CORAL GABLES, Fla. — It was Sunday, Dec. 7, the day after the Southeastern Conference championship game had ended with Georgia the winner in overtime and Bulldogs starting quarterback Carson Beck sidelined by injury.
Beck got an MRI that morning to figure out what was wrong with his arm, then watched the College Football Playoff selection show and saw the Bulldogs, seeded second and the recipient of a first-round bye in the 12-team bracket, would meet No. 7 Notre Dame or No. 10 Indiana in a national quarterfinal at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans the following month.
His mood picked up. For a moment, at least.
“I was like, ‘My gosh, we’ve got a real shot at this,'” Beck said. “And then I walked into the training room.”
After five years, his Georgia career was over. There were about a half-dozen people waiting for him, all with blank stares on their faces, to reveal the MRI results: His elbow was a mess and surgery was needed.