NFL final four: Sports commentator roundtable picks for AFC and NFC champs

Sports writers sophomore Emmett Schindler, senior Cameron Hines, and junior Andrew Lubbers discuss picks while playing football.

Sophia Mackey

Sports writers sophomore Emmett Schindler, senior Cameron Hines, and junior Andrew Lubbers discuss picks while playing football.

Our experts combined to go 13-3 with their picks last week, so without further ado, here are their predictions on the NFC and AFC championships.

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Green Bay Packers at Seattle Seahawks

Cameron (3-1): In a rematch of the season opener, in which Seattle reigned supreme, the Pack will exact revenge and curtail the Seahawk’s aspirations of defending their title. A tall task, given the venue (Seattle’s blaring CenturyLink field), but probable MVP Aaron Rodgers is a man on a mission, and will take Green Bay back to the Super Bowl.

PREDICTION: Packers 30 Seahawks 21

Emmett (3-1): One of the hardest games to predict, with a future hall of fame quarter Aaron Rodgers on one side, and defending champ Russell Wilson on another, it will be deadly. It will all come down to the run game, if the Packers can hold Marshawn Lynch, they will come out victorious, but Beast Mode is hard to stop and there is no way Green Bay can shut him down the whole game, Seahawks on top.

PREDICTION: Seahawks 27 Packers 24

Andrew (4-0): The Packers barely slipped past the Cowboys last week while the Seahawks dominated the sub-500 Panthers. An unhealthy, immobile Aaron Rodgers against the LOB is a bad sign for the Green Bay faithful. Seattle will run the ball and Russell Wilson will extend plays. The Packer season will end the way it began, with a loss to the defending champs.

PREDICTION: Seahawks 27 Packers 20

Adam (3-1): The Seahawks simply cannot be stopped right now, as shown by their historically-talented defense and uber-efficient Russell Wilson. However, it will be Beastmode himself, Marshawn Lynch, to barrel through the Packers soft defense.

PREDICTION: Seahawks 24 Packers 17

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Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots

Cameron: Simply put, the Patriots look too good to be stopped right now. After an uninspired loss in Kansas City early this season, Tom Brady and Co. reverted back to their dominant ways, and are pulling out all the stops this year, witnessed by that amusing trick play against the Ravens, in which receiver Julian Edelman threw a long touchdown pass. Andrew Luck will have to wait at least one more year to reach the big game.

PREDICTION: Patriots 31 Colts 27

Emmett: The last time a quarterback played both Peyton Manning and Tom Brady in the playoffs, he won both. Andrew Luck will attempt to duplicate this amazing accomplishment, but the problem is, he is very bad against the Patriots. The Pats hate to lose, especially at home. Last game scared them by letting a lead early, but this time they are determined to get on top first and blow the Colts out for another Super Bowl appearance for Brady.

PREDICTION: Patriots 45 Colts 21

Andrew: The Patriots continued their remarkable run last week as they erased two 14 point deficits to come back and defeat the Ravens. The Colts defense shut down Peyton Manning and the Broncos but Tom Brady will write a different script. Andrew Luck can only carry his team so far. The high-flying Pats offense will end Indy’s surprising run.

PREDICTION: Patriots 31 Colts 24

Adam: In this highly-anticipated smackdown, both evenly matched teams square off in this epic game. Tom Brady attempts to lead the Patriots to possibly his last hurrah, as Andrew Luck tries to begin a new era of supremacy. In the end, Luck will ride his unbelievable season to Arizona to face off against the Seahawks in a Super Bowl that should be one to remember.

PREDICTION: Colts 31 Patriots 27

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