44 Stops to Super Bowl XLIV: No. 1-5

The "44 Stops to Super Bowl XLIV" is a series that will feature stories, stats and interesting trivia that you can use to act smart as you prepare for Super Bowl XLIV. I've done this on SPORTZASSASSIN.COM for Super Bowls XL, XLI, XLIII and for AOL's FanHouse for Super Bowl XLII.

#1-WHO WILL WIN: Hey, there's actually a game to play. Now I'm not one of those people who think the Saints have no shot to win this game. New Orleans has a great shot ... however things need to fall in their place. They must create pressure on Manning and hopefully get some turnovers. I know you can say that about any game, but that's really true here. New Orleans loves creating turnovers and will need to get a couple if they think they will win in Miami.

Doing so will be difficult. You are giving Peyton Manning two weeks to prepare for a defense that gives up a lot of yards and a lot of points. New Orleans enters the game with the 26th-ranked defense.

This game will be a shootout. The two QBs led the league in passing touchdowns, both team are explosive offensively and neither is that stout on defense. I do think that the Colts speedy defense can hang with the Saints speedy receivers and backs.

I have the Colts winning 34-24.

#2-SUPER BOWL ADS: I know that ... aside from the game ... the big calling card to the Super Bowl is the commercials. We all love watching the funny ones, the poignant ones and the wastefully stupid ones. Go back in time to watch some classic Super Bowl ads.

#3-SAINTS AND COLTS HISTORY: The Saints and Colts have only met 10 previous times with each team winning five. The Baltimore Colts won the first three meetings (1967, 1969, 1973). It would be 13 years before they would meet again, a Saints 17-14 victory in Indianapolis. That would be the first of five straight wins over the Colts ... with the last two games against Indy while Peyton Manning was the quarterback. In 2003 and 2007, the Colts blew out the Saints 55-10 and 41-10, respectively. .

#4-CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS: The New Orleans Saints became the first home team to win a conference championship in overtime. If NFC Championship history, there have been three OT games ... and all involved the Vikings, Brett Favre or both. In 1999, the Atlanta Falcons beat the Vikings in Minnesota, 30-27. In 2008, the New York Giants beat Favre's Packers in Green Bay, 23-20. There has been just one overtime game in AFC Championship history, a 23-20 Denver Broncos victory in Cleveland in 1987.

No Super Bowl has ever gone to overtime.

The NFC has a slim 22-21 lead over the AFC in Super Bowl History.

#5-SUPER BOWL TRAPPINGS:

National Anthem: Carrie Underwood. Third straight year an American Idol contestant will sing the Star Spangled Banner (Jordin Sparks, Jennifer Hudson did it the last two years).

Halftime perfomer: The Who. Rumor is that The Who will follow in the recent tradition of established acts performing their classic hits. "Pinball Wizard", "Who Are You" and "Won't Get Fooled Again" should be on the setlist.

Broadcasters: CBS's Jim Nantz and Phil Simms. Simms was the MVP of Super Bowl XXI.