Tennessee football: Five takeaways from Vols’ 35-13 loss at Alabama

3. Quarterback situation gets more dramatic.

Brian Maurer threw an interception and followed that up with a touchdown drive. Then he was knocked out of the game due to injury. When he went out, he had completed five of seven passes for 62 yards, and he had to rushes.

Jarrett Guarantano, meanwhile, led two field goal drives and got into the red zone again. He had gone seven-of-16 for 55 yards, and despite his struggles, appeared to be displaying a solid control of the offense.

But then he made the worst decision of the year. Initially appearing to go rogue, Guarantano tried to go over the top on a quarterback sneak that resulted in a fumble returned 100 yards for a touchdown. Jeremy Pruitt called him to the sideline and ripped him to shreds on national television for that play.

However, in the post game, Pruitt took the blame and said that it was due to miscommunication. Still, it didn’t stop him from putting in J.T. Shrout to end the game. Shrout missed Josh Palmer one-on-one coverage for an easy touchdown, and he was sacked on third down. So he wasn’t able to show much.

We don’t know who is going to start next week for Tennessee football. But Maurer’s health remains a question. If he’s not good to go, does Pruitt go with Shrout or stick with Guarantano? This remains a question for next week. And there’s no way of knowing where Pruitt and Jim Chaney will turn. It’s a complete mystery after this game.