4 of the 5 guys on College Gameday predicted Vols. The rationale was that UGA lost so much talent to the NFL and Vols had gained a year of experience ... but they folded in the limelight.
It seemed like Kirby Smart pulled in the fangs a bit in the second half. I'd say it is out of respect form what he knew the Vols were capable of: Scoring a lot in a short amount of time. A full half was plenty of time for UT to catch up with Georgia. But once Q4 hit, I think Kirby played it safe and sought to avoid the "sudden change" an INT would bring. I'd say he showed respect for what UT could do.