Super Bowl LVI is just days away, and USC students are gearing up for the biggest game of the year. SoFi Stadium will host the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams, making this the first time these teams meet in the Super Bowl. This unexpected matchup has football fans on the edge of their seats.
The Bengals have been anticipating this moment since their last Super Bowl appearance in 1988. Before this season, Cincinnati had not won a playoff game since 1990, the longest drought in NFL history.
Quarterback Joe Burrow and his team came into this season ready to reverse history, and although they had a slow start, they were able to do just that. Cincinnati entered the postseason as the No. 4 seed after winning the AFC North Title with a 10-7 record. They went on to defeat the Las Vegas Raiders in the Wild Card Round, then went to Tennessee where they took down the Titans in the Divisional Round.
USC sophomore and Bengals fan Hugh Svendsen knew that each win in the playoffs was a landmark moment for the Bengals.
“We got here all the way from Wild Card Weekend,” Svendsen said. “It’s remarkable! To keep that win streak alive and claw our way to the top, quarter after quarter, game after game is something I’ll forever be proud of.”
Cincinnati’s most serious confrontation came when it played Kansas City in the AFC Championship. In a wild fourth quarter, the Chiefs sent the game to overtime, where they won the coin toss before a Von Bell interception gave the ball back to Cincinnati.
From there, Burrow got down to the 31-yard line, where rookie Evan McPherson went out to kick. He won the game for the Bengals, sending them off to the biggest stage in football.
After watching this overtime showdown, Svendsen noted that it was one of the greatest football moments he’s seen.
“No one believed the Bengals could win except for the fans and the city of Cincinnati,” Svendsen said. “Because the odds haven’t been in our favor all season, it would mean everything to see orange confetti falling from Sofi Stadium on Sunday night. All of those miserable seasons would fly out the window.”
Unlike the Bengals, the Rams are no strangers to the Super Bowl. This will be the team’s fifth Super Bowl appearance and its second in the last four years. In 2018, the New England Patriots beat them 13-3, leaving L.A. hungry for another chance to win the championship.
With a fresh roster and a young coach in Sean McVay, fans started the season nervous to see where the team was headed.
“I was skeptical,” USC junior and Rams fan Gigi Gutierrez said. “This was [quarterback Matthew] Stafford’s first season with L.A. He’s achieved great things individually, but the Lions never made it past the Wild Cards.”
While Stafford didn’t find much success in Detroit, he and his Rams entered the season determined. With weapons like Cooper Kupp, Von Miller and Odell Beckham Jr., L.A. finished the regular season with a 12-5 record, putting them first in the NFC West.
In the Wild Card Round, L.A. beat the rival Arizona Cardinals. L.A.’s next stop in Tampa Bay was thought to be the greatest obstacle on their path to the Super Bowl. After Tom Brady began to lead a comeback, the Rams nearly let the game go to overtime. But with 42 seconds left on the clock, Stafford orchestrated a game-winning drive, sending the Rams to the NFC Championship Game.
“Each playoff win provided a glimmer of hope,” Gutierrez said.
As the Rams drew closer to Feb. 13th, they had one last battle: the San Francisco 49ers. On a last-minute interception, L.A. stole the conference title, sending them to Super Bowl LVI.
“I clung to the idea that the Rams would play in SoFi’s first Super Bowl. I was over the moon when that dream became reality,” Gutierrez said. “This is an incredible moment in L.A. history to get behind.”
That moment is one that fans of all 32 NFL teams wished for. Some students whose teams were knocked out during the playoffs have tagged onto a new franchise to support during the Super Bowl. Senior Trudy Buck, a Green Bay Packers fan, will be rooting for the Rams on Sunday.
“The Bengals are great, but I want L.A. to win. I think a championship would mean more to them,” Buck said. “Burrow has a long career ahead of him and I think that Stafford is more deserving of a ring right now. Winning at SoFi would be amazing for the Rams.”
Junior Lexi Brooks has decided to cheer on the Bengals during Super Bowl LVI. As a 49ers fan, Brooks is looking for revenge on the Rams.
“I was bummed to see the 49ers lose against the Rams during the NFC Championship,” Brooks said. “Because my team was taken out of contention by the Rams, it only makes sense for me to root for Cincinnati. I also love an underdog.”
Underdogs are what the Bengals have been perceived as for most of the postseason. Burrow made it clear that the Bengals were here to stay, stating that he was “tired of the underdog narrative” in his Divisional Round postgame interview. Going into the title game, the Bengals are four-point underdogs. This leaves fans wondering if Joey B can prove America wrong once again.
“The Bengals have been impressive, but I don’t think they can beat the Rams,” senior Tommy Chila said. “L.A. should be favored. They are playing at their home field and they are slightly the better team. If Stafford can avoid turnovers and [defensive tackle Aaron] Donald can keep pressure on Burrow, the Rams are going to have a good day.”
Senior and Bengals fan Chase Prager is confident that Cincinnati can win it all, but he knows there will be challenges.
“The biggest test will be their offensive line,” Prager said. “They need to hold up against Aaron Donald and Von Miller to give Joe time.” As for the Bengals’ offense, Prager knows their key to success: “Cincinnati needs to run the ball effectively with [Joe] Mixon to set up their silent killer, the play-action pass, and slow down the pass rush. The Bengals are truly a team of destiny.”
Junior and Rams fan Spencer Wardwell knows there will be trials during the championship battle for his team as well.
“The Rams will have to handle the three-headed monster of Mixon, Chase and [receiver Tee] Higgins and focus on pressing Burrow to make tight window throws,” Wardwell believes that if the Rams can do these things, they will take the championship.
“Playing in their home stadium, with a chance to establish new fans in L.A. — they not only can win this game, but they need to.”