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2009 Big Orange Roundtable (Vol)ume 1
Published by MoonDog on July 13, 2009
Welcome to the 2009 version of the Big Orange Roundtable, a collaboration of web sites that spend a good portion of the college football season discussing the passion that is Tennessee Volunteers football.
For those of you not familiar with the roundtable, each week leading up to the start of the season one of the participating sites will serve as the host, asking questions for the other members of the roundtable to answer.
As the week progresses and the member web sites answer the questions, we’ll post a link to their responses. This year nine sites will be discussing every aspect of the upcoming season and for Volunteer fans, it’s a great opportunity to present your views.
In addition to MoonDog Sports, the Big Orange Roundtable consists of the 3rd Saturday in Blogtober, Your Mother Slept With Wilt Chamberlain, Vol Junkies, Pigskin Pathos, Rocky Top Talk, Bleeding Orange, Gate 21 and Losers With Socks.
At the end of the week after all of the sites have had a chance to respond, the host site will post a review with the best answers to the week’s questions.
We’re less than two months from Football Time in Tennessee so let’s get this year’s version of the Big Orange Roundtable kicked off.
1. In my mind, this season’s success – or failure – centers around one man, Jonathan Crompton. What is your opinion of Crompton’s ability to run Lane Kiffin’s pro style offense? Can Crompton overcome his miserable 2008 season and lead the Vols to a winning record?
Many of Crompton’s woes last season were no fault of his own. An offense that didn’t match the team’s skills, an offensive line that underperformed and the underutilization of players like Brandon Warren made Crompton’s season a nightmare.
But the fact he committed turnovers in key situations and his inability to complete a respectable percentage of his passes has Vol fans extremely nervous as the 2009 season draws near. Crompton completed only 51.5 percent of his passes in 2008, tossing four touchdowns and five interceptions. Those numbers will have to improve dramatically if the Vols have any hope of competing for an SEC championship.
Kiffin’s offense won’t necessarily be any easier for Crompton to learn, but there will be a decidedly different offensive approach. Former coach Phil Fulmer was notorious for leaving talented skill players – namely freshmen – on the sidelines because of a perceived inability to learn the Vols offense.
Kiffin and his staff seem prepared to put the most talented players on the field. The aforementioned Warren, Gerald Jones, Montario Hardesty, Denarius Moore and incoming freshman like Nu’Keese Richardson, Bryce Brown and David Oku will give Crompton plenty of weapons.
The key to Tennessee’s success this season will center around Crompton’s ability to make the right decisions, reduce turnovers and allow the skill players to make plays. There’s no question he has the physical tools to be a solid quarterback, whether he has the mental capacity to perform remains the issue.
Crompton can only get better – at least I’m hopeful of that. I believe his problems and the Vols’ offense in general was more about a poor scheme than it was a lack of talent. Kiffin won’t make the mistakes that hindered Tennessee last season, but the questions about Crompton will have to be answered.
2. Last season, the kicking game was mediocre at best and the special teams – especially the punt coverage unit – was a disaster. Daniel Lincoln returns as the kicker and Chad Cunningham will return as the punter. What are your thoughts about the Vols kicking game and special teams?
Lincoln hasn’t performed well over the past two seasons, going just 10-of-18 on field goal attempts in 2008. There were times he missed so badly last season, fans sitting perpendicular to the goal post had a chance to catch his field goal attempt.
Lincoln connected on all three of his field goal attempts between 20 and 29 yards, but was only 5-for-9 between 30 and 39 yards last season, a ratio that has to improve. He hit two of his three attempts between 40 and 49 yards but missed all three of his attempts from 50 yards or more.
Cunningham produced adequately, with a 39.5 yard average and 11 of his 25 punts being downed inside the 20. He also held the kickoff duties last season, with a 60.9 yard average, but only three of his 60 kickoffs went for touchbacks.
Tennessee’s kickoff coverage unit allowed 21 yards per return last season while the punt return coverage unit gave up 12.3 yards per return. The biggest issue with the Vols’ punt coverage was poor tackling, allowing two returns for touchdowns.
Cunningham’s hang time wasn’t very good last season and that contributed to the poor performance from the punt coverage unit. The problems associated with poor tackling can be easily addressed, most notably by having better personnel on the field.
Lincoln meanwhile, is an issue. He doesn’t have a particularly strong leg and his inability to hit makeable field goals is a huge area of concern. With lots of questions surrounding Crompton, Tennessee’s chances to win games could boil down to Lincoln hitting a field goal, and his past performance would suggest he’s incapable of doing that.
3. Tennessee’s offensive line was thought to be a strength in 2008, but like the rest of the offensive unit, didn’t perform well. What are your thoughts regarding the offensive line for 2009?
I honestly believe the biggest problem the Vols offense had last season – aside from former coordinator Dave Clawson – was the line’s inability to get comfortable. Clawson had the guards and tackles switch sides depending on the play, and that proved to be an issue.
Offensive linemen shouldn’t have to spend a lot of time thinking. One of Tennessee’s biggest foes – Alabama – had a coach that believed in keeping things simple and allowed the offensive line to drive the defender nearest him off the ball. That coach’s name was Bear Bryant. Last time I checked, he did okay for himself.
Tennessee returns four starters from last season’s team – Chris Scott, Vladimir Richard, Josh McNeil and Jacques McClendon. All four are seniors and each of them possesses the necessary skills to be solid SEC offensive linemen.
Frankly, I believe the resolution to last season’s problem is simple. Instead of putting an emphasis on thinking, offensive line coach James Cregg will hopefully instruct the linemen to maul the person nearest him. Tennessee has the potential to have a very good running game, and by allowing the line to do what its supposed to do, I believe we’ll see a more productive effort this season.
4. Tennessee finished 5-7 last season, a huge disappointment for a team expected to perform much better. How do you believe the Vols will finish in 2009?
Looking at Tennessee’s schedule, there are seven games the Vols could lose. Four of their opponents – Florida, Alabama, Ole Miss and Georgia – will be ranked in the preseason top 25. Three more opponents – UCLA, Auburn and South Carolina – may end up being ranked by the end of the season.
With so many questions surrounding this team, Tennessee could finish 5-7 or they may be able to pull off some surprises and finish 9-3, but nine wins is terribly unrealistic in my opinion.
With road games at Florida, Alabama and Ole Miss, the Vols are going to be hard pressed to come away with wins in those games. Home games against UCLA, Auburn, Georgia and South Carolina won’t be easy either, but I honestly see the Vols winning three of those four contests.
I don’t see the Vols having enough to beat the Gators, Crimson Tide, Rebels or Georgia this season, but I believe wins over Western Kentucky, UCLA, Ohio, Auburn, South Carolina, Memphis, Vanderbilt and Kentucky are well within reach.
Realistically, I see Tennessee winning eight games this season and earning a bid to a middle tier bowl, like the Liberty, Chik-Fil-A or Music City.
That should keep everyone busy for a while. Check back in throughout the week when I’ll post links to the responses from each site.
Visit each site to see their responses to this week’s questions.
Pigskin Pathos
Similar Posts:
- 2009 Big Orange Roundtable Wrap Up (Vol)ume 1
- 2009 Big Orange Roundtable (Vol)ume 2
- Big Orange Roundtable Vol(ume) 4
- The Big Orange Round Table
- The Big Orange Roundtable – Vol(ume) 2
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