Five Burning Questions Surrounding the Tennessee Vols at SEC Media Days

Nov 30, 2013; Lexington, KY, USA; Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Joshua Dobbs (11) passes the ball against the Kentucky Wildcats in the second half at Commonwealth Stadium. Tennessee defeated Kentucky 27-14. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

3. How has the offense adjusted to new Offensive Coordinator Mike DeBord’s system?

As we are all familiar with by now, Butch Jones worked under Mike DeBord at Central Michigan in reversed roles. The team never had a winning record in four years there.

DeBord’s most notable coordinator experience came with the success he had at Michigan in the late 1990s coaching Brian Griese and Tom Brady and his return in the mid-2000s coaching Chad Henne. His NFL experience and his connection to Mike Martz are also appealing.

But here’s the problem: none of those things resembled anything like the offense Tennessee has run the last two years. We all remember the change in defensive philosophy that messed the Vols up in 2012 with Sal Sunseri.

Could DeBord do the same thing to the offense in 2015? The talent is clearly there. The experience is there. And we had some signs of relief from players, notably Josh Dobbs, saying the offense has not changed at its roots.

But Jones and Dobbs need to be grilled on that more heavily. Are we sure that these guys will be ready for a new system this Fall? Will DeBord make sure that they play only with the way they are comfortable?

These questions need to be asked.

Next: #2: Leadership Roles