Tennessee was destined to have a pretty mediocre offense this season. The Vols were replacing quarterback Josh Dobbs, do-everything running back Alvin Kamara, and three of their top four receiving targets (Josh Malone, tight end Jason Croom, and Kamara).
Plus, after letting mostly uninspiring offensive coordinator Mike Debord walk (perhaps with a bit of a shove) to Indiana, head coach Butch Jones replaced him with ... an uninspiring offensive coordinator. Lifetime position coach Larry Scott took the job, and the odds were good that his first year was going to be pretty hit or miss.