No. 14 Tennessee hosts No. 6 Alabama on Saturday afternoon in one of the many ranked matchups in Week 7, and the Vols will send freshman George MacIntyre out for a second consecutive start, sources told CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz.
MacIntyre got his first start last week on the road at Arkansas and looked the part of a first-time starter, completing 18 of 29 passes for 247 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in a 24-17 Tennessee win. Still, with Faizon Brandon listed as questionable, MacIntyre will get another opportunity for a start against the rival Crimson Tide.
Josh Heupel made the change from Brandon to MacIntyre in the first half against Auburn, and the Vols later placed Brandon on their injury report with a lingering shoulder issue from the Texas game. Tennessee will hope MacIntyre plays more comfortably and under control at home after a rollercoaster performance on the road at Arkansas, but he'll have to deal with an Alabama defense that is tied for third in the country in turnovers forced this season.
The Volunteers are desperate for one of their young quarterbacks to prove they are the guy. Tennessee's defense is among the nation's best and certainly seems capable of being the kind of unit that leads a playoff contender, but they need the offense to provide more support against top competition.
The offense led by Brandon struggled to move the ball consistently in a loss to Texas, and now MacIntyre will get his opportunity to prove he can make the Volunteers a more efficient and explosive operation against Alabama. A strong performance against the Tide would cement MacIntyre as Tennessee's quarterback moving forward, but if he struggles, the competition figures to open up once again with Brandon.
