How much can Jim Chaney improve the Tennessee offense in year one?

#51
#51
I don’t know, we seem to find new and unimaginable ways of finding new lows. I just want to see us competitive in all our games. No more 25+ point losses. That is my only expectation.
Yea under CBJ we did, I think last year after the South Carolina game Jones people games up (not all of them but most) because we truly should of won that game. CJP did what he could with what he had and honestly it was pretty good we beat two ranked teams with less experience players. If we continue to show improvement we will be headed to a bowl game and the extra few weeks of practice will do us well going into the 2020 season.
 
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#52
#52
How much can Jim Chaney improve the Tennessee offense in year one? Here’s what the numbers tell us

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While the Tennessee Volunteers showed plenty of promise on defense in 2018, the offense was a different story. There were plenty of reasons why the Vols finished the 2018 season as one of the nation’s worst offenses. Injuries, inefficiency, lack of talent, mistakes, miscommunications - you name it - this team faced all factors and could not overcome most of them.

Head coach Jeremy Pruitt and offensive coordinator Tyson Helton did not have much chemistry, either. Helton’s offense routinely clashed with Pruitt’s ideologies and the end result was Helton leaving for the head coaching job at Western Kentucky.
Now, I’m not sayin Pruitt drove Helton away, but one would have to think that if there was room for growth at Tennessee, Helton would have stayed. Regardless, what Helton left behind was an offense that finished as the 84th overall team in the nation in terms of OFEI, according to Football Outsiders.

The Vols finished 2018 as one of the least valued offenses, evidenced by their rank of 107 out of 130 teams in the country, according to FO. Their Offensive Efficiency (OE) grade was a measly 1.81, which basically means that the offense didn’t have many drives that scored points, flipped field position, or helped Tennessee gain any significant momentum (or value) from the drive.

Tennessee also didn’t finish better than 101st in any of the other categories outside of the Turnover Rate (OTO), where a 77th finish was the best the team could do. Such categories include first down rate, touchdown rate, ball control rate, and others.

Georgia, on the other hand, finished 2018 as the nation’s third-best overall team in terms of OFEI, fourth-best in terms of OE, and were inside the top-10 of every category except turnover rate, where the Bulldogs finished 11th. Now, this was Chaney’s third year as Georgia’s OC, so he has had to time to implement his system and his players have had time to grow in said system, which is obviously not the case with UT. So, in order to get a more realistic idea of how Chaney could impact this offense, I took a look at his first year as OC at every stop (Tennessee, Arkansas, Pittsburgh, Georgia) and compared it to the program’s previous year of offensive output before Chaney’s arrival. We’ll go in chronological order to keep it simple, starting with Chaney’s first go in Knoxville. Chaney became OC in 2009 when Lane Kiffin was hired to replace Phillip Fulmer. The Vols were abysmal on offense in 2008 despite having a dark horse Heisman Trophy candidate in Arian Foster and all five starters returning on an offensive line that only allowed four sacks in 2007.



Really good read. If the O-Line can be at least servicable. Chaney could have the offense humming by November.

GBO
Not sure what everyone else read, but every one of his offenses had average numbers or dipped in year 1 other than when CLK was with him calling plays. So, would not expect much. That said, not sure what any year-one coordinators’ numbers look like. That said, I also don’t know if his supporting staff has looked like ours before. Martin, Weinke, Johnson and Friend. I add Friend because people seem to have a high regard. We have to see more from him this year. That said, I think we improve on OL due to depth and Chaney’s experience there. If Niedermeyer coaches anything like he recruits, tight-ends should be the shizno. Regardless, I just want to see us finish games this year and want to go to a bowl game. My expectations for Pruitt are on year 3 and year 5.
 
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#56
#56
I think the biggest improvement will be on defense. It was the defense that gave up 30 ppg against P5 programs, defense was ranked 77th last year.
2018 Team Defense | College Football at Sports-Reference.com

I tend to agree, but if both are bad, then they show each other up. I have used this before but it fits. Which comes first: the chicken or the egg? I this case "who is the greater at fault" in the performance of the other??
 
#58
#58
Sure wish Coach Chaney could still play. He'd replace the Left Guard, Left Tackle and Tight End. Then we'd have a really good O-Line.
 
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#59
#59
Sure wish Coach Chaney could still play. He'd replace the Left Guard, Left Tackle and Tight End. Then we'd have a really good O-Line.
That wasn't very nice of......Oh, wait, I get it, that was a attempt at humor using a fat joke.
 
#60
#60
He can't be any worse, but Chaney typically doesn't do so hot in his first year with a new program.
 
#61
#61
It all starts in the weight room. I believe you will start to see big differences in this Vols football team. We have been puched around for the last 6 or 7 years. ( Thanks Dooley and Butch ) That will all end with Fitz, and Pruitt in control.
 
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#62
#62
hard not to think Chaney will make an impact on the offense in year 1 considering how bad it was last season. one thing i think he'll do a better job of than previous coaches is coaching to strength of the players. he's not going to try to make square pegs fit in round holes.

to me, it's about 3 things, and none of this is revolutionary......
1. find a way, any way, to run the ball more effectively
2. O line has to be better. not great, not "best"...just don't suck. be average....don't be THE REASON we lose.....
3. JG has to make plays. i think JG is pretty good. he proved to be adequate as a game manager last season. But he's got to find and make plays down field. if he does that, and keeps the decision making errors to a minimum (the low INT's) then this offense can probably look like something Chaney wants it to.....
 
#63
#63
Looking forward to seeing how Hugh Freeze does this year. If things go well, I could see him taking over for Muschamp in another season or two.
 
#66
#66
Chaney's tenure as OC at Tennessee was mixed, IMO, and I wasn't incredibly impressed given the weapons he did have. He had a QB who was a thrower, not a passer, some talented WRs, some OK RBs, and an offensive line that was overrated but not that bad, much better than we have now. We actually had 6 offensive players drafted from the 2010-12 teams.

The 2010 and 2011 offenses were routinely awful, especially against quality defenses. It wasn't great in 2009 either, although I kind of write that off since it was year 1. They had the offense figured out in 2012 (year 3), but it didn't matter because that year's defense might have been the worst in the history of the school.
 
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#67
#67
When your O-line is weak/inconsistently talented across-the-line/inexperienced, you can only scheme around that for so many games before opposing defences take it away and exploit you.

When your offensive playmakers are young, you can't utilize the entire playbook, so you're self-limiting or running the risk of more mental mistakes, leading to turnovers.

Would love to be surprised this Fall, but objectively I can't see Chaney's legitimate positives bearing much fruit before his second year, and nothing indicative of "turn around" until the third year.
 
#68
#68
When your O-line is weak/inconsistently talented across-the-line/inexperienced, you can only scheme around that for so many games before opposing defences take it away and exploit you.

I see the same thing this year. I see a lot of our passing yards coming on quick slants, and quick in's and maybe curls. But, the defensive guys will start scheming for that. If we don't have a running game for LB's to respect, it will be pick off city big time!
 
#69
#69
When your O-line is weak/inconsistently talented across-the-line/inexperienced, you can only scheme around that for so many games before opposing defences take it away and exploit you.

When your offensive playmakers are young, you can't utilize the entire playbook, so you're self-limiting or running the risk of more mental mistakes, leading to turnovers.

Would love to be surprised this Fall, but objectively I can't see Chaney's legitimate positives bearing much fruit before his second year, and nothing indicative of "turn around" until the third year.
we didn't really scheme around anything last year.

i think Chaney is probably light years ahead of where Helton was from a game planning and play calling standpoint, and i'm positive chaney will have all the freedom he needs to do what he thinks will give us the best chance to win.
 
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#70
#70
lol. he'll probably be on the short list to replace Kelly at UCLA.........soon.
He’s actually a good recruiter. UCLA won’t know what that looks like with another season or two with this hermit clown.
 
#71
#71
Never understood why Pruitt wanted Helton so bad when apparently he had never worked with him. He's not exactly known as some sort of offensive guru like Chaney.

Did you ever think that Helton was brought in due to it being TOO LATE to get CJC for 2018? Pruitt and Fulmer COULD HAVE had a plan to get CJC in 2019 all along. Pruitt also isn't an offensive coach, never has been. Let's hope that is the only coaching hire mistake he makes in his tenure at UT!!! =)
 
#73
#73
hard not to think Chaney will make an impact on the offense in year 1 considering how bad it was last season. one thing i think he'll do a better job of than previous coaches is coaching to strength of the players. he's not going to try to make square pegs fit in round holes.

to me, it's about 3 things, and none of this is revolutionary......
1. find a way, any way, to run the ball more effectively
2. O line has to be better. not great, not "best"...just don't suck. be average....don't be THE REASON we lose.....
3. JG has to make plays. i think JG is pretty good. he proved to be adequate as a game manager last season. But he's got to find and make plays down field. if he does that, and keeps the decision making errors to a minimum (the low INT's) then this offense can probably look like something Chaney wants it to.....
Making plays down field is key. Got to keep ‘em from stacking the box.
 
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#74
#74
Chaney's tenure as OC at Tennessee was mixed, IMO, and I wasn't incredibly impressed given the weapons he did have. He had a QB who was a thrower, not a passer, some talented WRs, some OK RBs, and an offensive line that was overrated but not that bad, much better than we have now. We actually had 6 offensive players drafted from the 2010-12 teams.

The 2010 and 2011 offenses were routinely awful, especially against quality defenses. It wasn't great in 2009 either, although I kind of write that off since it was year 1. They had the offense figured out in 2012 (year 3), but it didn't matter because that year's defense might have been the worst in the history of the school.

In 2009, the OL included TWO WALK ONS! I will be forever thankful to FULMER for the 98 NC and SEVERAL 10 PLUS WIN SEASONS!!!! But, he got himself fired by not recruiting well on both lines his last few years. THE OL became the weakest link on the team. The stout SEC Ds were BUM RUSHING UTs OL every Saturday!!! That should NEVER HAPPEN when your HC IS A FORMER OL, OL COACH, AND OC!!!!! Chaney had NO OL to block in 2009. Fulmer left the OL cupboard bare when he was fired!!! Otherwise, UT wouldn't have had two walkons starting on the OL!!!

Yes, I know the OL is still questionable at best. But, the OL for UT this season will be much improved after a year and a half under Craig and some roster turnover. Chaney will scheme around any weaknesses the OL may have to do a very good job! CJC is ONE OF THE TOP 10 OC's in the country!!! He will prove it during his second tenure at UT!!!
 
#75
#75
In 2009, the OL included TWO WALK ONS! I will be forever thankful to FULMER for the 98 NC and SEVERAL 10 PLUS WIN SEASONS!!!! But, he got himself fired by not recruiting well on both lines his last few years. THE OL became the weakest link on the team. The stout SEC Ds were BUM RUSHING UTs OL every Saturday!!! That should NEVER HAPPEN when your HC IS A FORMER OL, OL COACH, AND OC!!!!! Chaney had NO OL to block in 2009. Fulmer left the OL cupboard bare when he was fired!!! Otherwise, UT wouldn't have had two walkons starting on the OL!!!

Yes, I know the OL is still questionable at best. But, the OL for UT this season will be much improved after a year and a half under Craig and some roster turnover. Chaney will scheme around any weaknesses the OL may have to do a very good job! CJC is ONE OF THE TOP 10 OC's in the country!!! He will prove it during his second tenure at UT!!!

14 sentences, 26 exclamation points.
 
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