In the piercing July heat, 32 teams walk the freshly cut grounds of training camp, working on fundamentals from shuffling to special teams, with one, clear goal in mind: to hold the Lombardi trophy. Six months later, only the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots remain, with the silver football-shaped trophy being just 60 minutes of game time away at Super Bowl XLIX in Glendale, Arizona on Sunday, Feb. 1, in what should be an exciting game filled with many storylines.

Primarily, the focus is on the Seahawks, the defending champions, trying to become the first team to win back-to-back Super Bowls since their opponents, the Patriots, did in 2003-2004. “It’s an extremely tough feat to get back two years in a row, and if they were to pull it off it would be something they could hang their head on for years to come,” Chase Duggan, senior, noted.

On the field, the eyes will be on the loud, fiery Seattle defense, specifically the secondary. Consisting of Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor, Earl Thomas and Byron Maxwell, this unit, dubbed the “Legion of Boom,” sets the tone for a defense that allowed the fewest amount of points in the NFL for the third consecutive season. “It’s entertaining to watch the Legion of Boom because of their ability to not only take away the football, but also their ability to impose fear on their opponents and create a dynamic on and off the field camaraderie,” Gaby Geiger, junior, uttered.

However, they will face three-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Tom Brady, who leads the Patriots offense into the desert to attempt to stifle them. Brady will look to Julian Edelman, wide receiver, and Rob Gronkowski, tight end, to carry the burden of the offensive load. “It’s a high-powered offense, and Brady does a good job of incorporating everybody to have a great game,” Charlie Maleki, senior, described.

The Patriots will also have to deal with a Seattle offense that scored 14 points in under a minute two weeks ago against Green Bay, a performance that many local fans would like to forget. “The Packers let their guard down on defense after stopping the Seahawks all game, but all the explosive Seahawks’ offense needed was a spark the 12th man (their fans) gave to find their groove,” Blake Anderson, senior, said. Led by former Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson as well as “Beast Mode” running back Marshawn Lynch, the Seahawks offense will look to find success against a Patriots defense ranked 13th in the league.

Off the field, two main stories have perked headlines across the nation, with the first being the deflation of 11 of 12 footballs in the Patriots 45-7 win over the Indianapolis Colts in the NFC Championship Game. This scandal has many reporters, fans, public figures, and other teams questioning the validity of the Patriots organization.

This is the second time the Patriots have been accused of a scandal, having been deemed guilty for “Spygate,” an investigation into looking at other teams’ play calls, in 2008. “ “They have been notorious for testing the league’s rules, so this comes with little surprise,” Duggan offered.

While seeing considerably less attention than “Deflategate,” the association between Seattle coach Pete Carroll and the New England organization is also notable. Carroll served as the Patriots head coach from 1997-1999, which could, theoretically, add an extra flair. “Most people think it’s an advantage to have a coach with experience of the opposing team’s system, but with him having coached them before I was born, I think they’ve changed their styles quite a bit,” Geiger added.

However, all of these side stories will be eradicated when both teams run out onto the all-natural, grass surface of University of Phoenix Stadium on Sunday, as the 49th rendition of the NFL’s championship game brings the famed trophy to either one of the northern corners of the United States. Filled with entertainment, the game is expected to bring over 100 million Americans, roughly one-third of the national population, to the television screen, although some might be watching for non-football reasons. “I’m looking forward to family time and funny the commercials, but it should be a good game,” Mary Reilly, senior, stated.