The Anderson Brewmeisters and the Eastern Division Champion Jody's Colossal Waste of Time head to Arizona to do battle in Super Bowl XI. The wild card Brewmeisters outlasted the Western Division Champion Bock Boys last week to earn their second consecutive Super Bowl berth (and third in four seasons). Jody, meanwhile, destroyed Pirk's Wicked Oil Profiteer$ to reach the title game for the second time in three years. Unfortunately, neither team was able to finish any of those years on top as the C.W.O.T. and Brewmeisters have combined to lose the last three Super Bowls. This meeting – the first all-Eastern matchup in the title game since 2002 – is guaranteed to both break and extend that streak.

There are all sorts of subplots and historical figures relating to this matchup, beginning with how Anderson and Jody got here. Both clubs finished the regular season at 7-6, but Jody – having the 2-0 head-to-head sweep – won its record-tying fifth Division title. (Irwin also has five.) The division crown gave the C.W.O.T. the No. 2 postseason seed, and Anderson slid in at No. 6. In a regular season dominated (italics used for emphasis) by the Western Division, were the six playoff teams seeded solely on record, Jody and Anderson would have been Nos. 5 and 6, respectively. The playoffs are often dubbed "the second season", and in no other year could this be taken so literally. Anderson and Jody made quick and relatively easy work of their Western opponents, setting up this most surprising Super Bowl matchup.

Seed No. SB Appearances 1 5 2 8 3 1 4 2 5 4 6 2

The Anderson Brewmeisters are the first sixth seed to make it back to the title game since 1999, when – you guessed it – the Anderson Brewmeisters made a similar run. It wasn't actually that similar; that was the year the 3-8-1 Brewmeisters tarnished the playoff's prestige by winning three more games to capture Super Bowl III. The next year, the league set up its Anderson Rule, which created the six-wins-for-eligibility regulation. Since that rule's inception, no No. 6 seed has made it through to the Super Bowl. Until Now.

Jody was ridiculed by someone (cough, cough) in last week's Previews for being the weakest Division Champion ever. Turns out, after clinching the Eastern title and the bye in Week 11, Jody switched to auto-pilot for the season's final two weeks (both losses) and got healthy. After resting up for Wild Card Week, the C.W.O.T. absolutely mauled the Profiteer$ 52-2 at the Vortex last week. That 50-point margin-of victory was the largest in the playoffs since Wild Card Week 1998, when Pirk throttled The Pimps 66-9.

With their respective Championship Week wins, the Brewmeisters and C.W.O.T. each reach their record-setting fifth Super Bowl. It's a staggering statistic, realizing the Brewmeisters have made it to the league's title game in half the years they've been in the league. (Jody certainly isn't shabby, going 5-for-11 instead of 5-for-10). Yet despite a combined eight previous appearances between them, Anderson accounts for the only two victories the teams have managed to produce. The pair will get one more win – and one more subsequent loss – this weekend.

Another reason Super Bowl XI is historic is because it's the first Super Bowl rematch the league has seen. 1998's Super Bowl II saw the Anderson Brewmeisters (the league's top seed in the franchise's inaugural season) take out the C.W.O.T. 38-27. The two Eastern rivals have met three other times in the postseason (not counting this year), and Anderson holds a 3-1 edge in over Jody in head-to-head playoff meetings. Piling on top of that, the Brewskies actually hold a commanding 15-9 edge over the C.W.O.T. all-time. Yet the moons may be aligning for Jody; for the first time ever, the C.W.O.T. swept the season series from its beer-themed nemesis. Can they make it three in a row to win (finally!) their first-ever League Championship? Or will Anderson ride it's No. 6-seed to their third Super Bowl title? This one should be a dandy (even if all the good Western teams aren't involved...)

As per tradition, let's see how they match up.

QUARTERBACK

Season shocker: The Brewmeisters actually benched Peyton Manning earlier this season in favor of Derek Anderson for a couple of games. (Nepotism apparently runs wild in the Brewmeister camp). Odds are Manning gets the start here, but it's not like he's ever led the Brew Krew to a Super Bowl victory (oh, snap!). Of course, neither has Carson Palmer, who hasn't exactly lit up the scoreboard for the C.W.O.T. this season. Advantage: Anderson

RUNNING BACKS

Anderson has the two highest-scoring backs in the league in LaDainian Tomlinson and Brian Westbrook, and it's not really even close. L.T. is not having the superhuman season from a year ago, but he's still a force and has scored 12 or more points in each of the past three weeks. Jody has too many RBs to count, and it's a good thing since nearly all of them have missed time this season due to injury. Steven Jackson and Earnest Graham are the likely starters for the Pewter & Black, and the can be quite good. Just not Tomlinson/Westbrook good. Advantage: Anderson

RECEIVERS

The once mighty Brew Krew receiving corps is a shell of its former self. Torry Holt, Steve Smith, and Keving Curtis find themselves comfortably in the 'teens in the position rankings. They're a consistent lot, but lack the fear-inducing power of yesteryear. The C.W.O.T. started the season on a tear at the position, but their receivers have dropped production as the year wore on. T.J. Houshmandzadeh had 6 or more points in his first seven starts, but has only eclipsed 5 points once since then. Tight end Antonio Gates has actually choked worse, posted goose eggs in his past two starts. Advantage: Even

KICKER

This is the most intriguing matchup on the board. Stephen Gostkowski kicked for the Brewmeisters to start the season, but was dumped during his bye week. The league's final transaction of the season saw Jody snatch him up, and now he gets a chance to kick against his former club. Anderson has the very capable Phil Dawson now manning the kicking duties, but there's no more dangerous player than a kicker scorned. Advantage: Jody

DEFENSE

Anderson's Chargers defense has surged its way to the top of the defensive rankings. After a very inconsistent start, they've managed to be largely devastating for opponents' offenses and have averaged 20.5 points over the Brewmeisters current four game winning streak. Jody counters with the Buccaneers, a defensive unit that has had plenty of Super Bowl experience on its own. (They were actually named MVP of the 2001 title game.) The Bucs decimated Pirk last week for 27 points, and they may need to reach that lofty number again to slow down the Brew Krew. Advantage: Anderson

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