Graphic by Alex Zuckerman

For More Coverage on Super Bowl XLVII:

• A Super Bowl Prediction by Bailey Ethier ’14
• Five Reasons to Hate the Super Bowl by Eliza Yass ’14
• An Inklinations: What are students expecting from the Super Bowl?

Which team will win this year’s Super Bowl, The Baltimore Ravens or the San Francisco 49ers? Which brother/coach will win, John or Jim Harbaugh? Which quarterback will be able to call himself a Super Bowl winning quarterback after Sunday?

Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans has so many interesting storylines to it but at the end, only one thing will matter, which team is hoisting the Lombardi Trophy at the game’s end.

Honestly, this game has the potential to be one of the closest Super Bowl’s in recent memory, which is saying something considering four out of the last five Super Bowls have been decided by six or less points.

The two teams actually have a few more similarities than just the last name of their head coaches. Both teams have top 10 defenses; the 49ers lead by the best middle linebacker in football, Patrick Willis, and a relentless pass rush featuring Justin Smith and the struggling Aldon Smith, while the Ravens are lead by possibly the best middle linebacker in NFL history during swan song, Ray Lewis and have recently held Tom Brady and Peyton Manning to less than three touchdowns.

Check out this interactive Inklinations on students predictions for the Super Bowl XLVII

Both teams have quarterbacks that are playing the best football of their lives and have a lot on the line.

Joe Flacco, the Quarterback of the Ravens, has been lobbying for elite status for the last few seasons and recently has been turning heads with an unmatched deep ball and great decision making. He is playing not only to prove that he is elite but also for a new contract next season. Colin Kaepernick is the second year Quarterback for the 49ers who will be making just his tenth start of his career on Sunday. He has taken the league by storm with his unbelievable arm strength, pinpoint accuracy, and remarkable speed. Combine that with the way he has mastered the read-option and Kaepernick might very well be the most exciting quarterback in the game today.

Finally, both teams have two of the best young coaches in football, both named Harbaugh.

There has never been a situation where two brothers coached against each other in the Super Bowl. For me, I think it will be interesting because I would assume both coaches could not know more what the other brother likes to do.

Read A Less Enthusiastic Super Bowl Outlook Here

For all the similarities between the two teams, there is one thing that the Ravens have that the 49ers simply don’t. Ray Lewis. The 37 year old legendary linebacker has carried the team on his back emotionally thus far since his return for the first round of the playoffs. They have been playing inspired football and seem to have that feeling of destiny attached to them.

I believe that for the Ravens, this game will come down to whether their defense can rattle and contain Kaepernick and for the 49ers it will come down to how successful the they are getting pressure on Flacco and defending his deep ball while also keeping Ray Rice in check.

My prediction is a tough one because I think this game will be all too close. While I think the better team is the 49ers, I simply cannot imagine the Ravens getting this far just for Lewis’ retirement party to end in a loss.

I’m picking the Ravens to be hoisting the trophy on Sunday 24-21 with the Most Valuable Player award going to Joe Flacco.

Read another Super Bowl Prediction Here!