Josh Heupel is playing poker with the entire college football world, refusing to name his starting quarterback for the absolute monster rivalry game against No. 7 Alabama. It is October 17 at Neyland Stadium, 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC, and No. 14 Tennessee’s head coach is still walking a rhetorical tightrope about whether it will be George MacIntyre or Faizon Brandon under center. With a huge matchup looming, Heupel’s silence means a lot for the Vols, and it is not necessarily good news.
Why the QB Secrecy Is Making Everyone Sweat
Look, no one can really blame Heupel for keeping his cards close to the vest here. This is Alabama, a massive rivalry game. MacIntyre and Brandon have totally different skillsets, and if Heupel shows his hand, Alabama’s game plan could get a whole lot simpler. Plus, let’s be real, neither quarterback has absolutely owned the starting job. MacIntyre was solid enough in the 24-17 win over Arkansas on October 10, but that is hardly a permanent lock. When asked about his starter, Heupel was classic coach-speak: “We’ll find out here through the week. We get on the grass tomorrow (Tuesday), and we’ll work towards Saturday.” It is clear there are still questions that need answers on that practice field before the biggest game of the season so far.
MacIntyre’s Flash, Brandon’s Fading Form
George MacIntyre, a sophomore, looks like the logical choice, especially if Brandon is still banged up. MacIntyre, a former Brentwood Academy standout, made his first start against Arkansas after replacing Brandon way back in the Auburn game on October 3. And yeah, the passing game actually opened up with MacIntyre. He threw for 247 yards on 18-of-29 passing with one touchdown, which was the most by a UT quarterback this season. Heupel even praised him, saying MacIntyre “was decisive with the football. He was going to the right spot and made some plays. Did some things inside of the pocket that were really positive. On the third down play, he makes a guy miss keeps his eyes down the football field.” That is big time stuff, right?
But here is the gut punch: MacIntyre also coughed up three turnovers against Arkansas, two picks and a fumble. You just cannot do that against Alabama and expect to win. Heupel knows it, too. He said, “Collectively, as a group, we’ve got to do a better job taking care of the football. We’ve got to play smarter and not make it more difficult on ourselves pre-snap penalties or whatever it might be. So a lot to clean up. But he did a good job.”
On the flip side, Faizon Brandon, the five-star freshman, started the first five games but got benched after struggling to process the offense and getting sacked a ridiculous 15 times. His injury, a right shoulder issue, clearly played a role. Heupel said Brandon was only at the Arkansas game for “emergency use only,” which tells you everything you need to know about his availability. Brandon was ineffective in his two SEC games, though he did play well against some inferior nonconference teams, completing 61 of 101 passes for 697 yards earlier in the season. Heupel was pretty short when asked about Brandon’s limited practice time impacting his play, just saying, “Helps everybody. The more reps you get the better prepared you are, having gone through the looks and made those throws.” It is clear Brandon is not getting those reps.
So, here we are, days before an epic rivalry game with No. 7 Alabama. Heupel has a monumental decision to make, one that could absolutely swing the season. Will MacIntyre clean up those turnovers, or will Brandon miraculously heal up and regain his early season form? It is a high-stakes chess match, and Tennessee fans are on the edge of their seats, just praying the right call is made before Saturday’s kickoff.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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