Who will be crowned as the next Super Bowl Champion?

Super Bowl week is finally here, and it’s time to talk about the actual game instead of the “Deflategate” scandal. The defending Super Bowl champion, the Seattle Seahawks, will be taking on the AFC champion, the New England Patriots, in what could be a great matchup.

The Seahawks are looking to become the first team to repeat since the Patriots did it in 2004, and that is attributed due to their highly touted defense. This particular defense has led the league in scoring defense for the past two seasons. The Seahawks’ defense is lead by the Legion of Boom, which is the nickname given to their spectacular secondary, consisting of high caliber players who generally terrorize the opposing quarterback.

Something to look for will be how the Legion of Boom will perform against the Patriots’ perennial MVP candidate quarterback Tom Brady and his tight end, Rob Gronkowski. Together, the two connected for 12 touchdowns on the season. Brady has been very efficient this postseason with six touchdowns and only two interceptions. Gronkowski has been on the receiving end of two of those touchdowns as the duo looks to continue their success in the Super Bowl. Brady will be starting in his sixth Super Bowl, and he is one of only two quarterbacks to accomplish that feat.

The Patriots have struggled at times this season against more mobile quarterbacks, which is something that Seattle’s quarterback, Russell Wilson, brings to the table. Wilson is coming off his worst game in his professional career after throwing four interceptions against the Packers. However, he did lead the comeback that got the Seahawks into the Super Bowl. Wilson is in his third season as a pro and is already in his second Super Bowl. Wilson does not have any great targets to throw to, such as Gronkowski, but he does have Marshawn “Beast Mode” Lynch in the backfield. Lynch is coming off an excellent game against the Packers, having gained 157 yards on the ground. Lynch will be looking to carry that same momentum into the Super Bowl.

The most interesting match-up may not even be on the field for this game because both head coaches have tremendous resumes. Bill Belicheck of the New England Patriots has the most playoff wins of any coach in the history of the NFL with 21. He also ties the record for most Super Bowl appearances by a coach. Belicheck takes lots of risks in playing-calling, which is something that the Seahawks must prepare for.

On the other side of the stadium, Pete Carroll, who led the Seahawks to their first Super Bowl victory in franchise history, is also considered among the top coaches in the NFL. He is one of only three coaches to win a National Championship and also to win a Super Bowl. Carroll produced possibly the gutsiest play call of the post-season with a fake field goal that propelled them past the Packers.

Sunday's game sets up for one of the best in recent memory on paper. Hopefully, the teams will be able to live up to all the hype and put on a performance for the ages. It should be a close matchup that comes down to the last possession, as both teams seem even from the coach to the players. Tune in on Sunday for the game and, of course, the Super Bowl commercials.