With championship Sunday in the books, we now have to wait until February 7th to see the high flying Carolina Panthers take on the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50 for football’s greatest prize.

North Carolina has been a Super Bowl favorite since mid-season and for good reason. Scoring an average of 31.1 points per game, the Panthers lead the NFL in scoring offense. They have a great balance of run and pass with quarterback Cam Newton, who leads all quarterbacks in the NFL in rushing yards (636) and rushing touchdowns (10) (not including playoffs).

Not only do the Panthers score points, but they take care of the football well when they have it. Carolina has a +8 turnover margin, meaning that they have forced eight more turnovers than they have given up. That’s a tribute to their defense as well.

Carolina’s defense is one of the best defenses in the league, with what seems like the perfect mix of young talent and savvy veterans. Cornerback Josh Norman has exploded on to the scene this year and is now arguably one of the best cornerbacks in the league. Norman has basically taken one half of the field away from opposing offenses all year.

Denver has a great defense of their own, however, and many say their defense is the only reason Denver is in the Super Bowl. The Denver defense has forced 27 turnovers this year (not including playoffs) and forced four more Sunday Jan. 24 against the prolific New England offense.

The Broncos defense is star studded, with names like Von Miller, Aqib Talib, Chris Harris Jr, and TJ Ward to name just a few. This defense has forced teams into low scoring battle all season long, and it’ll have to do so again with the Broncos sputtering offense.

It’s strange to think of a Payton Manning led offense to be the weak link of a team, but that’s the situation the Broncos face. With age and injuries getting the best of Manning, the Bronco offense has struggled to put up points consistently throughout the season.

Will the vaunted Denver defense force Cam Newton and the Panther offense into mistakes as they have done all season, or will Newton’s rare combination of speed, size, and arm strength get the best of the Bronco defense? I think the biggest question is whether or not Manning can play as he has earlier in his career or will it be more of the same from this year?

Whatever happens on Super Bowl Sunday, we’re in for a great Super Bowl 50.