Super Bowl Week analysis generally follows a predictable formula.

From Sunday through Wednesday, with the conference championships still fresh, the prohibitive favorite is seen as a no-doubt, can’t-miss proposition.

Then, by Thursday or Friday, doubt enters the picture. Through the sheer force of eye-glazing overthought, the underdog begins to acquire credibility. "Maybe they can pull this off, and here’s why."

This week, it hasn’t happened. There have been half-hearted attempts to conjure a winning scenario for the Patriots, but you can see the strain. There’s a producer or editor in the background saying, "Okay, today you’re going to make the case for the Patriots." For the most part, though, what stood on Sunday night (Rams by a lot) still stands.

And we’re here to say this is a good thing. The lack of heartfelt belief in the Patriots is the best sign yet for this Super Bowl. The lack of buzz surrounding this exercise is almost enough to make you believe it could be worth watching beyond the first quarter.

Besides, if you’re going with the Patriots you might want to consider the case of one Dave Holt, a computer programmer who shares his genius with USA Today once a year. This year, his "specially designed software" had the Rams winning 76 percent of 25,000 games, by an average score of 38-24.

Sure, they’ll only play once, but isn’t it comforting to know that someone pretend-played it 25,000 times, just because? Isn’t it irrefutable proof that those damned terrorists didn’t win? (What do you want to bet this guy Dave was Master of All Torture in Dungeons and Dragons back in the day?)

Master Dave also came up with a truly brave prediction -- Marshall Faulk and Kurt Warner will share the MVP award.

It goes with the theme of the week: Reduced expectations, always the best kind.

This Week’s List:

But Dad, all the public-service announcements say I should stay in school: The NCAA, mixed-message central, refused to allow a Tennessee wide receiver to return to school even though he withdrew his name from the NFL draft before the deadline.

Lingering NFC Championship Game question: Didn’t the Eagles have anyone healthier than Troy Vincent?

In case you hadn’t heard: Guitarist The Edge of U2 says he believes Drew Bledsoe should be starting.

In defense of Mike Martz: His we’re-the-only-ones-who-can-beat-us ethic might sound arrogant, but it’s also been proven to be 100 percent true.

Cold fact: If the Rams play well, they’ll win by three touchdowns.

Because, as career arcs go, it’s not exactly lining up as a series of distinguished lifetime achievement awards: Don’t you think there’s an Ultimate Fighting Championship in Mike Tyson’s future?

There goes the New Year’s plans: Probation will keep Kentucky’s football program from a bowl game next season ... as if it needed any help.

Where there’s blood on the floor and six teams on top of the standings: The Pac-10, the most dog-eat-dog conference in the land.

For one thing, there’s a good chance it might hurt ticket sales if the Twins get whacked in mid-April: Sandy Alderson says baseball could wait till opening day to decide on contraction for this season, but adds, "Once you start the season it could be a little tough."

A sign that baseball fans are either disgusted with the routine or simply don’t care anymore: The Bud Selig-should-resign movement has failed to gain any traction.

Here was the predicament Bill Belichick found himself in this week: He had to pick Brady, while knowing inside that Bledsoe gives him a better chance of winning.

Just for the heck of it: Jack Squirek.

This year’s Super Bowl Cute Fact: Five years ago David Patten was loading 75-pound bags of coffee beans for a living.

With the right mix of irreverence and knowledge, he’s ready for the big time: NBC’s newest NBA commentator, Tom Tolbert.

Here’s the story we all wanted to read this week: Sean Landeta, dealing with disappointment.

You can wear the jersey and collect the gear and even paint your face, but the line must be drawn somewhere: Inflatable furniture is just too weird.

And as for that inflatable Troy Aikman commercial: Did someone actually get paid to produce that?

And finally, they’re also trying to get permission to rename the event "Human Punt": NBC, in an attempt to accomplish something or other, will allow viewers to see ski jumpers' hang times.

Tim Keown is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine. E-mail him at tim.keown@espnmag.com.