Super Bowl III Preview

The time is here...the final game of season 3 of RUTS2. It's Super Bowl week, and this year's game is being hyped as the biggest, baddest game in the history of the NFL. Two undefeated, 18-0 teams go head-to-head for the chance to be called "the greatest team in the history of the universe."

The Titans and the Cardinals will battle it out on the field tonight (kick-off at 7:30 p.m. EDT), and both teams have spent the past week practicing in Indianapolis, the host-city for Super Bowl III.

We'll be taking a glimpse at position by position matchups to determine who has the advantage on the field and predict who will be racing away from Indy (pun intended) with the Super Bowl Championship trophy.

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Quarterback
Kelly James vs. Vince Young
We have two of this year's best QBs, one who won the league's MVP (James) and one who was the MVP of his team (Young). While both are capable of throwing for a lot of yards and both take care of the football, James gives the Cardinals a chance to score from anywhere on the field.
Advantage - Arizona

Running Back
Chris Johnson vs. Beanie Wells
Beanie Wells has enjoyed his coming-out party all season long. With speed and size, if he gets going tonight, it's going to be a long night for the Titans defense. Chris Johnson is the best RB in the league, and with his speed and tackle breaking ability, he can score every time he touches the ball. Johnson, who received more than 100 fewer carries this season than Wells, has never been healthier or fresher this late in the season.
Advantage - Tennessee

WRs
Larry Fitzgerald, Reggie Bush, Steve Breaston
vs.
Kenny Britt, Nate Washington, Jared Cook, Jr.
The Cardinals wideouts are arguable the best in football, and with Kelly James whizzing balls in their direction, they don't drop many. The Titans have gotten a lot out of their receivers, with Cook and Britt leading the charge. But we wonder how much of an impact they will have tonight with Arizona's relentless pass rush in VY's face all day. In an interview with the NFL Network's Dieon Sanders, Cardinals star WR Larry Fitzgerald insisted that he could not and would not be covered by the Titans scrappy CB Cortland Finnegan.
Advantage - Arizona

TEs
Cameron Jackson vs. Bo Scaife/Jared Cook, Jr.
The Titans' TEs have an incredibly important job tonight...not only in the passing game, but also in the running game. Scaife will be matched up against Cardinals bull-rushing DE Josh Sneed for much of the game. Will Scaife be able to hold his own?
Advantage - Tennessee

O-Line
Arizona avg. rating 78.8 vs. Tennessee avg. rating 86.8
The Titans have uncharacteristically given up a lot of sacks this season. If they give up a lot tonight, they will be in for a long, long night in Indy.
Advantage - Tennessee

Defensive Line
Make no mistake, the Titans defensive line is one of the best in the NFL. They are as solid a group from top to bottom that can be found. The Cardinals line however, may go down as one of the best in history, and Coach Stu deserves credit for some key position changes this past off-season to allow speed and size to be used to his advantage. DE Josh Sneed was moved from OLB in the off-season and has been a relentless force. Not since Lawrence Taylor has the NFL seen a more deadly pass rushing force. Sneed set an NFL record with 33 sacks this season, to go along with 64 tackles, 42 tackles-for-loss, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 INT, and 2 TDs. A graduate of Ole Miss, Sneed's alma mater has even replaced the old "Speed Limit 18" signs on campus (to honor former Rebels QB Archie Manning) and raised the speed limit to 92 MPH, in honor of Sneed. Not surprisingly, students are never late for class anymore in Oxford, MS.
Advantage - Arizona

Linebackers
The Cardinals crop of LBs is stellar. With Jonathan Vilma, Stewart Bradley and converted SS Adrian Wilson roaming the middle of the field the Cardinals are a tough group to handle. The Titans have a solid core of LBs as well, led by veteran Keith Bullock, but the edge here goes to the Cardinals.
Advantage - Arizona

Defensive Backs
Both teams have extraordinary talent in the defensive backfield. Overall, we give the edge to the Titans. With all four starters rated in the 90s, the Titans corners and safeties have given teams fits all season. FS Michael Griffin has been a hard hitter this season as well, forcing 4 fumbles to go along with his 4 INTs this season. CBs Cortland Finnegan and Juwan Riley have been able to match up well with some of the NFL's best WRs all season, so it will be interesting to see if Coach UTVOL54 opts to play a lot of man defense tonight. Cardinals Cb Dominique Rogers-Cromartie led the NFL this season with 9 INTs and 4 TDs off those picks. He is a ball-hawking defender who will get a hand on any pass thrown in his vicinity.
Advantage - Tennessee

Special Teams
Rob Bironas continues to set the bar for kickers in the NFL. He has no hair, but that only allows him to create less wind resistance as he runs to the ball to send it into orbit. Simply put, he doesn't miss much and sends balls sailing into the end zone each kickoff.
Advantage - Tennessee

Coaching
Coach UTVOL54 has done more with less this season, as his team (ratings wise) is graded lower than AFC rivals Pittsburgh, New England, and San Diego. Somehow, the Titans emerged once again to claim the AFC title. Arizona Coach StuBucksman, noted as the best coach in Arizona since Buddy Ryan, has done an amazing job building the Cardinals' roster and depth through trades and free agency. He's managed to handle the many egos on this star-studded team to get them back to the Super Bowl for the second time in three seasons.
Advantage - Push

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The city of Indianapolis has been in a frenzy since the teams arrived earlier this week, as fans of both teams have flooded the area. The influx of fans has led to horrible traffic around the city for days.

These two teams haven't met since the Cardinals defeated the Titans in RUTS2 Super Bowl 1, 21-17. After that game, Titans Coach UTVOL54 was angered by the temper tantrum display that many of the Cardinals took part in on the field, at the time saying, "there is no excuse for that kind of behavior on a football field." The Cardinals extra celebrating gave Coach UTVOL54 and his team a chance to sneak into the Cardinals locker room and steal their change of clothes, a feat that got under the skin of Coach StuBucksman. "I know my players did not appreciate riding the bus back to the hotel in our game uniforms...but I will say that our championship ring was all the clothing we needed after that win."

Tonight's game will also signify the end of RUTS2, capping of an exhilarating 3 season run. Plans are already in the works for RUTS3, so stay tuned. Both coaches know that going out on top in RUTS2's final game will be meaningful.

"I loved my 5 years coaching the LSU Tigers in RUTS1," said Coach UTVol54. "But being able to cap of the final season with a national championship and ending Clemson's 4-year reign was awesome. I went out on top then, and hope to do it again this season."

"This game will cap off one of the most prolific eras in all of history," said Coach StuBucksman. "Winning a second Super Bowl title in 3 seasons would earn me a place along the all-time great NFL Coaches. You also better believe I will be sportin' my bright red blazer and tie combo tonight...to play good, you gotta look good."

The entertainment value will be huge tonight. Before the game, Andy Bernard, Cornell University Class of 1995, will be performing a stirring rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner." And Vanilla Ice will make his return to the stage at halftime, performing his retro-hit "Ninja Rap" from the late 80s movie "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles."

Our game prediction....
It would seem that destiny led the Cards and the Titans to this grand stage. Never before have two unbeaten teams met to decide the Super Bowl Championship. This game pits the top 2 teams in the NFL and will match-up the #1 scoring offense (Cardinals) against the #1 defense (Titans) and the #2 scoring offense (Titans) against the #2 defense.

The odds-makers in Vegas have listed Arizona as a 2.5 point favorite in this game, and with good reason. The Cardinals are simply the more talented team, with gamebreakers at nearly every position. The Titans are a great team, who have perhaps overachieved all season in reaching this game. To win this game Coach UTVOL54 will have to reach deep into his bag of tricks and call plays that will nullify the Cardinals talent advantage.

Forcing turnovers will be important for both teams as well. But, the Cardinals have the playmakers on offense to handle more adversity, whether it be through turnovers, sacks, or penalties. The Titans simply cannot afford these things and hope to overcome them to win the game. For that reason, we predict the Super Bowl 3 Championship trophy will go to.....

THE ARIZONA CARDINALS

Arizona Cardinals - 42
Tennessee Titans - 34