ATHENS, Ga. − Tennessee football is likely on the outside looking in at the College Football Playoff.

That’s the potential outcome from a 31-17 loss for No. 7 Tennessee (8-2, 5-2 SEC) to No. 12 Georgia (8-2, 6-2) at Sanford Stadium on Saturday.

Here are three overreactions from the loss:

Tennessee isn’t getting the CFP because it can’t score

Saturday was a win-and-in for Tennessee with the CFP. It’s more complicated now.

But what’s not complicated is Tennessee’s offense remains lousy and that is why the Vols likely won’t get into the 12-team field. 

UT has an anchor because it lost 19-14 at lowly Arkansas. It couldn’t score then because it’s not a great offense. That’s why it is averaging 23.4 points in SEC play against a relatively favorable schedule. That has been abundantly clear on the road, which is where it would play if it gets in. 

Yes, there still is a path for the Vols to reach the CFP. They have to win out to be in the mix. They might need help on top of that.

But what will happen if Tennessee gets in? It won’t score. The Vols have shown the playoff committee that and done nothing to change that perception. That’s why Tennessee is on the outside looking in. 

The Vols offense is what it is and that’s because of the wide receivers

Tennessee has given a 10-game sample size of its offense now. The group is flawed and that is especially true on the perimeter.

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Running back Dylan Sampson remains great and should get more All-American consideration that he seems to be getting. Other than that, there’s not much to file as a positive. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava has flashed greatness, but has been inconsistent. The offensive line isn’t reliable in pass protection.

The wide receivers are the biggest issue of all. The group lacks a game-breaker and Dont’e Thornton’s second-quarter drop was problematic Saturday. It is a bunch of WR2s and doesn’t have a player a team has to fear let alone respect.

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Tennessee’s defensive front was overhyped

James Pearce Jr. broke through the Georgia offensive line in the third quarter, which seemed like the first time a Tennessee player got near Georgia QB Carson Beck. But Beck was already scrambling out of the pocket and heading for a 10-yard touchdown.

The Vols couldn’t pressure Beck at all Saturday, which gave the quarterback ample opportunity to make throws. His ability to make plays with his feet was more concerning. Those plays hurt the Vols as much as any Saturday.

UT had two tackles for loss and no sacks.

Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @ByMikeWilson or Bluesky @bymikewilson.bsky.social. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.

Troy’s season-long improvement continued on Saturday, resulting in a 28-20 victory at Georgia Southern.

Matthew Caldwell passed for two touchdowns and ran for two more for the Trojans, who won their second straight game. Troy (3-7, 2-4 Sun Belt Conference) outscored the homestanding Eagles 21-10 in the second half, knocking them out of first place in the Sun Belt East Division.

“It doesn’t get any better than this,” first-year Troy coach Gerad Parker said in his post-game interview on ESPN+. “I hold back tears and everybody called me soft, but this is an emotional game.

“We’ve been at the depths of hell (at) the start of this year. When you visit a place like that, there’s only one choice. You got to get your team out of it and have belief from these guys. … These guys have been unbelievable. Our staff and our players, how they’ve been resilient at all tells you something that’s good about college football.”

Caldwell’s 2-yard touchdown run gave Troy the lead for good at 21-17 with 13:34 left in the game. After the Eagles (6-4, 4-2) pulled within 21-20 on Gavin Stewart’s 45-yard field goal with 10:34 to play, the Trojans killed most of the clock with a 16-play, 75-yard drive ending in Caldwell’s 1-yard run and an eight-point lead with 2:32 remaining.

Caldwell ended the game 26-for-32 for 288 yards and two touchdowns, a 6-yarder to Brody Dalton in the second quarter and a 4-yarder to Devonte Ross in the third. The Trojans outgained the Eagles 441 yards to 246, with ill-timed penalties contributing to the first three Georgia Southern scores.

Georgia Southern went up 7-0 late in the first, with Josh Dallas scoring on a 4-yard run. That drive was kept alive by five Troy penalties, including a pass interference call in the red zone.

Stewart’s 21-yard field goal gave the Eagles a 10-7 lead at the half. After Troy went up 14-10 on Caldwell’s second TD pass, Georgia Southern took back the lead at 21-17 on Jalen White’s 1-yard run with 2:34 left in the third.

Georgia Southern never came close to tying the game in the final minutes, as Justin Powe’s diving interception gave Troy the ball back at the Eagles’ 48 with 1:56 left. Caldwell connected with Dalton on a 23-yard pass to convert third-and-7 and help run out the clock.

Ross caught 10 passes for 95 yards, while Damien Taylor ran for 92 yards on 18 carries. Gerald Green added a 33-yard run to help set up a touchdown, with tight ends Dalton and Ethan Conner combined for six receptions for 87 yards.

Troy went 11-for-14 on the third down in the game and ran 73 plays to just 48 for Georgia Southern. Linebacker Jordan Stringer led the Troy defensive effort with seven tackles and a sack, while freshman linebacker Jabril McNeil had two tackles for loss and a quarterback hurry.

Troy began the season 1-7, but beat Coastal Carolina 38-24 on Nov. 2 before its bye week. Since halftime of a 34-31 loss to Arkansas State on Oct. 26, the Trojans have outscored their opponents 82-55.

“They played team football and played for Troy and each other,” Parker said. “They’re starting to really feel that together and it feels great to sleep, but I’m just so happy for our guys.”

Troy is back in action at Louisiana next Saturday. That game kicks off at 4 p.m. and will be streamed live via ESPN+.

The No. 11 Georgia Bulldogs have a huge game against the No. 6 Tennessee Volunteers and Carson Beck’s sister Kylie Beck is certainly hyped for it.

The 19-year-old sophomore UGA cheerleader and sister of the team’s star quarterback has been crushing it all season in and out of her uniform.

While Kylie has upstaged Carson’s girlfriend Hanna Cavinder in her cheerleader uni and showed off the full splits in her “Dance Dawgs basketball fit, she’s also slayed in a cowgirl look in Texas, and flaunted her flawless legs in Florida. On Friday, Kylie was even bold enough to show her makeup-free mirror selfie for the world to see.

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For Saturday’s big game, Kylie posted another cheerleader shot and captioned it, “ We are 🔙 Sanford #noplacelikehome #gameday.”

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She’s definitely game ready with those flawless abs and sparkly fit.

Georgia is coming off a crushing loss vs Ole Miss and is in an almost must-win game if it hopes to make the college football playoffs. Whether or not the team loses on the field, Kylie already secured a win Saturday with her cheerleader uniform selife.

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