With the two teams finally announced, football fans all across the United States have one thing on their minds: Super Bowl XLVII.
“It’ll be fun to see who wins,” said Jaden Byron, a freshman psychology major from Los Angeles. “I’m not rooting for any team, but the game is going to be intense. Both teams are insanely good.”
The two teams, the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers, have proved that, for this season at least, they had what it takes to be great. Now they must face off to determine exactly who the best is. Fans have already started making predictions and placing bets on who will be the Super Bowl XLVII champions.
“We all know it’s the 49ers who will take the ring,” said Devin Johnson, a senior nursing major from San Francisco. “I’ve got no doubt they will crush the Ravens.”
According to fan polls across the nation, from a variety of sports-oriented companies such as ESPN and the NFL, the 49ers are the four-point favorites over the Ravens this Super Bowl. Don’t go placing your bets yet, though.
When it comes to the Super Bowl, almost all the sports commentators agree that a good defense is almost everything. Both the Ravens and the 49ers have amazing defenses, though slightly different. The Ravens possessive defense has been labeled “fearsome” by ESPN, while the 49ers are “fast.”
Despite the equally talented defenses, the Ravens are the ones said to have the defensive edge. Though their two elite linebackers, Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs, were both injured during the season, their ferocity and determination are not lacking.
The linebackers play as if they have been playing all season, said Eric Allen, an “NFL Live” commentator. While the 49ers have Colin Kaepernick, who is extremely fast, a healthy Lewis and Suggs combination will go a long way in shutting down the 49ers’ quarterback.
“Baltimore is the underdog team, yeah,” said Alex White, sophomore biology major from Salt Lake City. “But with it being Ray Lewis’ last game, there’s no way they’re going to let the 49ers take the game.”
Of course, the Super Bowl isn’t just about the two competing teams this year. Rather, it’s about two competing brothers. Jim Harbaugh, who is the head coach for the 49ers, and John Harbaugh, the Raven’s head coach, will go head-to-head this Super Bowl with some much anticipated sibling rivalry.
“Both coaches know exactly what they’re doing,” said Brandon Wilson, a freshman criminal justice major from Boston, Mass. “They’re both extremely talented and organized; it’ll be awesome to see the two Harbaugh brothers against each other, practically duking it out.”
Though the sibling rivalry is storming the media, the Harbaugh brothers have said on record they don’t want this Super Bowl to be about that.
“We’re not that interesting,” John Harbaugh told Detroit Mich. reporters, while trying to downplay the brother angle. “There’s nothing more to learn. I really hope the focus is not so much on that. We get it. It’s really cool and it’s exciting and all that.”
Whether or not you’re a 49ers or a Ravens fan, this is not a game to miss. So, kick back and enjoy the Super Bowl, watch a couple commercials, and see which team wins the ring this year.
“I’m not a fan of either teams,” said Ariel Pearce, a junior elementary education major from Salt Lake City. “But I must admit, the Super Bowl is a huge deal, so I’ll definitely be watching.”
