I've been wrestling with my prediction for Super Bowl XLIII for two weeks now. My heart says the Cardinals--I'm a big fan of the underdog (not to mention Larry Fitzgerald). But my head is telling me the Steelers are going to roll. A better running game, a more balanced offensive attack, a swarming secondary and an amazing trio of linebackers make the Steelers look like a natural for the team's second Super Bowl victory in four years. Anyway here's my guess:

　　Steelers: 20 Cardinals: 17

　　Regardless of the score, I'll be glued to the TV on Super Bowl Sunday, as I'm sure you all will be. However, just in case Super Bowl XLIII turns out to be a snooze, or if you're looking for something to do to kill the time before the game begins, check out GameSpot's Super Bowl XLIII Day-Planner, which will keep you busy with videogame fun right up until, during, and after the big game.

　　Yesterday, we analyzed five key players from the Arizona Cardinals. Today, let's take a look at five players to watch on the Pittsburgh Steelers.

　　Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4, 10-2 in conference)

　　Points For: 345

　　Points Against: 223

　　Touchdowns: 38

　　Madden Release Team Rating: 94

　　Current Madden Team Rating: 95 (+1)

　　Ben Roethlisberger

　　Current Madden Rating: 94 (-1)

　　Stack up Ben Roethlisberger's stats against with those of Kurt Warner and Super Bowl XLIII looks like a mismatch of epic proportions. Warner threw over a thousand more yards, 13 more touchdowns, and one fewer interception in the regular season. But, then, Big Ben's game has never been about racking up numbers. Instead, since becoming the youngest quarterback in NFL history to win a Super Bowl, Roethlisberger has focused on one thing only: winning games. In his first five years in the league, Roethlisberger has complied seven playoff wins, moving him ahead of Troy Aikman for the second-most playoff wins by a quarterback in his first five years in the NFL (second only to Tom Brady). While the Steelers don't have the receiving talent of the Cardinals, the team also won't need to rely on Big Ben's arm to win the game. A mistake-free game from Roethlisberger, combined with a balanced offensive attack, will allow the Steelers to rely on its defense, and could spell an easy victory for Steeltown.

　　Willie Parker

　　Current Madden Rating: 93

　　There's a reason they call him "Fast" Willie Parker: Think back to Super Bowl XL, when Parker busted off a 75-yard touchdown run against the Seattle Seahawks early in the third quarter; the longest Super Bowl touchdown run in history. At that moment, the Steelers running back torch was truly passed from Jerome Bettis to Parker and, Fast Willie has been running with it ever since. An ankle injury sidelined Parker for part of the regular season and his 791-yard regular season performance isn't a great result. Still, Parker has shown signs of life in the playoffs, including ripping off 146 yards and two touchdowns in the Steelers' opening round playoff win against the San Diego Chargers. The Steelers' balanced offensive attack would love to see Parker reel off a similar performance and, considering the Cardinals' weak run D, there's no reason to think it won't happen.

　　Troy Polamalu

　　Current Madden Rating: 98

　　If there's a defensive doppelganger to the Cardinals' star receiver Larry Fitzgerald in Super Bowl XLIII, it's got to be Troy Polamalu. The soft-spoken former USC standout is anything but understated on the gridiron, possessing an awe-inspiring combination of run-stopping power and ball-hawking coverage skills. Seven interceptions in the regular season combined with Polamalu's 73 regular-season tackles (third best on the team) are impressive numbers, even if not career-best. Considering the Steelers' secondary is going to have its hands-full adjusting to the best receiving trio in the NFL, Pittsburgh will be leaning on Polamalu's ability to blanket cover receivers even more than usual. Look for him to be attached at the hip of Fitzgerald and/or Boldin; and even money says he'll get the best of either of them at least once during the game.

　　James Farrior

　　Current Madden Rating: 94 (+2)

　　As one half of the "James gang", Farrior (along with fellow linebacker James Harrison) is the kind of linebacker that defines the Pittsburgh Steelers dominant defense. Farrior got 133 tackles, 87 of them solo, during the 2008 regular season, which lead his team and tied him for sixth in the NFL. He was similarly dominant in the playoffs, notching 18 tackles and, along with Harrison, and LaMarr Woodley (who earned 4 sacks in the post-season) continuously dominated the mid-field on Pittsburgh's road to Tampa Bay for Super Bowl XLIII. If Farrior & Co. can swallow up the Cardinals running game early, and keep pressure on Kurt Warner, Sunday's big game could turn into a big blowout.

　　James Harrison

　　Current Madden Rating: 97 (+4)

　　Super Bowl XLIII might come down to this simple fact: If James Harrison plays to his ability, the Steelers will win, and win big. The regular season saw Harrison compiling 16 sacks, notching fourth best in the league and earning him the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year award. If he performs similarly in the Super Bowl and manages to put Kurt Warner on his back multiple times, the Cardinals hopes of a balanced offensive attack will be abandoned quicker than Anquan Boldin on a streak route. On a Steelers defensive squad that is already jam-packed with talent, Harrison is a stand-out and he just might be the difference-maker on Sunday.