Scouting the opponent: Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech closed the 2016 season winning five of its last six games, including a 33-18 win over Kentucky in the TaxSlayer Bowl.

The Yellow Jackets finished last year 9-4 and they were 3-0 against the SEC East beating rival Georgia, Vanderbilt and the Wildcats. In the three games against the SEC, the option attack generated 99 points.

Paul Johnson's team returns plenty of offenive weapons with four of its five leading rushers, including top tailback Dedrick Mills.

Defensively, the Yellow Jackets return five of their top nine tacklers from a season ago.

With the Tech offense, you know exactly what you are getting. The Yellow Jackets aren't interested in throwing it much in their option offense. Tech had 611 rushes a season ago and only threw it 160 times. For Paul Johnson, it's all about the ground game.

Tech averaged 5.5 yards per carry. Dedrick Mills returns as the leading rusher. In 2016, Mills rushed for 771 yards and 12 touchdowns. Three of the five starters return on the offense line.

The Yellow Jackets had 83 receptions a season ago, and they return the receiver weapons including Ricky Jeune, who averaged 17 yards a catch.

At the quarterback position, there are some question marks. Matthew Jordan is coming off a foot injury that he suffered in the spring. But provided he's healthy, Jordan should be the starter. However, Jordan is still green and growing. In 2016, he rushed for 243 yards in nine games played. He was only 3 of 9 passing but did lead his team to a win over Virginia Tech.

While Tech may return five of its top nine tackles from last season, they have concerns defensively -- particularly up front.

The Yellow Jackets lost their two most experienced and productive defensive tackles in Patrick Gamble and Francis Kellon. Gamble had a big senior season, recording 10.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks.

Even with 7.5 sackls from Gamble, getting to the quarterback was a problem for Tech in 2016. Georgia Tech was 114th nationally last season in sacks. The inability to get to the quarterback didn't help the secondary either, as Tech was 68th defensively against the pass.

When you think Georgia Tech, you think option football and obviously that is the biggest challenge for the Vols in the season opener.

Thanks in part to injuries, the Vol defense struggle mightily against the run. Opponents averaged 218 yards a game against Bob Shoop's defense. Even when healthy, the run defense wasn't great. Appalachin State rushed for 184 yards and Virginia Tech rushed for 186 yards against a full strength Vol defense.

There are plenty of questions about Tennessee's ability to handle the run --especially the option.

Tennessee's unknowns offensively are well-documented, but the Yellow Jackets aren't without questions as they break in a new quarterback themselves, while defensively they look to make significant improvements in 2017.

Those improvements are no guarantee given all they are trying to replace on the defensive line.

Tennessee head coach Butch Jones refers to season opening games as the game of the unknowns. For both Georgia Tech and Tennessee, there are plenty of unknowns, but for the Ramblin' Wreck there is one given and that is their option attack.

The Vols will get early answers on their defensive improvement and their conditioning against Paul Johnson's ball-control running attack.