A defense that had carried Tennessee football throughout the season gave way Saturday night, and Georgia came roaring through in a 31-17 victory that put the Vols' College Football Playoff hopes in jeopardy.

Seventh-ranked Tennessee (8-2, 5-2 SEC) could have virtually assured itself of a berth in the 12-team playoff with a victory at Sanford Stadium. With only two losses, it still has a shot at the playoff, but that's no sure thing.

Georgia (8-2, 6-2) faced almost certain elimination with a defeat but is now one of the favorites in the madcap SEC scramble for at-large berths.

Two things stood out in Georgia’s victory.

First, quarterback Carson Beck snapped out of a six-game stretch in which he had thrown 12 interceptions and lost two fumbles. After Tennessee took an early 10-0 lead, Beck played like the Heisman Trophy candidate he was supposed to be in preseason. With little help from a running game, he completed 15-of-29 passes for 184 yards and two touchdowns in the first half. He lost four more completions because of dropped passes.

Second, an elite UT defense, which was the biggest reason the Vols won eight of their first nine games, picked an awful time to deliver its worst performance of the season.

Tennessee’s renowned defensive front rarely pressured Beck. In fact, it seldom made him uncomfortable. Georgia receivers also repeatedly found holes in the UT secondary, which was victimized by the lack of a pass rush.

On the occasions when Beck couldn’t find an open receiver, he still managed to punish UT’s fading defense by running for significant yardage. For example, he coasted into the end zone on a 10-yard run to break a 17-17 tie early in the second half.

Georgia’s offensive success provided a sharp contrast to its previous outing. Ole Miss overwhelmed Georgia’s offensive line in a 28-10 victory.

The Bulldogs blockers bounced back with a vengeance against UT. And that matchup proved decisive.

Tennessee matched the Bulldogs offense in forging the first-half tie. The Vols opened the game with a 78-yard touchdown drive by achieving an effective balance with runs and passes. Their third drive produced a field goal, and Dylan Sampson accounted for another first-half score on a 27-yard run.

That success didn’t carry over into the second half. The longer the game went, the less proficient the Vols became. By the fourth quarter, their offense looked almost as overmatched as the defense. Almost, but not quite.

The game was still within reach when Tennessee punted the ball to Georgia’s 8-yard line with 8:38 to play. But UT’s defense again wasn’t up to the challenge, as the Bulldogs advanced all the way to the Vols' 2-yard-line. Freshman running back Nate Frazier then tacked on a final touchdown.

NICO REPORT CARD: Nico Iamaleava stats: Tennessee QB's best, worst moments in 31-17 loss to Georgia

In a conversation of offensive gurus, no one ever mentions Georgia coordinator Mike Bobo. But in this game, he upstaged UT’s Josh Heupel, whose reputation as an offensive coach is well established. Bobo also outwitted Tennessee defensive coordinator Tim Banks, whose defense often seemed a step behind or a step out of position.

The combination left UT’s playoff fate in the hands of others. The Vols still are playoff contenders, but you couldn't tell it by how they played Saturday.

Instead, they did all they could to make the Bulldogs look like a threat to win their third national championship in four years.

John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com. Follow him at: twitter.com/johnadamskns.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee defense picks an awful time to deliver a terrible performance