5 Things The Tennessee Vols Must Do To Win The SEC East In 2017
By Zach Ragan
Defense Must Step Up
The 2015 Tennessee Volunteers were a team that overachieved, and nearly had a special season, mostly due to their stifling defense.
Tennessee ranked 17th in the nation in points allowed in 2015.
Butch Jones, surprisingly, let defensive coordinator John Jancek go after the 2015 season, in order to hire lauded defensive coordinator Bob Shoop.
2016, however, turned out to be a disappointing year for the Vols’ defense. Tennessee ranked 70th in points allowed last season.
Fortunately for the Volunteers, a historically great offense was able to carry them to nine wins.
But with the bulk of their offensive production gone from last season, the Vols will need their defense to step up in order for Tennessee to be successful in 2017.
The Vols have the talent to be successful defensively. And Shoop, who has new defensive assistants in defensive line coach Brady Hoke and defensive backs coach Charlton Warren, should be settled in to his role as Tennessee’s defensive coordinator this year. I think he’ll show why he was one the most successful defensive coordinators in then nation during his time with Vanderbilt and Penn State.
Tennessee’s defense will need to be much better than it was last season for the Vols to be a threat to win the the division.