Despite the results, which we know is the bottom line for any fan base, Tennessee is right on schedule with where I believed it would be.

Sure, 2-3 isn’t anything to phone home about, but I don’t subscribe to the microwave-based, instant gratification theory of the millennial crowd. Instead, I move at a dial-up modem-like pace. (Anybody remember how slow NetZero was back in the day? SMH.)

For me it’s all about “the process.”

I thought a spread-to-pass, “Cheetah personnel”-based offensive scheme wouldn’t have long-term sustainability in a conference built around establishing the line of scrimmage. Sure, loading up on 4- and 5-star wide receivers looks good on paper, but when a team doesn’t respect your ability to dominate the trenches it’s more apt to throw shade in the form of cloud coverage and other concepts designed at dampening a high-powered passing attack.

But head coach Butch Jones has turned the page on the finesse, for the most part, and turned the offense over to his three most effective players: running backs Jalen Hurd, Alvin Kamara and Joshua Dobbs.

Yeah, you read that right; I’m not insulting Dobbs’ ability as a signal-caller, I’m merely shedding light on just how much of a factor he can be with his legs. That aspect of his game will drive UT’s next opponent nuts.

Georgia’s sideline-to-sideline defensive ability has never been in question, but its inability to combat power-rushing attacks that attack the interior, from B-gap to B-gap, has. In its heart-breaking loss against Florida, Tennessee revealed some power-run concepts with Dobbs that had me jumping out my seat.

DobbsQBcounter

With a fast defense like UGA’s, it’s always best to press the action with draws, screens, delays and other misdirection-type plays to test gap discipline. While the Dawgs are loaded with edge defenders who can live in a quarterback’s lap, they lack difference-making talent on the interior and can be exposed in many ways.

This sequence appears to be the QB version of Counter OH. Run out of “Cheetah,” the back-side guard, Jashon Robertson, is responsible for kicking out the end man on the line, while tight end/H-back Ethan Wolf is deployed as a lead blocker through the A-gap. He’s charged with blocking the first opposite color jersey he sees.

The end on the closed side of the formation has to respect the possible hand off to Hurd, so his aggressiveness is a bit lessened.

DobbsQBcounter2

The counter portion comes from Dobbs’ hesitation steps. I used to think it would be hard to find a better quarterback runner than Mississippi State’s Dak Prescott, but Dobbs is as instinctual as Prescott and appears to have a fifth gear, which makes him a threat to score from anywhere.

Jones has one of the most lethal weapons in the conference in Dobbs. He should focus on implementing and developing more designed QB runs. This particular concept would be awesome as the base of a package of plays.

You can bet your bottom dollar UGA is fretting seeing this Saturday.