Editor’s note: Saturday Down South’s annual Crystal Ball prediction series continues today with Georgia. Wednesday: Kentucky.

Can you say “1980?”

Of course you can. If you’re a Georgia fan, you’ve said that a lot. You’ll probably say it a lot in 2021, especially if that season-opener against Clemson is victorious.

Georgia’s national championship drought is 4 decades old, and perhaps this year’s team can finally end it. With the offensive scheme in place to win on the big stage and the quarterback to execute it, a Georgia national championship prediction has a few new wrinkles compared to those in recent memory. No longer is it all about how great the ground game is and how much the defense is going to stymie SEC offenses.

Don’t get it twisted. The Georgia ground game with Zamir White, James Cook, Kendall Milton, Daijun Edwards and Kenny McIntosh should be elite. As for the defense, well, it won’t be vintage Kirby Smart, but it could still be plenty effective.

That’s not really the question here. The only question that matters is obvious.

Is this the season the 1980 jokes finally end? Let’s dig into that.

JT Daniels’ time is now

You know. In case you haven’t heard.

Daniels is the full-time starter after finishing last season with a bang. Once his knee was healthy, Daniels fueled 4 consecutive UGA wins, including a comeback in the Peach Bowl. The former 5-star recruit and quarterback of the future at USC is now the quarterback of the present at Georgia.

You know. In case you haven’t heard.

What is Daniels’ potential? Can he be another elite SEC transfer like Joe Burrow or Cam Newton? Or is he more of a Jarrett Stidham-Ryan Mallett type in terms of his impact?

We don’t have an answer. Last year wasn’t perfect, but it was promising in a limited sample size. PFF had Daniels as the highest passer rating against the blitz in FBS last year. Does that guarantee it’ll be nothing but smooth sailing for Daniels? Not necessarily. The opener against Clemson would’ve been a major challenge at full strength, much less with all of Georgia’s injuries in the passing game to guys like Georgia Pickens and Darnell Washington.

What’s clear is that expectations are sky-high for Daniels. If he doesn’t lead Georgia to its first top-40 passing offense since the Aaron Murray era, something has gone horribly wrong.

Few storylines in college football are more interesting than Daniels.

What does the backfield workload break down like?

Some think that a healthy White will be the driving force. Others think Cook is the best player in UGA’s backfield. And if you predict Milton to be a breakout star, you aren’t alone.

Consider that a good problem for UGA to have.

Backfield depth is a massive luxury to have when your passing game is facing immense pressure to deliver. Georgia’s offense can beat teams in a variety of ways. Will it have a pair of 1,000-yard backs like it did in 2017 and 2018? It’s possible, though there are so many mouths to feed.

How does Monken keep them all happy? It’s rare to have 5 guys returning to a backfield after all of them performed well with their reps. White probably won’t be a 20-carry guy in this offense, and we know that Cook is going to be used in the passing game a decent amount. Perhaps more reps in the slot will be coming his way.

If you’re Edwards, Milton and McIntosh, it’s pretty simple. You have to maximize those reps whenever they come. They could come within the flow of a competitive game. In fact, I expect many will.

That’s why Georgia should still boast one of the SEC’s top ground attacks, even if the passing offense takes off. Think about 2020 Alabama and 2019 LSU. Those offenses threw the ball historically well, and they each averaged north of 167 rushing yards per contest. I’m not assuming Georgia will rewrite the passing record books like those did, but I am expecting Georgia to be around 200 rushing yards per game with perhaps 3 or 4 guys who post 100-yard games this year.

The ground game in Athens isn’t fading away anytime soon.

UGA’s linebackers will make this thing go

I’m looking forward to seeing Adam Anderson, Nakobe Dean, Nolan Smith and Quay Walker this year.

That group is going to have to carry this team. They’re the guys who have to capitalize on having Jordan Davis, Devonte Wyatt and Jalen Carter up front, and they’re the guys who have to be able to pin their ears back and get to the quarterback if Georgia puts teams in obvious throwing situations to take some pressure off a new-look secondary.

Is that possible? Absolutely.

Anderson has “breakout player” written all over him. In a limited sample size, the guy has been remarkable as an edge rusher:

Can Anderson step in and take over a game like Azeez Ojulari? For sure. He’s going to have some talented help on the other side, too. Smith got a lot of the fall camp buzz, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see the former 5-star recruit develop into an All-SEC player.

Can they consistently get pressure and help Georgia get back to its 2017 ways? We’ll see. The potential is certainly there.

This group of linebackers could be the best since that 2017 squad. As they go, so will Georgia’s defense.

Game-by-game predictions

Week 1: vs. Clemson in Charlotte (L)

Yes, I had this result before Georgia’s rash of fall camp injuries. That didn’t help, though. I worry about Daniels not totally being on the same page as his receivers against a Brent Venables defense that’s sure to speed things up without necessarily needing to send extra help. Bryan Bresee and Myles Murphy can wreak all sorts of havoc on that Clemson defensive line, which should be reminiscent of that 2018 squad. This doesn’t end up being a coming out party for Georgia’s offense. Instead, DJ Uiagalelei steals the show and Justyn Ross has a “return to the national stage” game in a star-studded opener. Georgia’s national title buzz simmers down a bit.

Week 2: vs. UAB (W)

What am I looking forward to with this one? Georgia’s offense getting right and ending this one early. Carson Beck gets his first real reps in a lopsided Georgia win.

Week 3: vs. South Carolina (W)

Over/under 145 sideline shots of Will Muschamp? I’ll take the over. I’ll also take Georgia to roll past South Carolina, despite all the references to the 2019 collapse. Between those two things and Shane Beamer’s days as a Georgia assistant, there are no shortage of storylines for this one. That’ll be nice for the broadcast crew when the Gamecocks offense can’t string together scoring drives in a blowout in Athens.

Week 4: at Vanderbilt (W)

I’m thinking 75-25. Oh, I thought you asked me about the ratio of Georgia fans to Vandy fans. Shoot, that might also be the score. Actually, is Vandy gonna hit 25? Not unless it’s via a couple of non-offensive touchdowns. The Milton breakout game happens in Nashville and Georgia cruises.

Week 5: vs. Arkansas (W)

Last year’s game gave us a competitive first half and the arrival of Stetson Bennett IV. This year? I think it’s a different story on both sides. Georgia enters against a red-hot Arkansas team that starts off 4-0. But it’s a back-to-earth game for the Hogs. Against his former team, Sam Pittman isn’t able to generate the same juice he had working in the first half of last year’s game. Daniels gets too much time to throw and Georgia’s tight ends pick Arkansas apart.

Week 6: at Auburn (W)

On one hand, there are some great individual matchups. We’ll get Tank Bigsby vs. Davis and the talented Georgia front, and Daniels vs. that experienced Auburn secondary. But I can’t shake the image of Bo Nix desperately trying to escape Anderson and Nakobe Dean all afternoon. That’s the difference. You need receivers who can get separation in a hurry against this Georgia defense. I’m not sure Auburn has that. And on the flip side, I don’t think Auburn can get home on Daniels, which proves to be a game-changer for the Dawgs.

Week 7: vs. Kentucky (W)

They’ll be playing a different sport than last year when neither side appeared it had learned the art of the forward pass. Both teams are better equipped to do that. But is Kentucky equipped to get chunk plays against the Georgia defense? Probably not. Georgia’s pass-rushing tells the story. The Wildcats spend too much time behind the sticks in obvious passing situations. Georgia gets to the bye week unbeaten in SEC play.

Week 8: Bye

Week 9: vs. Florida in Jacksonville (W)

Remember how we kept wondering last year what it would’ve looked like to see Daniels in this game? Well, wonder no more. Daniels should match up extremely well against Todd Grantham’s pressure. Why? Remember, Daniels had the highest passer rating against the blitz among returning FBS quarterbacks (via PFF). Much like last year, Georgia’s offense wasn’t built to play from behind. This year, I’m not so sure that Florida’s offense is built to play from a multi-score deficit. Emory Jones gets forced into some tough throws and Kelee Ringo gets his first career interception to close out a monumental win for Georgia.

Week 10: vs. Mizzou (W)

Don’t sleep on the possibility of Georgia coming out a bit too confident against a Mizzou team that shows some fight against the big boys. That should be a physical game the previous week in Jacksonville, regardless of who wins. Daniels torched the Tigers in Columbia last year, and he could do the same thing in Athens. Perhaps with Pickens back, Daniels gets rolling late in this one to avoid any thought of a 2019 South Carolina-type letdown.

Week 11: at Tennessee (W)

What a bizarre thought that when this game was played last year, No. 14 Tennessee went into halftime with a lead against Georgia. My how things have changed. Tennessee will attack Georgia differently, as well. We could see the Vols get more chunk plays than they have in the past against Smart’s defense, but will they be able to stop anything on defense? I wouldn’t bank on it. Instead of letting Daniels take over, Monken turns to the ground game to do the heavy lifting. Georgia hits 300 rushing yards and wins its 5th consecutive game against the Vols.

Week 12: vs. Charleston Southern (W)

Brock Vandagriff time? Maybe? Here’s hoping the 5-star quarterback gets into the game late to make this one worth watching in the 4th quarter.

Week 13: at Georgia Tech (W)

There’s a lot to like about what Geoff Collins is building in Atlanta. Lord knows the Yellow Jackets are trying to sell the city in the early stages of the NIL era. But I’d expect Georgia to make it a frustrating afternoon for Jeff Sims and that Georgia Tech offense. Back healthy, Tykee Smith forces an interception on a blitz and he picks off a pass late to close out a Georgia win. The Dawgs waltz into the SEC Championship with Playoff hopes alive and well.

2021 projection: 11-1 (8-0), 1st in SEC East

#GoDawgs

So yes, losing to Clemson would be disappointing. You could make the case that a 12-0 Georgia team would already have its Playoff ticket punched even if it were to get to Atlanta and lose.

But at the same time, all any Power 5 team can ask for is a Playoff path on conference championship weekend. That’s exactly what Georgia would have with this scenario.

And let’s also keep some perspective here. Even if you think Georgia is heads and shoulders above the rest of the East, going 8-0 in SEC play is no joke. Georgia’s last unbeaten season in conference play was 1982. We’re still not that far removed from a time in which Georgia would inevitably suffer 2 losses in the first half of the schedule and quiet an offseason of promise.

Besides just how it would happen would be the manner in which it played out. It wouldn’t just be about the ground game and the defense. In this scenario, yes, Daniels would be in the Heisman Trophy discussion. Maybe he wouldn’t quite have 2020 Kyle Trask or Mac Jones numbers, but his emergence would be at the foundation of an 11-game winning streak to close the regular season.

How ready for the postseason would Georgia be? Clemson could serve as a measuring stick for the UGA offense. Instead of the Georgia hype train taking off at full speed after opening weekend in Charlotte, the Dawgs would figure out how it can combat the speed of an elite defensive line who can get home without sending extra pressure.

Do the 1980 jokes end in 2021? Well, Georgia keeps that door open in early December.