Quarterback controversy? There's no quarterback controversy.

Oh, you meant the one at Arkansas.

Two weeks ago, neither Jonathan Crompton nor Casey Dick figured to hear his name mentioned when ESPN's "College GameDay" show opens for business Saturday morning outside Razorback Stadium.

That's all changed.

Dick, not freshman phenom Mitch Mustain, will start at quarterback for the Razorbacks against UT.

Crompton may or may not start for Tennessee. He may or may not even play.

Regardless, he'll be the most discussed Volunteer this week as the Big Orange Nation waits and watches for daily, if not hourly, updates on Erik Ainge's ankle.

Or is it ankles?

Ainge was questionable all last week due to a sprained ankle he acquired late in UT's win at South Carolina. He started against LSU on Saturday, but his good ankle also got a twist on the first-quarter sack that was his final participation in what turned out to be a 28-24 loss to the Tigers.

UT coach Phillip Fulmer said early Sunday evening he'd been too busy during the day to get an update on Ainge's wheels.

"We'll spend some time talking about that tonight,'' Fulmer said. "Then we'll decide on a plan of action.''

That plan is presumably in motion as you read this.

Ainge's part of the plan is simple: Set up camp in the training room.

"I've got to be in there religiously,'' he said.

"I have faith in our medical staff. They got me ready to play (against LSU) and honestly, on Monday and Tuesday, I didn't think I was going to play.''

Crompton's part of the plan is get all the work he can with the No. 1 offense in practice this week.

That's what he did last week and it paid dividends.

Crompton played the final three quarters against LSU, the first significant action of the redshirt freshman's career.

He was 11-of-24 passing for 183 yards against the nation's top-ranked defense.

He missed some plays that could have been made, naturally, due to his inexperience.

But he threw two scoring bullets to Robert Meachem and won the crowd with his aggressive play, once crumpling an LSU defensive back at the end of an 11-yard run for a first down.

"I thought he showed a lot of poise in a situation as tough as you could be put in,'' Fulmer said. "I couldn't ask any more of him than what he gave us.''

Shortly after Tennessee's game ended, Arkansas kicked off at South Carolina.

Arkansas coach Houston Nutt yanked Mustain after his first pass of the game was intercepted.

The true freshman generally ranked as the top quarterback recruit in the nation last year had started eight consecutive games --all of them wins.

His streak ends Saturday night.

Nutt said Sunday that Dick will start against UT based on his performance in a 26-20 victory over the Gamecocks that keeps Arkansas on track to the SEC championship game.

Dick was 11-of-19 passing for 228 yards against Carolina. It was a triumphant return for a sophomore who started the last four games of the 2005 season then got sidelined with a persistent back injury.

Dick's passing stats in limited play are clearly superior to Mustain's, thus Nutt's dilemma.

"We couldn't have won those games without Mitch,'' Nutt said. "And as we get down to it and November hits and things start moving a little faster, I just felt it was time for Casey.

"It's just one word: it's experience.''

Nutt admits it hurt to pull Mustain, his prized recruit, one whom some portrayed as a job-saving recruit.

"The hardest thing in coaching,'' Nutt said, "is dealing with personalities that are so competitive. They want to be on that field.''

No quarterback wants to be on the field more than Ainge. His first two seasons at Tennessee were maddening shuffles, first with Brent Schaeffer, then with Rick Clausen.

Finally, this fall, he was given solo control of the reins and he has responded with one of the better seasons of any quarterback in the nation.

On good ankles, he takes every snap for the Vols in a tough November SEC road game.

A gimpy ankle, that's another story. Crompton, a prized recruit himself two years ago, is a welcome option to have.

And he'll be more comfortable, and, no doubt, more productive in his second significant game than he was in his first.

Fulmer should play whichever quarterback gives UT the best chance of winning. If, or rather when, he's healthy, that's Ainge.

There should be no controversy. Not at Tennessee, anyway.