For years, Tennessee Vol fans have been clamoring for some unpredictability on offense.

• “They always run the same plays.”
• “They’re so predictable!”
• “If I know what plays they’re going to run, don’t you think a million dollar coach on the other side knows, too?”

Well, be careful what you ask for.

Everyone from Joe Vol Fan on the corner of Cumberland Avenue to the national pre-season pollsters predicted UT’s offense would light it up this year. Even Head Coach Phillip Fulmer got into the act, saying, “I don’t know who the quarterback will be, but I know it will be a good one.”

Well, maybe this was all just part of Offensive Coordinator Randy Sanders’ diabolical scheme. Just when he had everyone thinking the Vol offense would score on every play, he threw us a curve.

The Vols’ offense against UAB stunk. Receivers dropped balls, running backs and quarterbacks fumbled. They stuttered and sputtered.

Well, that was just a fluke. Surely.

But Game 2 against Florida was more of the same, and the first half of the LSU game was the absolute pinnacle of futility.

And just when we were all finally convinced that our beloved Volunteer offense wasn’t as we predicted, Sanders threw us a change-up. Rick Clausen, Gerald Riggs, and the rest of the offensive unit tore it up, torching LSU for 30 second-half (and overtime) points.

So which Volunteer offense will take the field against Ole Miss this Saturday afternoon? And will it play the whole game, or just a half?

Who knows? But Vol fans finally have the unpredictability that they’ve been craving for for years.

I’ll say it again: Be careful what you ask for.

It should be safe to say that this week has not been the best of Tennessee Volunteer quarterback Erik Ainge’s life. The week before was not the best of weeks for quarterback Rick Clausen.

What would be worse, having the starting job unfairly taken from you despite earning it with years and years of persistent hard work and better overall performance than the other guy (the reason for Rick’s bad week) or losing the starting the job with a series of mistakes with the world watching (the reason for Erik’s bad week)?

There really should be no debate about who the Vols’ starting quarterback should be after last Monday night’s incredible come-from-behind victory in the second half versus the LSU Tigers in the Bayou. This is Rick Clausen’s team, and it shows.

But is there life after Death Valley for Erik Ainge?

Sure, if he and his coaches can identify the challenges ahead. Here are a few candidates:

• Improve Decision-Making. One of the big differences between this year and last is that last year, Offensive Coordinator Randy Sanders was making all of the pre-snap decisions for the quarterbacks from the sidelines. How many times last year did we see the offense line up only to all stand together and look for the signals from Sanders? It seems like 80-90% of the time, Sanders called the formation, read the defense, signaled the coverages, and called the plays with a series of cryptic pantomimes from the sidelines. Press go, and the team executes. We’ve hardly seen that at all this year. The coaches are entrusting more of the decision-making to the quarterbacks, and Clausen has simply done a better job than Ainge of picking up blitzes, checking out of bad plays into good plays, and making other sound, quick decisions. But Ainge can learn.
• Forget Last Year’s Injury. A caller to Knoxville talk radio this week suggested that Ainge has not mentally recovered from last year’s season-ending injury. Remember that it happened when an errant shotgun exchange got past Ainge, and when he tried to scoop it up he was intead sacked by Notre Dame defenders and thrown awkwardly to the ground. The play is burned into the minds of Vol fans, and it’s surely imprinted on Ainge’s psyche as well. Could this explain his reaction to Monday night’s pressure in the end zone, just trying to get rid of the ball at all costs?
• Develop Chemistry. It’s been widely reported this week that Clausen is the team’s choice for quarterback. They like him. They respect him. The team just seems to click better when he’s at the helm. The bottom line is that Clausen’s leadership spawns team chemistry. That’s not to say that Ainge does not have these qualities — he may have them, but just not to the degree that Clausen has them now. I’ve seen a few images during the games that make it look like he’s arguing with teammates, but I’ve also seen him keep himself involved in the offense when he’s on the sideline and applaud Clausen’s success.

Ainge can weather this storm. He’s already getting good advice (subscription required) from the right people. His father, a coach and a teacher, has said to Erik, “Be patient. Your time will come again.”

Ainge will have his own chance at a comeback, a chance at life after Death Valley.