Two years ago, the League One season was curtailed and the season was completed on a Points Per Game method.
As Sunderland fans know too well, this denied the Black Cats a place in the playoffs on that occasion.
There are no fears that this season will end early, however, PPG is a good barometer to judge where teams are right now and how they should expect to end the season.
Alex Neil’s side have just five games to go in their pursuit of a playoff spot - but what do their efforts this season say about the likelihood of that eventuality?
Here, we take a look at how the final 2021/22 League One table would look if it was based on PPG.
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1. Crewe Alexandra - 0.60 (24th)
Over a 46 game season, Crewe would finish the campaign in 24th place with a total of 27 points. Photo: James Chance
2. Doncaster Rovers - 0.79 (23rd)
Over a 46 game season, Doncaster would finish the campaign in 23rd place with a total of 36 points. Photo: Nathan Stirk
3. AFC Wimbledon - 0.83 (22nd)
Over a 46 game season, Wimbledon would finish the campaign in 22nd place with a total of 38 points. Photo: Alex Davidson
4. Gillingham - 0.90 (21st)
Over a 46 game season, Gillingham would finish the campaign in 21st place with a total of 41 points. Photo: Jacques Feeney