Tennessee fans are understandably frustrated after the Vols’ 27-24 loss to South Carolina this past weekend.

The Vols were the better team, but they made a few costly mistakes that cost them the game.

But while the loss is a tough one to swallow for Tennessee, the Vols will still enter November in control of their own destiny.

Tennessee is 6-2 with games remaining against Kentucky, Texas A&M, LSU, and Vanderbilt (the games against the Aggies and the Commodores are on the road).

It won’t be an easy task, but the Vols will be in the College Football Playoff if they go 4-0 in November.

Outside of the playoff conversation, the other big topic surrounding Tennessee over the final month of the regular season will center around the quarterback position.

Tennessee’s quarterback plan for the rest of the season is clear….kind of

The Vols’ first objective is obviously to make the tournament and try to win the whole thing. But they also have to figure out their quarterback situation for the 2027 season.

And they need to figure it out by the middle of December because portal activity will start heating up quickly, and Tennessee can’t afford to waffle back and forth on a decision.

The assumption is that Tennessee won’t be able to retain both George MacIntyre and Faizon Brandon (though we don’t know for sure what either player is thinking…it is possible both could return in 2027, but it’s fair to assume that both won’t).

So what does Josh Heupel do over the final four games of the season?

Well, I think it’s clear.

I think MacIntyre, who played really well against South Carolina outside of the botched fourth down play, has to start against Kentucky. MacIntyre has continued to improve each week and is starting to find a rhythm in the passing game.

Since the top objective is to make the playoff, then I think Tennessee has to ride with MacIntyre as long as he’s playing well.

Now, if the Vols suffer another loss they’ll effectively be eliminated from the playoff (if Tennessee loses another game, their chances of reaching the playoff drop to five percent based on the A to Z Sports CFB playoff predictor).

At that point, the attention has to shift to the 2027 quarterback situation.

Which means Brandon would need to see extensive action.

I don’t know exactly how that would look because I think MacIntyre would still need to see playing time as well. But Heupel would have no choice but to give Brandon a look so he can determine if the North Carolina native is the best option for Tennessee in 2027.

But here’s the wrinkle: What if Heupel doesn’t think either Brandon or MacIntyre are capable of leading Tennessee to a national championship in 2027?

2027 isn’t a natty or bust year in my opinion — the sport is too chaotic to put those kinds of expectations on any program — but it is a year where Tennessee has to go all-in on building a championship roster. They can’t afford to go into the season without quarterback being a major strength.

So over the next few weeks, Heupel has to find out if either of these quarterbacks can be that guy for 2027. And if he feels like they can’t, then Tennessee has to go hard in the transfer portal after a top quarterback option.

That may mean the Vols lose both MacIntyre or Brandon. If that’s the case, then so be it. I know that’s not ideal, but Tennessee has to have an elite quarterback option in 2027. The offense has to be a strength (I’m not saying it has to look like the 2022 offense — I think the defense-first approach works and is sustainable — but it has to be better than it’s been in 2026).

Maybe MacIntyre catches fire over the final month and leads a deep playoff run. If that happens, he’s Tennessee’s guy.

Or maybe things work out in a way where Brandon gets another look and he emerges as an elite option.

I don’t really care who it is. Tennessee just has to be 100 percent certain they have a top quarterback option going into 2027.