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4 things that are worth watching in the Super Bowl for B1G fans

Connor O'Gara

By Connor O'Gara

Published:

It’s not quite the B1G Championship, but I guess the Super Bowl is OK, too.

On Sunday, you and everyone else will be watching the Patriots and Rams. In all likelihood, you’ve got Patriots fatigue and you need a reason to watch besides gambling and some overhyped commercials.

Need not worry, B1G fan. I’ve got you covered.

Here are the 4 things worth watching in the Super Bowl for B1G fans:

1. That Brady guy

I hear he’s pretty good. He’s already got an entire hand full of Super Bowl rings, so what else is there left to say about the G.O.A.T.? Despite the concerns about this year being the end of the road for the 41-year-old quarterback, Brady has been brilliant in the playoffs.

The former Michigan signal-caller had an “us against the world” performance against the Chiefs, despite the fact that plenty of people still believed in the Patriots. His postgame social media mic drop was almost more impressive than the game itself:

And for all the Patriots fatigue, watching the greatest to ever do it is still appointment viewing. You can be sick of the end result, but turning down a chance to watch Brady chase some more history doesn’t seem smart. Don’t be that person.

2. James White doing James White things

So last year when the Patriots lost in the Super Bowl, White had 2 catches (he still had a touchdown). The year before when they overcome a historic 28-3 deficit and won in overtime, White had a Super Bowl record 14 catches and 3 total touchdowns, including the walk-off winner in overtime.

Do you see the correlation there?

It’d be stunning if the former Wisconsin star wasn’t a major part of the Patriots’ game plan given how well he performed on the big stage the last couple years. The guy has 42 catches in his last 6 postseason games. He’s the ultimate safety valve for Brady, and with Rob Gronkowski still not looking like he’s at full go, it wouldn’t be surprising to see White targeted heavily on third downs.

Will he have another 14-catch game like he did in the Super Bowl 2 years ago? Probably not. Then again, doubting White’s impact would be foolish.

3. Nebraska’s 2 favorite NFL players

Rex Burkhead and Ndamukong Suh, that is. Unlike Suh, Burkhead actually played for Nebraska when it joined the B1G. He then became a cult hero while in Lincoln. Suh, on the other hand, is old enough to have been a star defensive player back when that was a thing in the Big 12.

On Sunday, though, the former teammates will face off. Suh will be tasked with trying to shut down a versatile Patriots running game that’s been dominant throughout the playoffs. Maybe if Suh lays a big hit on Burkhead or does some of his after-the-whistle tactics, CBS will pull up an old 2009 Nebraska team photo.

Is that wishful thinking? Eh, perhaps.

What could be brought up on the broadcast is how this is the 26th year in a row in which Nebraska had a player in the Super Bowl. Nobody has a longer streak than that. Considering most of that run came in the post-Tom Osborne era, that’s pretty remarkable.

You know Nebraska had this graphic ready to roll as soon as the Rams won the NFC Championship:

Even if Burkhead and Suh have quiet days, there’s something Nebraska fans can continue to brag about.

4. STAND UP, RUTGERS

I’m not sure I love anything as much as Bill Belichick loves Rutgers. Even though Belichick hasn’t drafted a Rutgers defensive back since 2013, he’s had at least 2 on his team every year since then (he could add another in a few months).

The Patriots’ well-documented affinity for Scarlet Knights defensive backs will still be prevalent come Sunday. Duron Harmon, plus Jason and Devin McCourty will all be active, as will former Rutgers defensive tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day, who will back up Suh on the Rams’ defensive line.

(Fun fact: A few weeks ago, my wife and I were leaving brunch in the Orlando area and walking right past us were these 2 well-built dudes who looked like twin brothers. I told my wife that I was about 90 percent sure that it was the McCourty twins. It made sense because it was the first week of the playoffs and the Patriots were on a bye. Instead of being a fanboy and going up to them to ask who they were, I did the millennial thing. That is, I tweeted at them after the fact.)

Twitter; answering life’s biggest questions every day.

Let’s get back to the matter at hand. For all you math majors, that’s 4 Rutgers players in the Super Bowl. That’s twice as many wins as Rutgers had all year. But more importantly, that’s twice as many players as Alabama has in the Super Bowl.

So … who’s the juggernaut now?

Connor O'Gara

Connor O'Gara is the senior national columnist for Saturday Tradition. He's a member of the Football Writers Association of America. After spending his entire life living in B1G country, he moved to the South in 2015.