With two days left until the Super Bowl, The Collegian staff members predict who will win Super Bowl XLVIII between the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks.
Quinn Robinson — Broncos 31, Seahawks 27
When the final seconds tick off the clock of Super Bowl XLVIII, Peyton Manning will be hoisting his second Vince Lombardi Trophy. Manning’s big game experience will be too much to overcome for a Seattle team that has inexperienced players in a Super Bowl. Manning will be a surgeon with his passing game, and the best passing defense in the league will be left scratching its heads.
Matt Criswell — Broncos 31, Seahawks 20
I give a slight edge to the Broncos. Peyton Manning is an unstoppable force this season that will not stop until his hands are on the Lombardi Trophy. Many people call Manning the best “regular season quarterback,” but I believe that the Seahawks secondary will have its hands full.
Roger Munoz — Seahawks 23, Broncos 17
This year’s Super Bowl matchup will truly test the cliché that “defense wins championships.” The Seahawks’ top-ranked defense has its toughest challenge of the season when it takes on the Broncos’ top-ranked offense. Seattle’s running game, led by Marshawn Lynch, should keep Manning off the field, and the Legion of Boom (Seattle’s defense) should limit the Broncos from scoring.
Jesse Franz — “Omaha” 30, Sherman 21
When the players take the field Sunday it’ll be the clash of two different philosophies with the future look and feel of the NFL at stake. That being said, on a neutral field, this one’s going to the experienced team. Peyton’s been here before, and this time he’s bringing more talented receivers than Richard Sherman can talk smack about in a post-game interview. The Seahawks are a different team outside of Seattle. While they are an impressive 17-1 at home, they are a mediocre 10-8 on the road since 2012. On a neutral field, “Omaha” will ring out louder than the 12th man.
Daniel Leon — Denver 24, Seattle 21
Seattle’s secondary is the best unit in the league, but it hasn’t faced a prolific passing attack like Denver’s. Both teams are loaded with talent and this is going to be a close game. But I give the edge to Peyton Manning and the Broncos. Denver coach John Fox’s unit has more experience, and that is why the Broncos will come out on top over Pete Carroll’s young Seahawks squad.
Christopher Livingston — Broncos 35, Seahawks 17
The Seahawks pulled off a surprise victory over San Francisco. In fact, they took advantage of last-second mistakes made by the 49ers offense. The team they are going to face, however, is not as error-prone. The AFC-champion Broncos did damage in their victory over the New England Patriots and are ready to repeat that performance this Sunday. Seattle will have to be nearly perfect to beat Denver.