17 regular season weeks. 512 football games. 10 playoff games. In the final week of the NFL’s 2012-2013 season, none of that matters. Two teams entered New Orleans this past weekend, but only one will leave a champion. After a grueling playoff run, the underdog Baltimore Ravens will face off against the San Francisco 49ers in the Superdome for Super Bowl XLVII. During one of the most highly anticipated Super Bowls of all time, two brothers, Jim and John Harbaugh, look to etch their own names in the history books. Ray Lewis looks to end his career with a last ride worthy of allowing the confetti to drop, while second year quarterback Colin Kaepernick looks to prove that despite his late arrival to the starting lineup – he can play with the best of them. Each team will leave their all on the turf, but come Sunday night sheer strength and willpower alone will not be enough to capture the coveted Lombardi trophy; they will have to rely on the help from teammates and coaches to guide them into the history.

Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans, Louisiana
Baltimore Ravens at San Francisco 49ers

Ethan (7-3)
Jewel (7-3)
Mitch (6-4)

Baltimore Ravens vs. San Francisco 49ers, 6:30 PM ET, CBS

Ethan
Over the course of the playoffs the Ravens have been the underdogs. I’ve chosen them to lose each and every single time, and each time they’ve proved me wrong. Baltimore has handled the Super Bowl press and media about as poorly as the Jets handled the attention in the off season. It seems as if a lot of players have forgotten why they are in New Orleans and players losing concentration of the ultimate goal could risk their team the championship. So choosing the 49ers should seem like a no brainer right? Wrong. Yes, in Week 14 the Ravens did give up 179 rushing yards to RGIII and the Skins’ offense during a 31-28 loss, but the variables have changed. They were a weak team then and have become battle tested/proven. Colin Kaepernick is unlike any scrambling-quarterback Baltimore’s defense has ever encountered but Ray Lewis is like none other. No defensive player has had the ability to simultaneously exhilarate a defense while making the big plays like Lewis has. Yes there is scandal surrounding this team, but this team has done more than enough to prove themselves worthy of a championship ring. Ravens 31, 49ers 24

Mitch
The amount of headlines this game has produced/is still producing is outrageous. First off, it’s a Harbaugh. Secondly, it’s Colin Kaepernick’s 10th career start at quarterback. And to top it all off, just a few days ago, we were blindsided by the news of Ray Lewis’ name being linked to PEDs. Anything else they’d like to try and squeeze in there?

Week after week, I’ve made the same foolish mistake of counting the Ravens out; picking against them and labeling them the loser before the game even begins. And week after week, they prove me wrong. They did it in Denver and they did it in New England. So, if I pick the Niners, does that mean the Ravens will once again prove me wrong? Well, I’m not falling for it this time. The Ravens have gone through too much to lose this game. Two weeks ago, Julio Jones (11 receptions, 182 yards, 2 TDs) and Roddy White (7-100) completely exposed the 49ers secondary using their potent mixture of speed and strength – something the Ravens’ top receivers, Torrey Smith and Anquan Boldin, also possess. However, the one thing the Ravens can do that the Falcons can’t is run the ball. Michael Turner and Jacquizz Rodgers combined for just 62 yards on 18 carries against the Niners. The Ravens, on the other hand, have one of the best backfields in the NFL. Ray Rice is one of the top backs in the league, and Bernard Pierce, the rookie out of Temple, looks like he could be one of them in the next few years. I know Colin Kaepernick has been unstoppable, and I know he’s not going to go down without a fight. I just can’t see Ray Lewis’ Hall-of-Fame career and memorable “Last Ride” end in a loss, especially a loss in the Super Bowl. Ravens 27, 49ers 21

Jewel
49ers present the most versatile challenge for the Ravens than Indianapolis, Denver and New England in the postseason. Flacco’s contract ends at the end of this season however the Ravens owner has already made it clear that he’s not going anywhere. The question of Flacco’s ability to be mentioned as one of the league’s elite quarterbacks or not along with the Lombardi trophy is they only thing at stake for Joe Flacco. The 49ers run a quick, fast pace offense that has the talent and ability to quickly rack up points however so does the Baltimore offense. Scoring touchdowns will be of no problem to both teams therefore I truly believe that this will solely be a game of defense. We have reached the last stop of the last ride, may the best defense win. Ravens 36, 49ers 28