Things are a little awkward and tense around Tennessee football, especially for a team with a 4-1 record, a nail-biting loss to No. 1 Texas and wide-open possibilities ahead.
And we all know why.
Coach Josh Heupel revealed the reason when he cut off a reporter after being peppered with five straight quarterback-related questions at his weekly press conference on Oct. 5.
"OK, next question. I'm done with the quarterbacks, politely. I'm sorry," said Heupel, who apologized to the reporter after the press conference.
It was harmless and reasonable, but also out of character for Heupel. He's feeling the pressure of a question that isn't going away anytime soon.
Who is Tennessee’s starting quarterback – Faizon Brandon or George MacIntyre? Heupel may know
the answer, but he’s not saying it publicly yet.
“We’ll go through the week here. You'll find out Saturday,” Heupel said.
The 14th-ranked Vols (4-1, 1-1 SEC) play Arkansas (2-3, 0-2) on Oct. 10 (4:15 p.m. ET, SEC Network) in Fayetteville in UT’s first SEC road game. Half the season still lies ahead after that.
Why this won't be a typical game week for Tennessee
It’ll be an awkward game week for Heupel and offensive coordinator/quarterback coach Joey Halzle because they must manage a quarterback competition that they hoped was settled in preseason when Brandon earned the starting job.
It’ll be an awkward week for Brandon. He must bounce back, get healthy from lingering injuries and learn from his mistakes after being benched in a 24-14 win over Auburn. If he’s the starter against Arkansas, he knows he could be pulled at any moment because it’s already happened.
It’ll be an awkward week for MacIntyre, especially if he supplants Brandon as the starter. He knows he outplayed Brandon in the Auburn game, but other factors could be at play, including Brandon’s health.
Plus, any shakeup in the quarterback room reverberates through the team.
"(Brandon and MacIntyre) have been great together in the room. I'm not saying they're best of friends, hanging out outside of the building," Heupel said. "But they've been really good inside the room and on the practice field and conquering that together."
Is Tennessee starting QB job up for grabs beyond Arkansas game?
If awkward is the appropriate word for this Arkansas game week, perhaps uncertainty describes the long-term view of his quarterback quandary.
That’s where the tension comes in.
It was assumed that Brandon, a five-star recruit, would be Tennessee’s starting quarterback for seasons to come. He earned it with his performance in practice and his offseason work ethic that impressed coaches and teammates.
Does Brandon’s outlook change if MacIntyre starts for one game or two games or more?
Once MacIntyre lost the preseason competition for the starting job, it was assumed that he would serve as a strong backup and likely enter the transfer portal after the season if Brandon remained the starter.
In the portal era, teams rarely keep two young talented quarterbacks for multiple seasons. Heupel even acknowledged that reality before the season.
So does MacIntyre now have a realistic opportunity of seizing the starting job beyond this season?
These are questions that both quarterbacks, their families, their NIL representatives, UT coaches and fans are pondering. Heupel’s task is to push that out of the minds of Brandon and MacIntyre. He must narrow their focus to the Arkansas game only, as difficult as that is.
“This week is the only thing that matters,” Heupel said. “Each week is its own season.”
But that's easier said than done when dealing with quarterbacks. It's the most visible position. It's usually the highest paid position in the NIL era. And there can only one in a team's long-term plans.
How Josh Heupel should choose Tennessee quarterback
Heupel knows that every decision he makes with the quarterbacks could send a signal with far-reaching ramifications. But he can’t coach the team or manage the quarterbacks in that way.
Heupel must play the quarterback that gives UT the best chance to win against Arkansas. MacIntyre’s poise against Auburn, Brandon’s injury status and their performances in practice should weigh into the decision.
Then Heupel must add the results of the Arkansas game to the mix and go through the process again for the Alabama game on Oct. 17 and the South Carolina game on Oct. 24, and so on.
That could create a week-to-week series of quarterback questions, but he can’t worry about that. The questions will continue until there’s a clearcut answer.
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Why Tennessee QB situation is awkward for everyone, especially Josh Heupel
