Tennessee football at Missouri: 10 keys for Vols and Tigers

10. Derek Dooley’s and Jim Chaney’s familiarity with each other

Here’s one interesting caveat. It existed last year, to be fair, when the Missouri Tigers faced the Georgia Bulldogs. But it’s a bit more rare now. Tennessee football will be facing a team with its former head coach as offensive coordinator. Meanwhile, the Vols’ offensive coordinator will be the one who served under that former head coach.

It’s not everyday that happens. So what does that mean for Saturday? Well, last year, Chaney got the better of Dooley, as his team won 43-29. But Georgia had way more talent than Mizzou, so the Tigers scoring 29 points was actually a good look for Dooley. What will their connection mean when they face each other on Saturday?

That’s the big question in all of this. Their talent levels are much more even than Mizzou and Georgia were last year, so familiarity could be a major factor. They both know each others’ offensive tendencies from the time they worked together, and Chaney has a unique advantage because he knows the hand Dooley had in reshaping the offense back in 2012.

As a result, this could get really interesting. What could Dooley share with Barry Odom and the defense? Is there anything Chaney could share with Jeremy Pruitt and Derrick Ansley? In the end, talent still wins games. But certainly keep an eye on what happens between these two guys when they go head-to-head Saturday running different offenses. It’s a unique storyline for the game.