ATHENS — No one gets the idea that one day Georgia football fans will look back on 2020 and shrug it off.
This was supposed to be a team capable of a championship run on the strength of a defense that returned 8 of 11 starters from a unit that led the nation in run defense and scoring defense, and ranked third in total defense and eighth in pass efficiency defense.
Instead, the defense gave up 564 yards to Alabama and 571 yards to Florida in losses and is expected to have about half of its starters opt-out for the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
Georgia finds itself ranked No. 9 and hoping a completely rebuilt offense can help it finish with the dignity of a win over a No. 8-ranked Cincinnati team that brings an undefeated mark and chip on its shoulder into the action at 12:30 p.m. on Jan. 1.
The 9-0 Bearcats believed they deserved a shot at the College Football Playoff field, but they fell by the wayside along with an 8-1 Texas A&M amid a controversial selection process.
SEC Championship Game winner Alabama and ACC Championship Game winner Clemson were shoo-ins, but there are questions about Ohio State (only playing six games) and Notre Dame (losing 34-10 to Clemson in ACC title tilt) making the four-team field.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart ranked both Ohio State and Notre Dame outside the top four on his Coaches’ ballot.
RELATED: Kirby Smart boosts Florida, Ed Orgeron buries Bulldogs on ballot
Texas A&M became the first one-loss SEC team not to make the CFP field, stirring SEC loyalists who could not understand how winning seven straight league games with the team’s only loss coming to Alabama being enough to keep the Aggies out.
The “SEC Shorts” team did a hilarious video on the CFP Committee controversy. Georgia had a part, with “Poor QB Play” and “JT Daniels injury” cited.
“You lost Jamie Newman, don’t be a hero,” Georgia is told during the video.
“We’ve still got Kirby and Pickens,” the Georgia figure responds.
The Georgia representative in the video was wearing a leather helmet, likely a reference to the team’s last national title, long ago in 1980.
As for the importance of Daniels’ injury, it’s clear the Bulldogs are different team with the USC transfer under center.
Georgia is averaging more than 41 points and nearly 500 yards of offense the three games with Daniels at quarterback.
The question is, can the UGA defense rise to the challenge with so many starters expected to skip their final game?
If not, another SEC Shorts video could poke good-natured fun at the Bulldogs again.
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