Tennessee’s quarterback situation is starting to come into focus heading into Saturday’s matchup with Alabama, and the latest availability report gave another clue.
Freshman Faizon Brandon was removed from Friday’s report after being listed as questionable on Wednesday and Thursday. That came after indications all week that sophomore George MacIntyre would be the one to take the snaps for the Vols against the Tide. MacIntyre also got the start in Tennessee’s road win at Arkansas and appears set for another opportunity.
Brandon has played plenty this season, completing 60.4% of his passes for 697 yards, seven touchdowns and one interception. He opened the year as Tennessee’s starter for the first five games before being replaced by MacIntyre just before halftime against Auburn.
MacIntyre’s first start came the next week in Fayetteville, where he went 18-of-29 for 247 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. He was also sacked twice and lost a fumble, but Josh Heupel liked several parts of what he saw.
“I thought he was decisive with the football,” Heupel said on MacIntyre. “He was going to the right spot and made some plays.
Did some things inside of the pocket that were really positive. The third down, makes a guy miss, keeps his eyes down the football field.
“Collectively, as a group, we got to do a better job taking care of the football. We 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, collectively, as a group, but (MacIntyre) did a good job.”
Tennessee enters the game as a home underdog. FanDuel listed Alabama as an 8.5-point favorite Tuesday afternoon, with the Tide at -365 on the money line and the Vols at +285.
Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
The rivalry backdrop is familiar, and Alabama has had a hard time winning on the road in it lately. The Tide have not won in Knoxville since 2020.
Tennessee beat a Nick Saban team in 2022 in a shootout, then turned around and beat Kalen DeBoer in 2024. Even so, Alabama still leads the road portion of the series 27-22-1.
DeBoer is 1-1 against Tennessee, with the loss in 2024 and a home win in 2025.
In Other News...
Nick Saban Sees One Real Threat In Alabama's Trip To Neyland
The buildup to Alabamas trip to Neyland Stadium has centered on more than the usual rivalry noise, and former Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban added another layer on College GameDay by pointing to what Tennessee does best. With No. 6 Alabama set to face No. 16 Tennessee in Week 7, the spotlight is on a Volunteers defense that has shown it can make life difficult and on an offense that wants to control the game by staying on the ground and shortening the number of possessions.
For Tennessee, that formula matters because it can do more than just keep the chains moving. It can also keep Alabamas offense on the sideline long enough for the Volunteers defensive front to influence the rhythm of the game, which is where Saban sees the real challenge for the Tide. If Tennessees defense continues to hold up the way it has this season, Neyland could turn into a very uncomfortable place for a team that expects to dictate the pace. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Faces A Brutal Tennessee Test It Cannot Afford To Fail
Alabamas trip to Knoxville sits near the center of a Week 7 slate loaded with playoff-pressure games, and it brings plenty more than the usual SEC pageantry. The Crimson Tide are dealing with injury concerns and walking into a road setting that can change quickly, while Tennessee has the kind of home-field edge that tends to sharpen every mistake and amplify every momentum swing.
For the Volunteers, it is the sort of matchup that can shape the rest of the season in one afternoon. Alabama is the favorite on paper, but the road test is steep enough to put real stress on a team trying to keep its footing in the College Football Playoff race, and Tennessee has every reason to believe this is the kind of game that can expose a favorite if it is not ready from the opening series. [Read more 🡒]
How GoVols247 Staff Sees Tennessees Chances Against Alabama
Every week, the GoVols247 crew circles the biggest games on the college football schedule, and this one comes with the kind of weight Tennessee fans know all too well. Patrick Brown, Ryan Callahan and Ben McKee used their weekly picks to look back on their Week 6 records and size up whats ahead in Week 7, where No. 14 Tennessee meets Alabama in another SEC showdown that always seems to carry a little extra history with it.
The matchup brings together recent form, national rankings and a rivalry that has long shaped the discussion around both programs, which is why the staffs read on it matters beyond a simple prediction column. With the series history also in view, their outlook on Tennessees chances offers a snapshot of where the Vols stand entering one of the most watched games on the calendar. [Read more 🡒]