Top 10 Reasons Why the Steelers Will Win Tonight

It’s finally here.

After two weeks of non-stop coverage, countdowns and questions, Super Bowl XLV is just about to kick off. Let’s face it, even the most diehard Steelers fan is still jittery about the game. After all, the Green Bay Packers, even with so many injuries, are one of the league’s toughest teams.

But fear not, Steelers nation. Here's why you can bet on the Steelers bringing home their seventh ring tonight: 

10. Experience. When the Steelers take the field for Super Bowl XLV shortly, 25 of their players, or nearly half the roster, will be playing in their second Super Bowl. Not to mention 16 of them already have a championship ring to show for it. The Packers, meanwhile, boast just three players with prior Super Bowl experience. 

9. Believe it or not, Pittsburgh is the underdog. It's hard to believe, but Vegas actually plays a large part in the outcome of this game. The Steelers enter this game as 2.5-point underdogs, a notion that has left much of Steelers Nation very angry, seeing this as a slap in the face to the great City of Champions. The Steelers, though, welcome this role. In fact, they embrace being the underdog. 

8. Mike Wallace. When the Steelers traded Santonio Holmes in the off-season, fans were convinced that with an aging Hines Ward and an abundance of young, unproven guys, the Steelers were going to take a major blow. The team, though, was convinced of its talent, and rightfully so. This season, young guys such as Emmanuel Sanders and veterans like Antwaan Randle El have proven their worth for the team. But none have sparked the passing game quite like Mike Wallace, arguably the fastest man in the league.

7. Offensive Balance.  Much has been said about Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers. He’s one of the league’s most dangerous passers, and his ability to extend a play (much like Roethlisberger) moves him into elite status among the NFL’s top passers. But as good as he is, Rodgers can’t possibly win the Super Bowl on his own, and that’s most likely what the Packers are going to ask of him.

The team hasn’t had much of a running game since losing starting running back Ryan Grant in the first game of the season. Since then, it’s had a patchwork attack that has, for the most part, failed to supply any sort of balance to the team’s offense.

6. Run Defense. Adding insult to injury, not only do the Packers possess a questionable running game, but the Steelers own the NFL's most formidable run defense, a unit that has allowed a league-low 60 yards per game this season.

5. Mike Tomlin. In just his third year as the head coach, Mike Tomlin has already put his stamp on the Steelers' great coaching legacy -- a tough task considering his predecessors were Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher, two of the most storied coaches in both Steelers and NFL history.

4. Adversity. Has there ever been a more headline-driven season in Steelers' history than 2010? With the team taking a blow to its public image after standing by Roethlisberger in the off-season, a victory tonight may not quiet critics, but it sure would  validate that decision.

3. Big Ben.  Speaking of Roethlisberger, is there a more underrated quarterback in the NFL? When you talk about elite passers, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are the first to come to mind. But Roethlisberger, for all his hardships off the field, is unquestionably one of the league’s most gifted players.

2. Troy Polamalu.  As great as Roethlisberger is, there’s no denying that the most important player for the Steelers today is Troy Polamalu. One of the most talented players in the NFL, Polamalu is essential to the success of the Steelers defense tonight. 

1. It's the Steelers. C'mon. What else could you possibly need?