The following represents the opinion of the student reporter and does not represent the views of Loyola University Maryland, the Greyhound, or Loyola University’s Department of Communication and Media.
Loyola football fans have given their opinions on what the final four teams need to do in order to advance to the championships.
The National Football League, NFL, semifinals kicked off on Sunday, Jan. 26. The Philadelphia Eagles hosted the Washington Commanders, while the Kansas City Chiefs faced the Buffalo Bills.
The winner of each game wins their conference and will make it to the championship game, The Super Bowl. The Eagles, Commanders game was at three o’clock eastern time on FOX. The Bills, Chiefs game follows at 6:30 p.m. on CBS and Paramount Plus.
Joe Baranowski ‘26 shared his thoughts about what makes him a Bills fan.
He said, “Being from upstate, it’s not just a certain person… It’s the Bills Mafia that just takes you in as one of their own.”
Baranowski was born and raised in Albany, New York and grew up watching the Buffalo Bills as a young kid. The Bills Mafia, the term for Buffalo Bills fans, is what made him into a Bills super fan. He thinks that the Buffalo Bills will face the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl, with Buffalo winning the hard fought game.
Baranowski’s favorite player is the starting quarterback, Josh Allen. He believes that if he can continue to play at a high level, the BIlls should have no problem making it to the big game and winning the whole thing. But he also says that their defense needs to step up to stop Kansas City’s offense.
“I am rooting for the Philadelphia Eagles… It’s going to be tough, but I think if both Devonta Smith and AJ Brown are on their game and causing trouble the offense is going to be tough to contain,” Dermot Sheehan ’26 said.
Sheehan is in support of Philadelphia bringing the Vince Lombardi Trophy home. Him and his entire family have been loyal Eagles fans since they were born.
Sheehan predicts that the Eagles will win the Super Bowl against the Chiefs, a rematch of the 2023 Super Bowl. He believes that the Eagles offense can carry them into the big game and win it for the city. He says that if Saquon Barkley, starting running back, and Jalen Hurts, starting quarterback, are playing like they have been throughout the season, there should be no defense that can stop them.
He also believes that if starting defensive tackle Jalen Carter can continue to blow up offensive lines and get to the quarterback, then they should be victorious at the end of the playoffs.
Q Walker, an employee in Loyola Dining, shared his prospects for the championship.
“It’s gonna be the Commanders versus the Bills in the Super Bowl… the Commanders are gonna win the Super Bowl,” he said.
Walker has been working in the Loyola dining community for about a year in Boulder. Walker is a big fan of former Commanders safety Sean Taylor, and this is a big reason that Walker became a fan of the team. He reps his team with the utmost pride. He hopes that the Super Bowl matchup will be between Washington and Buffalo.
In order for the Commanders to be successful, Walker believes that the defense needs to stop Saquon Barkley in Sunday’s game. Also, he believes that all of their wide receivers will need to step up and get open to make it easier for Jayden Daniels, starting quarterback, to perform.
“I think it will be a Chiefs, Commanders Super Bowl… Chiefs will make it a three-peat,” Chiefs fan James Jaillite ‘26 said.
Jaillite believes that Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs are going to win their third Super Bowl in a row. He became a Chiefs fan when he was young. His dad was born and raised in Kansas, and this is the main reason Jaillite is now also a Chiefs fan.
He believes that Jayden Daniels will be able to dismantle the Eagles defense and lift them to the big game. In order for the Chiefs to bring home their third Vince Lombardi Trophy, he says that they will have to get off to a strong start in their games and keep a distant lead. He also says that Travis Kelce, starting tight end for the Chiefs, will have to be an impact player.
Professor Noah Frank shared his support for Buffalo.
“I’m generally rooting for the Bills… I like to see long-suffering fan bases finally get their title, and it’s long past time for the Chiefs’ reign to come to an end,” he said.
Frank has been working as a part time professor at Loyola since 2018. He teaches a sports writing class and is currently teaching a sports media and broadcasting class. He has spent six years working in media relations, broadcasting, and social media for baseball teams, such as the Chicago Cubs, Washington Nationals, and some of their triple A teams. Since then he has worked as a sports writer and editor at Washington’s Top News, until 2020, and has written in a freelance capacity for The Washington Post Magazine, Washington City Paper, Baseball Prospectus, and other outlets.
Frank is not necessarily a fan of any of the four teams left, but he will be rooting for the Bills. He thinks that the Bills will face the Commanders. He says that Buffalo needs to prevent turning the ball over against Kansas City in order to advance. He believes that although Josh Allen is very good, starting running back James Cook needs to be a big factor for the team in order for them to be successful. Frank goes on to say that the Bills defense needs to lock up Kansas City’s Travis Kelce. If they can do all of that, then he believes that the Bills can take the NFL throne.
According to USA Today, the Eagles are favored to win the Super Bowl, with Kansas City being in second, Buffalo in third, and Washington in last.
For more information visit https://www.espn.com/nfl/.