The biggest storyline surrounding the Tennessee Vols' upcoming matchup with the Alabama Crimson Tide this week is whether or not Bama quarterback Bryce Young will play.

Young injured his throwing shoulder in Alabama's win against Arkansas on October 1. He didn't play last week against Texas A&M.

Nick Saban said on Wednesday during the SEC coaches' teleconference that Young has practiced some this week, but he wouldn't say whether or not the dynamic quarterback will play against the Vols.

Redshirt freshman Jalen Milroe started against the Aggies in Young's absence.

The expectation is that if Young can't go, then Milroe will once again get the start.

College football analyst Josh Pate, who hosts "Late Kick with Josh Pate", said this week that he doesn't think Young is going to be even close to 100 percent against Tennessee this weekend.

"I do not assume we're getting anything close to a 100 percent Bryce Young on Saturday," said Pate.

The feeling from a lot of folks, not just Pate, is that Young could be limited against the Vols. And he might not even finish the game. But if that's the case, it might not necessarily be Milroe that comes into the game.

"You saw Jalen Milroe last Saturday," explained Pate. "You may very well see him again this Saturday. You did not see Ty Simpson last Saturday. And Ty Simpson's a true freshman quarterback for Alabama. He's a five-star kid, he's from the state of Tennessee. Would not shock me if you saw Ty Simpson on Saturday as well."

Simpson is a player that Josh Heupel and the Vols tried to land in 2021, but Tennessee had far too much ground to make up in that battle and Simpson signed with Alabama.

So far this season, Simpson has completed two of three pass attempts for 15 yards. He's seen some action, but it's been limited. And it hasn't come in a hostile environment like Neyland Stadium (Simpson saw action against Utah State, Louisiana Monroe, and Vanderbilt).

Simpson is a much better passer than Milroe, but he's a true freshman. So in other words, he's a complete wild card.

There's no doubt that Simpson is a talented player, but he's not Bryce Young. And if he is forced into action, it's a massive advantage for Tennessee. I can't think of any college football coach that wouldn't prefer playing against a true freshman over a Heisman Trophy winner.

Featured image via Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK