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Josh Heupel puts all his faith in George MacIntyre right before Vols-Bama kickoff

It's time to see what G-Mac can do.
ByBraulio Perez
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Oct 3, 2026; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel during the second half against the Auburn Tigers at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images
Oct 3, 2026; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel during the second half against the Auburn Tigers at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This should be the kind of moment that George MacIntyre has been dreaming of.

As a second-year quarterback and a Tennessee native, he grew up watching the fall rivalry showdowns against Alabama, decked in orange for it. Now in Week 7, Macintyre is getting the start over 5-star freshman Faizon Brandon. As a result, countless eyes will be on G-Mac to live up to the hype and silence the doubters.

Head man Josh Heupel has full confidence in the youngster to get the job done, making that more than clear during an interview on SEC Nation only a few hours before kickoff. Without hesitation, Heupel acknowledged that Brandon (shoulder) is available to play, but that it's going to be the MacIntyre show against Kalen DeBoer and his players.

Josh Heupel trusts George MacIntyre to power Tennessee to an upset win over Alabama in Week 7

This obviously was not a simple decision for Heupel this week, but few can argue with the fact that MacIntyre gives this team the best chance to potentially do the unthinkable. An upset of Bama, the No. 6 team in the nation, is going to be pretty tough, though.

That's why the Vols are set as 7.5-point underdogs. It's also why everyone other than Steve Young (what a guy!) on the College GameDay crew on Saturday picked Alabama over the Vols for the dance at Neyland Stadium. Kirk Herbstreit, Nick Saban, and others think the Bama players will be smoking cigars not long after the final whistle, but we're not ready to throw in the towel just yet.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

And in order for Tennessee to get this done, MacIntyre is going to have to be at his best. In the close win over Arkansas in Week 6, the QB tossed for 247 yards and one touchdown, but with two interceptions. The two INTs were rough to see, but he also flashed signs of brilliance by getting out of tough spots and finding open receivers.

That's going to be needed against a stingy Alabama defense, which will look to fluster MacIntyre from start to finish in Knoxville. It's going to be on the offensive line to keep him on his feet, while DeSean Bishop will be called on early and often to get the ground game going.

While plenty of people think the Crimson Tide are going to cruise to a win, don't forget that the Vols have won the last two home Third Saturday in October contests. Will history repeat itself a bit? That's what the Tennessee faithful are hoping for. Should that happen, there's no question that MacIntyre will play a major role in things.

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