Mike Bajakian discussion (mega-merged)

[VOLorNuttin]

This OC had an NFL O line last year and his offense still sucked. What was the excuse then? Or could it be that maybe just maybe he is actually the problem? :loco:

Was thinking the same thing. Our offense had 6'4" North, 6'5" Croom, 6'4" Paul Harris, then Pig Howard. And a Junior QB. That's more than enough talent to field a decent offense. We pretty much stunk last year as well.

 

[thunderfoot63]

Thunderfoot,

Thank you for what you do and your service to our country. You are a true Volunteer in the same spirit that earned the Great State of Tennessee the nickname of "The Volunteer State." You are a true hero. Be safe and smart, and return home to us.

Thank you!!! :blush:

The ideal QB for this system is on the bench in Peterman. Way more mobile and better runner....but he is a mental basket case with a deer in headlights look once in the game. And with the hits WORLEY is taking trying to hang in there to make a pass.....geez do you think he wants to run it? Poor guy needs a break after the last 2 weeks.

Making a bowl is the priority this year...was at the beginning and still is. With as good as this super young team is playing now...top recruits keep committing...we will be competing for the east soon...youngsters need to learn how to close the deal.

The only thing I can think of for Peterman is to give the guy experience in the easy games so he can learn to settle down, build confidence, and learn to fall into a groove.

Worely, the poor guy, it takes guts to let people run over you for 60mins every week. He's earned his place imho.

You are correct. A bowl game has been the goal since the beginning. It takes time and that sucks, hard. They'll get there. :ninja:

 

[TGVol]

So. Carolina is looking bad right now against KY. Wonder if they are considering starting a petition to fire Spurrier?

Has Bajakian won a NC like Spurrier and is he widely considered as a great OC? Who exactly would be interested in hiring him if we fire him? What has he done up until now that is so impressive where you would even consider putting him in the same sentence with Spurrier?
:crazy:

 

[jimed1]

This OC had an NFL O line last year and his offense still sucked. What was the excuse then? Or could it be that maybe just maybe he is actually the problem? :loco:

Regardless of last years line, they rarely played up to their potential, even with the previous DD staff. Some of that was lack of vision by the RB, but they still looked bad at times. Maybe it's more of a Mahoney problem than the OC.

 

[pastorlee]

Not everyone of those plays is a read option. Sometimes its just a HB run.

“What I’m going to do is I’m going to hold a free media clinic on the quarterback reads and pulls, because so many times to the observer out there, or the naked eye, you think it’s zone read and it’s not zone read,” Jones said after Tennessee’s practice Tuesday afternoon at Haslam Field. “It may be a gap scheme. It may be a power scheme. And when you flat and hinge the backside, sometimes you don’t ask the quarterback to read.

“Also, a lot of times, when it looks like it should be a zone-read keep, really, it’s just the defensive end closing, making a great play and, where the decision point in time comes, it’s not there. But there have been a few occasions where he can (keep the ball).

If we have no intention of running the quarterback, ever, then why don't we run out of a single-back formation, with the quarterback under center. Considering that the back has a full head of steam when he gets the hand-off, it would seem that the OL would have to hold their blocks for less time. The backs can just hit the hole and go.

This is what people are talking about. Surely they knew that the OL was going to struggle, but instead of putting in quick-hitting runs, they continue to run this offense where the run plays develop slowly. Help your kids out instead of putting them in bad situations.

 

[HARTUPM]

Butch needs to find a new direction in our offense. It looks like we have an 8 year old kid calling the plays. Way, way too much wasted talent out there. It's really sad.

 

[MoltenOrangeCore]

Isnt calling for the OC to be fired how we got here in the first place(firerandysanders.com).
Calm down chicken littles and at the least try to learn from the past.

 

[goldenvol]

I'm drunk but my play calling is better than that.

I wish I could like this more than once.

 

[jimed1]

Has Bajakian won a NC like Spurrier and is he widely considered as a great OC? Who exactly would be interested in hiring him if we fire him? What has he done up until now that is so impressive where you would even consider putting him in the same sentence with Spurrier?
:crazy:

My point is the ridiculousness of calling for someone's head right now. I remember the 1990 UT FL game when UT blew out a Spurrier coached UF 45-3. He wasn't widely considered a great OC overnight. He had loads of talent at FL and only one NC.

Muschamp is widely considered a great DC and he had 2 weeks to get ready for us. Everyone not pumping sunshine knew we were in for a hard game today going against the gator D. And if your are watching how KY is hanging with USCe right now, it looks like they have a good team. So thinking fla sucks because they went 3OTs with KY is not wise. BAMA exposed Fla and they fixed a lot of their issues during the bye week. To have expected Fla to come to Knoxville and play as bad as they did at Bama was expecting too much.

 

[JVol76]

Regardless of last years line, they rarely played up to their potential, even with the previous DD staff. Some of that was lack of vision by the RB, but they still looked bad at times. Maybe it's more of a Mahoney problem than the OC.

No, it's a Bajakian problem. Running up the middle with just over a minute left in the game is asinine. Up to that point it hadn't worked in any game so why he thought it would at that point in time is head scratching stupid. He sucks as an OC and needs to go. I like Butch and think he's doing a good job but ignorance like we saw today is going to keep this team from reaching it's full potential.

 

[HARTUPM]

On a positive note, we have a pretty good defense.

Potentially upsetting news is: The offensive play calling is mind boggling.

Even my girlfriend, who is no offensive guru by any stretch of the imagination, knows that running Hurd up the middle 87 times into a wall of defenders is not smart play calling. Neither is throwing the ball of your back foot into tight or double coverage a great idea.

 

[JVol76]

Isnt calling for the OC to be fired how we got here in the first place(firerandysanders.com).
Calm down chicken littles and at the least try to learn from the past.

We have learned from the past. The past says that when you see a problem and refuse to correct it it will take years to recover. Loyalty to coaches will lose you games and get you fired. A blind man could see that Bajakian is in over his head.

 

[jimed1]

No, it's a Bajakian problem. Running up the middle with just over a minute left in the game is asinine. Up to that point it hadn't worked in any game so why he thought it would at that point in time is head scratching stupid. He sucks as an OC and needs to go. I like Butch and think he's doing a good job but ignorance like we saw today is going to keep this team from reaching it's full potential.

Agreed.

 

[Falcons02]

Where were the slants past one or two attempts? Where were the delayed draw handoffs that were so effective vs GA? Where were the protection adjustments after our OTs were beaten time and time and time and time again to the tune of 6 or 7 sacks? Where were the RB screens to combat that attacking DL? Why did our D play their hearts out only for our O to squander so many opportunities?

I support CBJ. But his coordinators he is also responsible for. The display by our O today was unacceptable. I expect accountability.

 

[jimed1]

We have learned from the past. The past says that when you see a problem and refuse to correct it it will take years to recover. Loyalty to coaches will lose you games and get you fired. A blind man could see that Bajakian is in over his head.

Your point is valid, but remember UF is on their 4th OC in 4 years (or was Pease there 2 yrs?) and they look like crap. You can not expect success with that much disruption to the system. At some point no one will take the job but losers.

 

[VolForLife83]

Fire the offensive coordinator because we have the worst offensive line in school history... Smdh. Our line can't block. We're a couple of recruiting cycles away from being elite and the legions of the miserable are calling for coordinators to be fired... 6-6 was/ is the mark for this team, and I believe they will get there. The same idiots calling for coaches jobs would be saying were gonna win the east if this game would've ended 9-7.

The o line was not the problems today. It was the same freaking plays. Why no quick slants, te seams, curls something beside the delayed handoff which is stupid if you can't block long enough anyway. play calling was 3 plays

 

[TGVol]

Why no quick slants, te seams, curls something beside the delayed handoff which is stupid if you can't block long enough anyway. play calling was 3 plays

Because those 3 plays is what got the job done for bearcats vs big east pushovers so why change the winning formula? :crazy:

 

[VonoreVol]

Butch is the man to lead this program, but I'm not sure if Bajakian belongs in this league. I've said I was going to hold off judgment of this coaching staff until 2015, but Bajakian is making that difficult. I was ready to fire him too as I was leaving Neyland this afternoon, but after letting my emotions settle, we need to continue to back this team and coaching staff as a whole for the remainder of the season before we go wanting to fire assistant coaches. If it doesn't improve by seasons end, then we need to evaluate things in the offseason.

There are 2 things holding this program back. We have possibly the worst offensive line in the history of UT football, and our offensive play calling is just awful at times. Today was one of those times for sure. That was the worst called game offensively I've ever seen. We never got into any offensive rhythm the entire game. Pitiful!

What happened to the delayed draw plays that worked well against UGA last week? How about throwing quick underneath patterns or using the TE's more to take pressure off Worley? How about scrapping the read option entirely if Worley won't ever keep the dang ball? Move the pocket by rolling the QB out to avoid the constant rush? Things that have worked for us offensively this season were nowhere to be found today. Mind boggling doesn't even begin to describe the offensive play calling today, and it definitely cost us the W. This loss falls on the shoulders of Bajakian! Very sad because the effort was there and the defense played outstanding.

 

[VolsFan1972]

Would someone please tell bajakian how to roll the pocket out. Hurd needs a fullback too. I'd give my eye teeth for the I formation right now

 

[Vol737]

A little reminder about our O Line recruits:

Kyler Kerbyson 3*
Marcus Jackson 4*
Austin Sanders 4*
Dylan Weisman 3*
Dontavius Blair 4*
Mack Crowder 3*
Brett Kendrick 3*
Coleman Thomas 3*

An OC should be able to create space and opportunity with this group. I've seen far less talented O Lines do far more than what these coaches are getting out of these guys. Haven't said a whole lot till now, but Butch needs to have a chat with Bajakian because you can't tell me someone else couldn't be doing much more offensively with this group and be serious saying it.

 

[JMSqb11]

My biggest fear is that Griese was right last week about Peterman not getting snaps. Could it be he actually was right and Bajakian didn't want get called out for something like that? I wasn't a fan of bringing Big East coordinators. However, Jancek has earned his keep. Defense is night and day difference from last year. For the surprise, our wideouts had last year, they haven't taken the next step. Sadly, they aren't being put in position to do that enough. (Slants/curls/ins)

 

[UTwild82]

C'mon, the run up the middle on first down, WR screen on second down, and QB sack on third down offense doesn't do it for U?

 

[ETV]

The o line was not the problems today. It was the same freaking plays. Why no quick slants, te seams, curls something beside the delayed handoff which is stupid if you can't block long enough anyway. play calling was 3 plays

I do agree that the play calling had an effect on the outcome of the game but the poor play by the OL was just as responsible. During the game did you notice that even when FL rushed "3" and dropped into coverage they STILL got pressure to Worley? That is attributed to the OL. Throughout the game, FL rushes 4 and had quick penetration in the backfield, forcing our QB to throw early or take the sack. It's not like Florida was blitzing all day, they didn't have to due to the liability that is the UT OL.

Mike Bajakian should be responsible for some of the woes within the offense, but for those wanting him to be fired or demoted can literally forget it. He's been with CBJ since his CMU days began in 2007 as his OC. That's not going to change based upon 5 games into this season.

CBJ has hitched his wagon to this offense and his assistants. He will either make the adjustments and have them moving in the right direction or eventually the wheels will come off after several seasons of mediocrity.

 

[SwinnVol81]

Can't blame 2 picks and a fumble on the offensive line.

What!? Dumbest post I've seen in sometime. You absolutely can blame it on the o-line. When you're put on your a** every time you drop back to pass, it's always going to lead to bad decisions made by the qb. Also, when nobody can pick up a blitz and the qb has a defender coming full speed untouched and the qb can't see it coming... qb gets slobber knocked as he's getting ready to throw and it's going to lead to a fumble just about every time. Now please elaborate on the whole "can't blame 2 ints and a fumble on the o-line" thing, please?

 

[bigchief]

just give them all time, what can we expect, when CDD left us wih nothing