In a season filled with bursts, splatters and wild uncertainty, it was the two teams that asked the fewest questions that wound up on top.
As time expired on a cold January night in Pittsburgh, the wonder of a rookie quarterback faded and, once again, the hooded genius proved his worth, as the New England Patriots defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers, 41-27. Earlier in the day, questions of a hex disappeared as the Philadelphia Eagles showed that the fourth time is truly the charm as they defeated the Atlanta Falcons, 27-10.
At AU, it was a day of celebration for most as a magical New England sports year continued and the fans of Philadelphia finally had something to cheer about.
"I need to put how I feel into words first," said an exhilarated Kristen Orthman, a freshman from Boston. "You can't underestimate the power of Tom Brady."
Orthman watched the game with fellow New Englander Lauren Kelleher-Mahoney of Warwick, R.I., who had one word to describe her team: "dynasty."
In the earlier game, Eagles fans breathed a huge sigh of relief as the weight of three straight NFC Championship game losses was lifted off their backs. Sophomore Brian Green of South Williamsport, Pa., watched the game with a nervous eye.
"Honestly I never thought I'd see the Eagles make it to the Super Bowl," Green said. "Although it doesn't mean anything unless they win the next game."
Green added that if his team were to lose in the Super Bowl, he felt it would only be remembered as a notch on the Patriots' dynasty belt.
On the other side, deflated fans from Pittsburgh saw their team go down in yet another championship game loss.
"It's depressing and tough because for some strange reason the whole city is changed by the Steelers," said Joshua Levenson, a sophomore at Amherst College in Massachusetts. "Pittsburgh has lost its pride in the last 30 years as it has changed from a booming steel city to one of shrinking industries throughout. Pittsburghers find solace in being the best at something, especially when that something is football."
Levenson added that in the end, all the loss really did was hurt, as his hopes had been squashed once again.
For those from New England, the Patriots' victory puts them one win away from total sports domination: championships in both football and baseball. However, while a win for the Pats would be nice, it doesn't seem to compare to the jubilation of the Boston Red Sox championship.
"If the Patriots win I won't be going home for this parade like I did for the Red Sox," Orthman said. "It's just not the same."
Now with two weeks to go until the championship game, it seems that tensions will rise between AU's plethora of students from both the Philadelphia and New England area.
"It'll be a great two weeks at AU," Kelleher-Mahoney said. "There are just so many fans from both sides."
As the tension mounts to the big game, there is no doubt that AU students will find themselves divided over whose side to be on.
It seems the battle has already begun, in fact, with one away message already reading "Pennsylvania teams suck"
