Georgia football responded to adversity once again on Saturday night, dominating the final three quarters to defeat No. 7 Tennessee 31-17 in Athens. With the win, Kirby Smart and company are in prime position to reach the College Football Playoff and potentially win the SEC Championship.

This win showed Georgia's resilience, as it responded with its back against the wall both in the context of the game and in the season. The Bulldogs turned up the dial on both sides of the ball after falling in an early 10-0 hole against Tennessee to close the game on a 31-7 run.

Georgia came into this game in a tenuous position in the race to the CFP, as a third loss would have put it into serious jeopardy to make the field. After its loss in Week 11 loss to Ole Miss, Georgia dropped down to No. 12 in the CFP rankings, which was surprising to many people. After the win over Tennessee, Smart expressed what he wants to see from the CFP committee according to Mark Schlabach of ESPN.

“I don't know what they're looking for. I really don't,” Smart said. “I wish they could really define the criteria. I wish they could do the eyeball test where they come down here and look at the people we're playing against and look at them. You can't see that stuff on TV, and so I don't know what they look for. But that's for somebody else to decide. I'm worried about our team.”

There was an obvious argument that Georgia could and should have been ranked higher despite having two losses. The quality of those losses combined with a pair of very impressive wins by the Bulldogs this season made it pretty clear that they deserved a top 10 spot, and Smart pointed that out on Saturday night as well.

“They're not in that environment,” Smart said. “They're not at Ole Miss in that environment, playing against that defense, which is top five in the country with one of the best pass rushers in the country, and they're fired up. They got a two-score lead, and they're coming every play. They don't know. They don't understand that.”

Georgia's Carson Beck excels vs. Tennessee

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Carson Beck's play has been under the microscope so far this season, as the Georgia quarterback has struggled to stay accurate and take care of the football at times this season.

However, Beck brought out his best against Tennessee when his team needed him. Time after time, Beck made the necessary throws down the field to help the Georgia offense move the ball against an elite Tennessee defense. Georgia needed that extra boost in the passing game without star running back Trevor Etienne, and Beck provided that.

For the game, Beck finished 25-for-40 with 347 yards and three total touchdowns, including a crucial touchdown run in the third quarter to give Georgia the lead.

Combine an efficient Beck with a Georgia defense that shut Tennessee out in the second half, and you have a Georgia team that is a threat to win the National Championship this season.