I think people on here often underrate or don't discuss the mental aspect of the game.
Part of the reason Tennessee is turning the corner is confidence.
A lot of games and teams come down to plays here and there, how a punt bounces, whether a pass connects or not, whether a fumble goes in your favor or not, etc. It takes luck sometimes to win it all. Tennessee in 1998 for all purposes should have lost to Syracuse, Florida, and Arkansas but survived all three games with lucky plays.
I think confidence impacts that luck as some teams find ways to win (the term is clutch) while others find ways to lose. Tennessee has been a program that has found ways to lose in the past, notably with Butch Jones and all the chokes against teams (look at the chokes in 2015 against Oklahoma, Florida, Arkansas, and Alabama. A play goes difference in each game and that Tennessee team is unbeaten).
This is something I am not sure about with Tennessee and may have reared its head against Georgia. That confidence. This is why experts love teams like Alabama, because they have been clutch in the past.
@NewPhoneWhoDis talks about recruiting talent but I think the confidence plays a bigger part. For many years, teams have doubted whether they can even beat Alabama or not. Alabama is starting to show cracks and you can see the result each year, every game is a war for them. Georgia built up that confidence and heir of being a "power" and turned the corner. In 2016-2019, it seemed like Georgia found ways to lose big games. In many ways, Georgia was probably the best team in 2017 and should have won that title.
