Gonna Take a Bus Ride

I have picked against the Steelers in every game of the playoffs, and lost handily each time. For the sake of completion, I had every intention of picking against the Steelers again for Super Bowl 40. But then I began to change my mind once I started looking at some of the Super Bowl props:

Matt Hasselbeck passing yards: over/under 240. I think the under looks good here. Aside from one pass by Carson Palmer, the QBs have been very shaky against the Steelers defense. Polamalu and Porter have been very effective at disrupting the rhythm and confidence of each QB they've faced- Kitna, Manning, and Plummer. Why should I believe that Hasselbeck will be able to avoid a similar fate?

Shaun Alexander rushing yards: over/under 90.5. Until the Carolina game, article after article was being written questioning Alexander's ability to perform in an important game. So now that he finally broke out against the Panthers, does that mean all of his problems are behind him? Plus Maurice Morris will probably be given a fair share of carries himself, as Holmgren will surely want to mix it up a bit.

So, if I don't think that Hasselbeck will throw for more than 240, and I'm equally skeptical that Alexander will rush for more than 90, then how can I possibly pick them to win the game? Pit probably has the edge in special teams, and each defense is equally adept at forcing turnovers, so that aspect is a wash. So I'm breaking my own personal trend, and going with Tommy Maddox's championship experience and the rest of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Super Bowl prediction: Pittsburgh 28, Seattle 17.

(And yes, if you're a Seahawks fan, you should be out celebrating right now based on my track record in these playoffs.)