They are what they are this season. Your don't confuse young players with change that most have spent the entire summer learning.

We won. Smile. Be happy and don't be no cloud on a sunny day.

 

[Eddie Vol Halen]

Trying to adjust your offensive scheme in one week is impossible. They are what they are this season. Your don't confuse young players with change that most have spent the entire summer learning.

We won. Smile. Be happy and don't be no cloud on a sunny day.

While I don't necessarily disagree, it just points to the fact that Bajakian and co should be excoriated for not understanding and working around the one.glaring.problem back in Spring ball and Camp.

This was identified by every VN coaching hero as a possible concern long, long ago.

In other words, Bajakian is just a playbook author and not a coach.

 

[livefaith]

Travesty. No new schemes to give away while playing the Mocs.

OP, what suggestions do you have for the next three weeks? Your great depth of knowledge has become clear as you've convinced us the sky is falling. With all that understanding, I'm sure you have some great solutions for the next six days. Would love to hear it.

 

[KnoxRealtorVOL]

I'm gonna be honest nothing about yesterday felt like a loss to me. We won 45-10. It actually felt like we annihilated the other team.

 

[madbamahater]

Interesting that Mullen said his process had taken two and a half years to get to this point!

You mean 5 years......

 

[Eddie Vol Halen]

Travesty. No new schemes to give away while playing the Mocs.

OP, what suggestions do you have for the next three weeks? Your great depth of knowledge has become clear as you've convinced us the sky is falling. With all that understanding, I'm sure you have some great solutions for the next six days. Would love to hear it.

That's the whole point:

There are no solutions for six days.

There are things that can be implemented post Florida (a game that DEMANDED new thinking), can be run live against UTC, and ready to start in earnest against UoM.

There is ONE.GLARING.PROBLEM. Is our £5M per annum coaching staff supposed to let it ride or fix it?

Good grief!

 

[K-town Vol Fan]

While I don't necessarily disagree, it just points to the fact that Bajakian and co should be excoriated for not understanding and working around the one.glaring.problem back in Spring ball and Camp.

This was identified by every VN coaching hero as a possible concern long, long ago.

In other words, Bajakian is just a playbook author and not a coach.

You can't just "work around" an OL. It handicaps everything we do offensively.


Just curious, what was it exactly you were wanting to see yesterday? What kind of new schemes or plays did you have in mind?

 

[VolunteerHillbilly]

Travesty. No new schemes to give away while playing the Mocs.

OP, what suggestions do you have for the next three weeks? Your great depth of knowledge has become clear as you've convinced us the sky is falling. With all that understanding, I'm sure you have some great solutions for the next six days. Would love to hear it.

1. Curl up in fetal position for next week.
2. Bump the Gruden thread.
3. Revisit the reasons we didn't pursue Bo Wallace.
4. Punt.

 

[VolunteerHillbilly]

Interesting that Mullen said his process had taken two and a half years to get to this point!

Mullen never would've made it to now without his year 2.

 

[Eddie Vol Halen]

You can't just "work around" an OL. It handicaps everything we do offensively.


Just curious, what was it exactly you were wanting to see yesterday? What kind of new schemes or plays did you have in mind?

No one is suggesting they make the O-line All-SEC in a couple of weeks.

It would be nice if they could raise their game to All-OVC.

 

[DiderotsGhost]

Wah wah wah.

I see the crybaby Vols are back are it again. We win 45-10 against a good FCS team (good enough to be ranked 18 spots above Vanderbilt in the Sagarin rankings), and you still have to try to find something to cry about.

Your post isn't even really coherent. You wanted Bajakian to create a 'scheme' to make the O-line push the D-line back 5 yards? In other words, you want Bajakian to create a magical playbook that makes our O-linemen stronger, faster, smarter, and more experienced playing together? While he's at it, maybe he can create some plays that turn Justus Pickett into Herschel Walker. Such realistic expectations here at VN.

All I can say is that I'm happy our players, coaches, and recruits don't have the same whiny rotten attitude that so many people here on VN have. We're building something great right now. I can't guarantee we'll win big in 3-4 years, but I can say with near certainty that the program is in much better shape today than it was 22 months ago when Butch took over. We're seeing continual progress, players that develop quickly, and some of the best recruiting in the nation.

 

[coachwgh]

Freeze was the one that said 2 1/2 years....

 

[led0321]

Two frosh DE in the nation are doing well. 2

 

[VolunteerHillbilly]

Actually there's been some regression on the OL in the past two weeks and we gave away the UF game with bad decisions by coaches and/or players.

 

[1SmokinVol]

It would be nice if they could raise their game to All-OVC.

All the OP is trying to say is we should have seen SOME improvement against UTC in our offensive line. Couple of these guys like Kyberson are 4th year Jr.s. They should not be getting whipped like that against a sub division team-don't give a damn about the out of position excuse. Looks like their feet are stuck in concrete, to me thats technique and that is on the coaches.

 

[led0321]

All the OP is trying to say is we should have seen SOME improvement against UTC in our offensive line. Couple of these guys like Kyberson are 4th year Jr.s. They should not be getting whipped like that against a sub division team-don't give a damn about the out of position excuse. Looks like their feet are stuck in concrete, to me thats technique and that is on the coaches.

He is a guard playing LT. Everyone on that line is out of position.

 

[Cartervol]

This offense is hard to watch at times. The Oline play is just awful. Next week is going to be painful to be a Vol fan just like last weekend. There is no cleaning this up this year. I'm not sure you can clean that line up in two years. They may end up having to recruit over some of these guys. I'm just not seeing that more experience getting knocked backwards and standing around flat footed while your QB gets his head ripped off, will help it all that much.. We're not seeing week to week improvement like we thought we would. The Oline took a step back this week..

 

[SouthernSmoke]

UT QBs actually kept the ball a couple times!!! Not only did they finally keep it but they scored 3 touchdowns by doing it if my memory serves.

Hey, thats something.... it makes it seem even more inexplicable that they haven't to this point but thats one positive change by the offense you can point to. Who wants to bet the QB will not keep the ball a single time against Ole Miss?

 

[Other_Guy]

So you want to change a lot of stuff midseason to confuse them even more?

 

[macrovol]

This game against FCS competition should have had a single objective as I wrote earlier in the week: implementing new offensive schemes to overcome the current glaring shortcoming of the offense. It was a chance for Bajakian to demonstrate he is a coach and not a tutor explaining his playbook (can’t wait for the video tutorial from the coaching staff coming soon!).

I, for one, can’t stand the meme on VN about a no-talent offensive line, two freshmen, etc. These are 3* and 4* linemen with SEC offer lists. Derek Barnett is a freshman on defense; he’s playing all SEC ball. And the entire offensive line philosophy needs a heaping spoonful of Derek Barnett. That’s all coaching, my friends.

If we had won 24 – 10 but had addressed what we absolutely needed to address, yes, most of VN would have been in Chicken Little mode. But the astute here would have seen important progress; would have understood the game was never in danger, and executing a tweaked offense against UTC is sometimes the best practice before implementing it against Ole Miss and Bama. If the O-line just fired off and started hitting someone, ANYONE in front of them, I would have seen progress. If we had seen a little Derek Barnett from the O-line, I would have been smiling ear to ear with a 24 – 10 win. That would have been real progress.

Instead, we addressed none of our problems during a game in which that should have been the only objective. Is Bajakian a coach or is he a playbook author? Isn’t it time for the O-line to worry about nothing except hitting the guy in front of him and pushing him back five yards? Isn’t it time to start addressing the clear and obvious problem? Wasn’t that better done against UTC vice UoM?

Fail.

 

[Other_Guy]

The OL was okay vs OU and help put up 3 2 against the Dawgs giving Hurd over 100 yards... these guys are capable of being serviceable. Lets not throw in the towel.