This week Sunderland should be preparing for a dramatic final-day showdown which would have had all of their promotion hopes resting on it.
Instead of sitting at home longing for our football fix, in an alternative universe we might be all nervously awaiting a huge game this weekend.
While they would ultimately miss out on a place in the top two, Sunderland's play-off hopes would have rested on a tense final-day, winner-takes-all battle at Rotherham United, according to a panel of experts.
The League One campaign was suspended back in March due to the coronavirus outbreak, with just Sunderland seventh in the table, one place outside the play-off places with eight games to play.
But throughout the lockdown, the Pools Panel have continued to forecast results, despite no action taking place.
The footballing institution - where experts on the game predict results - have assessed results, as they do every week, with each of Sunderland's last eight scheduled matches included in their predictions.
And it predicts that right now Sunderland would be sitting joint-sixth with Rotherham, with both sides locked on 75 points after a poor slide in form from the second-placed Millers.
With Doncaster in eighth on 72, one of the Black Cats or Rotherham would be guaranteed a place in the play-offs, but whom would be determined by the tense final-day showdown at the New York Stadium. It's impossible to know who would be more in favour of a draw, however, with the Pools Panel picking only a result but not a scoreline.
As things stand Rotherham's goal difference is seven goals better off than Sunderland's, but they are predicted to lose one and draw four of their final eight games before the final weekend.
Sunderland, meanwhile, are predicted to win five and lose only one of their final seven, meaning there's a chance to make up that seven-goal deficit. A defeat at Burton once again proves costly for Phil Parkinson's side, according to the experts' predictions.
Meanwhile, Coventry City were expected to carry on their fine form and storm to the League One title. Going into the final game away at AFC Wimbledon they're 12 points clear of second-placed Fleetwood.
It's the battle for that final automatic promotion spot which is also very interesting, while also deciding who Sunderland would meet in the play-off semi-final should they get past Rotherham.
Fleetwood would sit second, two points ahead of Oxford. However, they were interestingly due to play Bury on the final weekend and so Joey Barton's side would have completed their regular season at this point and would be spending the week anxiously waiting to see how Oxford got on against Bolton at the Kassam Stadium.
Peterborough and Portsmouth would have secured their play-off places ahead of the final day and could both have both battled to finish third if Oxford failed to beat Bolton. Wycombe would have a disappointing end and finish ninth.
Of course, they're all hypothetical predictions made by a panel of experts that are unlikely now to ever be tested against reality, with the regular season highly unlikely now to be completed. Talk now seems centred on contingency plans to come up with an alternative way of completing the season, including an intriguing eight-team play-off tournament to determine promotion.
Still, had the season played out as the Pools Panel predicted, what a Sunday afternoon of football we would have been looking ahead to this weekend!
Fingers crossed we're all enjoying such nail-biting entertainment soon enough, or preferably something altogether more comfortable and successful in Sunderland's case.
The Pools Panel predictions in full
Coventry
Shrewsbury (H) - Win
Lincoln (A) - Draw
Wycombe (H) - Win
Accrington (A) - Win
Peterborough (H) - Win
Gillingham (A) - Win
Oxford (H) - Win
Blackpool (A) - Win
Burton (H) - Win
Total points: 93
Final game: AFC Wimbledon (A)
Rotherham
Southend (H) - Win
Fleetwood (A) - Lose
Gillingham (H) - Draw
Wycombe (A) - Draw
Portsmouth (H) - Draw
Tranmere (A) - Win
Doncaster (H) - Draw
Bolton (A) - Win
Total points: 75
Final game: Sunderland (H)
Oxford United
MK Dons (H) - Win
Wycombe (A) - Win
Portsmouth (H) - Win
Rochdale (A) - Win
Bristol Rovers (H) - Win
Coventry (A) - Lose
Fleetwood (H) - Draw
Tranmere (A) - Win
Total points: 79
Final game: Bolton (H)
Portsmouth
Accrington (H) - Win
Doncaster (H) - Win
Ipswich (A) - Draw
Oxford (A) - Lose
Rotherham (A) - Draw
Blackpool (H) - Win
Southend (A) - Win
Bristol Rovers (H) - Win
Total points: 77
Final game: Burton Albion (A)
Fleetwood
Gillingham (A) - Draw
Rotherham (H) - Win
Bolton (H) - Win
MK Dons (A) - Win
Accrington (A) - Win
Lincoln (H) - Win
Oxford (A) - Draw
Tranmere (A) - Draw
Southend (H) - Win
Total points: 81
Final game: Season complete (Bury)
Peterborough
Bolton (A) - Win
Bristol Rovers (H) - Win
Blackpool (H) - Win
Coventry (A) - Lose
MK Dons (H) - Win
Sunderland (A) - Lose
Shrewsbury (H) - Win
Rochdale (A) - Win
Total points: 77
Final game: Tranmere
Sunderland
Blackpool (A) - Win
Southend (A) - Win
Shrewsbury (H) - Win
AFC Wimbledon (A) - Draw
Peterborough (H) - Win
Burton (A) - Lose
Accrington (H) - Win
Total points: 75
Final game: Rotherham (A)
Wycombe
Burton (A) - Draw
Oxford (H) - Lose
Shrewsbury (A) - Lose
Rotherham (H) - Draw
Southend (A) - Win
AFC Wimbledon (H) - Win
Lincoln (A) - Lose
Coventry (A) - Lose
Gillingham (H) - Draw
Total points: 68
Final game: Accrington (A)
Doncaster
AFC Wimbledon (H) - Win
Accrington (A) - Draw
Burton (A) - Draw
Tranmere (H) - Win
Lincoln (A) - Win
Rotherham (A) - Draw
Bolton (A) - Win
Portsmouth (A) - Lose
Ipswich (H) - Win
Total points: 72
Final game: Blackpool (A)
Table
1. Coventry 93
2. Fleetwood 81
3. Oxford 79
4. Peterborough 77
= Portsmouth 77
6. Rotherham 75
= Sunderland 75
8. Doncaster 72
9. Wycombe 68
