ATHENS, Ga. — Tennessee had several serious concerns before Saturday's game with Georgia.

Could their freshman quarterbacks handle a big game on the road? Could their inexperienced secondary hold up against Georgia's seemingly potent passing attack? Could they protect the football after suffering six turnovers the week before against Auburn?

After answering those questions in a 19-14 victory over previously unbeaten Georgia, the Vols raised a new question. How will they handle success?

Better than Georgia, UT fans should hope.

Georgia seemingly had everything going for it Saturday. It had just played like a national champion in defeating defending national champ LSU, 45-16, the previous week. It had experience and a home crowd going for it. It was in reasonably good health for this stage of the season.

All week long, Georgia coach Mark Richt preached about not having a letdown, emphasizing that a victory over Tennessee meant more than a victory over LSU in the SEC East race.

The Bulldogs talked a good game as well. They stressed the significance of the game and the seriousness of the threat posed by a UT team that had lost to Auburn 34-10 the week before.

All that talk and all their advantages amounted to nothing. They were outplayed from the outset, flagged for 12 penalties compared to one the week before and possibly cost themselves the SEC East Division championship.

UT's future now looks almost as bright as Georgia's once did.

With victories over Georgia and Florida, the Vols have the tiebreaker advantage against their main competition for the division championship. They also have the easier schedule.

Georgia and Florida still have to play each other. Georgia also must play at Auburn, and the Gators have South Carolina at home.

UT's toughest remaining conference game is against South Carolina on Oct. 30. Its next-toughest game is at home against Alabama on Oct. 23.

South Carolina hasn't beaten UT since 1992. Alabama has had no semblance of a passing attack since losing quarterback Brodie Croyle to a season-ending knee injury.

I won't even mention Vanderbilt and Kentucky. I will mention Ole Miss, which UT plays Saturday in Oxford.

The Rebels beating South Carolina on Saturday was an even bigger upset than UT defeating Georgia. They already had lost to Memphis, Alabama and Wyoming. They had almost lost to Vanderbilt and Arkansas State.

So what chance did they have against South Carolina, whose only loss was by four points to Georgia?

The Gamecocks were playing at home with everything to gain. With victories over Ole Miss and Kentucky (next week) they would have been 6-1 with two weeks to prepare for a home game against UT.

They were all set up. And they got knocked off.

Teams don't plan letdowns. They aren't oblivious to upsets. But one invariably leads to the other.

Teams that win championships have to win games when they aren't at their best. Sometimes the schedule won't allow it.

It apparently was too much to ask of Georgia to beat LSU and UT on successive Saturdays, or for UT to defeat Auburn and Georgia back-to-back.

UT in the East and Auburn in the West have come through the toughest half of their schedules in control of their divisions.

In fact, the Tigers are in even better shape than the Vols. They have a one-game lead over Arkansas and a two-game lead and the tiebreaker advantage over LSU.

UT has the advantage of a track record. It rarely has suffered major upsets in regular-season conference games under coach Phillip Fulmer.

But college football often doesn't go according to form. It doesn't always make sense.

That's why it can be so much fun. And so agonizing.

Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knews.com.