Georgia Tech is a less threatening, though respectable opponent. The Yellow Jackets, an early three-point underdog, have had only one losing season since 1996, and matched Tennessee’s 9-4 record last season.
UT coaches likely will spend much of the offseason fretting about Georgia Tech’s option offense. But playing a team that poses no passing threat is preferable to renewing the rivalry with Oklahoma.
If you’re going to face an option offense, best to do it in an opener, when you have months to prepare, rather than in the middle of the season.