TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Alabama defensive coordinator Joe Kines on Tuesday did what opposing coaches do best against the Vols. He praised them to mythic proportions prior to the week's upcoming game.

The receivers? They're so big. So fast. And there's so many of them.

The offensive line? Very talented. Huge.

The running backs? Gerald Riggs is big, strong and hard to bring down. He's been in a lot of big games, seems like he's been there forever.

The quarterbacks? Not one, but two of them.

The scheme? They've been running this package a long time. They know how to fix it. They know how to adjust it.

Overall? They've got a world of talent.

He was doing such a wonderful job of making UT's offense sound fit to take out in public, I was hesitant to interrupt. But since the majority of my readers have a slightly different take on the offensive juggernaut described by Kines, I felt compelled to interject: "How do you explain that the UT offense is one of the least productive in the country?"

"All I know is what I see on tape," he said. "I didn't major in math. I'm a P.E. major.

"They've got good people, a good scheme. They've been doing the same thing for 14 or 16 years."

Amen to that. They just haven't been doing it as well.

The Vols rank 96th nationally in points per game, 83rd in total offense and 101st in rushing.

Opposing coaches treat those numbers like a foreign language. They ignore them and revert to a preseason script that has UT sounding a lot like Southern Cal.

Kines at times even surpassed the preseason script. And you couldn't blame him. It's not just what he sees on tape. It's also what he has seen on the field.

Kines has been butting heads with UT's offense on and off for 20 years. Most of the time, he might as well have been beating his head against a wall.

He has gone against UT 12 times as a defensive coach at Alabama, Arkansas and Georgia. You don't have to be a math major to evaluate the results. Kines' teams are 2-10, and have given up an average of 29.6 points per game.

In fact, his defenses have helped showcase some of UT's best players.

Kines was the defensive coordinator at Arkansas when UT quarterback Heath Shuler completed 19 of 26 passes for 307 yards in Little Rock.

Kines was the defensive coordinator at Georgia in 1995 when Peyton Manning completed 26 of 38 passes for 349 yards against the Bulldogs. That was Manning's worst game against Kines' defense.

In 1996, Manning completed 31 of 41 passes for 371 yards against Georgia. In 1997, he completed 31 of 40 passes for 343 yards and four touchdowns.

It's hindsight, of course, but if Kines had been Florida's defensive coordinator in 1997 instead of 1981-84, maybe Manning would have won the Heisman Trophy.

UT quarterback Casey Clausen had impressive stats against Kines' Alabama defense in 2003, but the numbers -- 23 of 43 for 283 yards and four touchdowns -- were skewed by the five overtime periods.

Last year, Alabama's 17-13 loss to UT had nothing to do with Kines' defense, which held the Vols to 63 yards rushing and 195 yards total offense. It just shows you what a difference better players and no Peyton Manning can make for a defensive coordinator.

Kines again has good players. The Tide ranks in the top 10 nationally in total defense (fifth), pass defense (10th), rushing defense (10th) and scoring defense (fourth).

But perhaps, it's not just the players. Maybe, after 12-or-so tries, even a P.E. major can figure out what the Vols are doing offensively.