Without knowing his exact condition, it's impossible to say. If he's 90 plus %, play the dude. If not and he's risking significant injury, no way, let him rest. Unless your in his body, or his doctor, or his coaches, we just haven't seen enough, besides his obvious injury leaving the game, to say much about it. We'll probably know within the first two series whether this was a bad idea.
In principle though, I like it, trying to beat your rival, not just survive. And if he could get Bama somehow into the 4th Quarter and beat them in his first year, truly a legend in the making. But if we loose Hooker for the season and have to endure Milton in multiple blowouts to finish the year, a vastly more likely senario, it could be the worst decision of his short time at Tennessee. In some ways he's already light years ahead and in other ways behind (recruiting) where he should be right now. I'd hate to slow that momentum down with the loss of an obvious essential piece of our offense right before the bye week. But if he and the docs say he's good to go and 90+%, get him out there and see what he can do. But if he's really limping after the third series and no longer a running threat after the adrenaline has started to wear off, pull that kid and save him for Kentucky!