Technically, there was still a chance for Georgia to make it to the SEC Championship Game for the 4th year in a row. All they needed was to run the table and have Florida drop games to both Tennessee and LSU.

Yeah, scenario No. 2 clearly didn’t happen.

And now, the Bulldogs’ hopes of a 4th straight SEC East title are officially off the table after the Gators pulled away from the Vols in Knoxville to send Jeremy Pruitt a step closer to the unemployment line. While Florida booked a date with Alabama in Atlanta on Dec. 19 — the Tide smoked LSU in Death Valley to seal the West — the Dawgs will have to “settle” for a New Year’s 6 bowl, possibly the Peach Bowl, if they’re able to take care of their final 2 games against Missouri and Vanderbilt.

It’s easy to see how the Gators got to this point: their dynamic offense. The difference between theirs and Georgia’s was always evident, never as much as when they routed the Dawgs in Jacksonville on Nov. 7.

Of course, we didn’t expect Georgia to be in this position before the season began. Jamie Newman was supposed to step in for Jake Fromm, and the offense was to take a huge step forward with both him and offensive coordinator Todd Monken in the fold. We know the rest of the story. But assuming we aren’t thrown any curveballs between the final whistle of Georgia’s bowl game next month and the beginning of next season, the pieces might be in place for that “step forward” we were expecting for this year to take place in 2021.

The quarterback position appears set, unless …

After just 2 games, it was clear that JT Daniels was the best QB in the position room. Okay, probably 1 game, because the Dawgs barely needed him against South Carolina after going off for 400 yards against Mississippi State. He’ll get 2 more chances to tune up before the team’s bowl game.

Of course, there are 2 questions. First, will he declare for the NFL Draft? No chance.

Second, how do we know we won’t go through this same song and dance about who the quarterback will be once preseason rolls around? Brock Vandagriff will be looking to prove that he’s ready for the job from the outset. And it’s not as if Kirby Smart has never turned to a true freshman over a returning starter behind center.

I doubt he does it again in 2021, though. And at worst, Vandagriff will be ready to take the reins in 2022.

Talent, talent and more talent at the wide receiver position

It’s easy to forget about Dominick Blaylock, whose only crime since arriving is a twice-torn ACL. But when you add him to the picture in 2021, along with a cadre of returnees including George Pickens, Jermaine Burton and Kearis Jackson, it’s hard not to get excited. Burton had a monster game against Mississippi State and appears poised to be a star in the SEC, while Jackson has been a revelation this season after a sleepy 2019. Pickens has been banged up but should be able to return to his form of last year.

Don’t forget players like speedster Arian Smith, who spent most of 2020 on the injury list, and Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, shelved after an awful injury against Florida. The great news is that outside of senior Demetris Robertson, the Dawgs won’t lose anyone to graduation at this position. And they could add 4-star Quenton Barnes, who has them among his finalists along with Ole Miss and Tennessee.

One X-factor to note here, though, might be Darnell Washington. The Dawgs haven’t had a consistent pass-catching tight end in the mold of Kyle Pitts, but the next 2 games will give us a glimpse of what we could expect in 2021 from a possible Daniels-to-Washington connection.

All told, the skill in this group is strong, and Daniels will hardly be short of receiving options next year.

What about running back?

Does Zamir White return for 2021 or call it a career? One key point to keep in mind is a torn ACL in both knees, and the risk of a 3rd knee injury next year while attempting to improve his Draft stock could outweigh the benefits of preparing for the NFL Draft.

More likely is James Cook returning to a backfield that will also have Kenny McIntosh and a pair of sophomores in Kendall Milton and Daijun Edwards, with 4-star recruit Lovasea Carroll (IMG Academy via Warrenton, Ga.) joining as a true freshman. Milton, for one, has shown immense promise whenever he has touched the ball, but he has had his progress hindered by a strain to his MCL. And we haven’t seen a great deal of Edwards outside of the South Carolina game, where he piled up some late yards.

The big draw for Cook is that he is an all-purpose weapon who is able to rack up yardage on the ground and as a receiving option. McIntosh isn’t used as heavily in the receiving game, but he has been able to run the ball well and has also proven to be a key kick return option.

All that is assuming that White declares for the NFL Draft, which I foresee him doing. But the Dawgs should be fine here either way.