Redshirt junior Tennessee quarterback Jarrett Guarantano has been benched in favor of true freshman Brian Maurer, according to ESPN’s Chris Low.
In a surprising and seemingly desperate gamble comparable to Georgia’s 2015 decision to give Faton Bauta his first ever start against rival Florida, Tennessee hopes to reveal a wild card against Georgia’s defense, which is pretty good at playing defense.
Guarantano has performed as a serviceable quarterback behind a mediocre-at-best offensive line and the change likely doesn’t make much sense to anyone outside Tennessee’s athletic headquarters (in the off-chance that it even makes sense to those within the building).