Double Super

Whatever happens, this would have to be the best Super Bowl ever, if you're a Hoosier and fan of both the Colts and the Bears. The Colts are favored, and I'm personally hoping they win, but that hardly means that will happen. If the Bears were playing against any other team, I'd be solidly behind them.

The guys on the sports shows overanalyze the game. By now everybody knows that the Bears hope to win through their defense and rely on their running game over a small Colt defense. The Colts hope to get a lead early and force the Bears into a passing game, where their defense is best at pressuring the QB and forcing turnovers.

That all may be true from a strategy standpoint, but I think the winner will be determined on a much simpler level. The winner will be determined by which individuals on either side are able to play their best despite all the hype and pressure.

Somebody's going to get so emotionally pumped up before the game that he presses and tries to play above his abilities. When that happens, instead of playing the inspired football he wanted, the player can't seem to do anything right. Before he has the chance to settle down and rediscover his normal game, it's too late.

Somebody's going to have partied so hard all week that he arrives at the game dazed and sluggish.

A quarterback is going to overthrow his receivers because of the adrenaline. One or more receivers will drop easy passes because they're scoring a touchdown in their mind before the ball got to their hands. A running back will fumble the ball trying to make an extra effort to get one or two more yards. A defensive end will run past the quarterback while trying to get a sack, leaving his side wide open to the draw play. Linebackers will run fast to the ball carrier and overrun the play, leaving a wide open cutback lane. A kicker will miss a critical field goal after thinking about how everything in the Super Bowl hangs on that one kick.

These things are very likely to happen. The question is, which team will suffer more than the other? This is what will determine the outcome, more than strategy, more than talent, more than preparation.

Sunday's going to be a lot of fun.