ATHENS — Kirby Smart and the Georgia defensive found an answer for Georgia Tech’s Haynes King, but it took eight overtimes.

The No. 7-ranked Bulldogs took a giant step toward securing a spot in the College Football Playoff field, winning a 44-42, eight-overtime classic at Sanford Stadium.

ESPN projected Georgia would have a 93-percent chance at earning a CFP bid with a win over Georgia Tech — even if they lose in the SEC Championship Game on Dec. 7 when they face the winner of the Texas at Texas A&M game (7:30 p.m. ABC).

The Bulldogs rallied from 17-0 down at halftime and trailed 27-13 with 5:37 left before tying the game at 27-27 with 1:01 remaining on Carson Beck’s 3-yard TD pass to Dominic Lovett.

King was a one-man show for the Yellow Jackets, turning in a heroic performance that saw him go 26-of-36 passing for 303 yards and two touchdowns, also rushing for 110 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries.

“They really out-physicaled us tonight, the quarterback was a dang warrior,” Smart said. “I have so much respect for the way Brent (Key) and them play. Our kids they are resilient as hell, they never quit, never say die it was sloppy, (but) these fans stayed with us, it was a great game — how many times did we do that, nine, eight?”

The eight overtimes represented the second-longest game in FBS history, as well as the longest game in the 117-year history of the Georgia-Georgia Tech game.

It could have been nine overtimes had C.J. Allen not applied pressure to King with the Yellow Jackets set up at the 1-yard line after a pass interference penalty.

Allen, whose 10 tackles were second only to Smael Mondon’s 13, also had two pass break-ups and one of only three TFLs on the night.

“You have to keep them behind the sticks … they don’t have TFLs, when (King) pulls the ball, he gashes, you’ve got to knock-back tackle,” Smart told the Georgia Radio Network. “Their quarterback did a great job, he had 110 yards rushing.”

Smart noted how his coaching staff adjusted in the overtime periods — the first two featuring the teams starting at one another’s 25-yard lines before the teams have to attempt 2-point conversions from the opponent’s 3-yard line in alternating fashion until one prevails.

“The hardest thing was every time we had a chance to get him down, we didn’t, he didn’t have a lost yardage play, maybe one the whole night,” Smart said.

“You have to mix it up, you have to pitch to him, I thought in the 2-point conversion game (Glenn) Schumann did a good job of changing it up.”

Georgia Tech out-gained Georgia 563 yards to 405 yards on the night, converting the of 15 third downs while the Bulldogs were 6 of 12.

Once in overtime, Smart put his defense into attack mode.

Both teams scored touchdowns on their first two possessions from the 25-yard lines before Georgia hunkered down, stopping King on five of the next six 2-point conversion attempts.