I'll revise my statement. It was an understandable call, but not one that I would have made in that situation. The time I would try it is if up 10 points (or more) in the 3rd, because if you succeed it's a gut punch, you break their spirits and cruise to victory in the fourth. If you fail (as long as it doesn't turn disastrous like it did when we tried it), oh well the the team still has to drive 50 yards for a TD and if you hold to a FG it's still a demoralizer.
The one time I can say that without a doubt Richt did not coach like a guy who has what it takes to win a championship is the Pitt game. It's not actually for anything he did in the game itself (although I will assert he should have sat Rosier much earlier to light a fire and just gone Wildcat with Dallas since Sheriff looked like a newborn baby giraffe). It was for the Thanksgiving feast and grabass the team engaged in the night before the game. Say what you will about Pitt's talent but they are a physical hard hitting team.
When I read the article on Friday morning saying Richt had 50 lbs of turkey and stuffing brought to the hotel and the players sang kumbaya and talked about how much they love each other, I knew we were screwed (I said as much at the time if you think I'm Monday morning qbing). Perfect season on the line against a hungry Pitt team at home (this was their bowl game) was not the time to have a family friendly, loving moment and get stuffed with pecan pie. The kids came out loose and unfocused, feeling themselves since they were ranked #2 , and it was a disaster exactly as I expected (they are teenagers - it wasn't hard to predict). Have the Thanksgiving feast AFTER THE GAME. It was a good natured, moral man move but a terrible and soft coaching move- that is not going to win you any championships.