Photo by AJ Mast
AP

Wide receiver Marvin Harrison's availability for the COlts today will be a game-time decision.

It feels like a Super Bowl in November.

And like so many Super Bowls, today's matchup of the undefeateds in Indianapolis will fail to live up to the hype.

Never before in NFL history has an 8-0 team faced a 7-0 team?

Never before has an 8-0 team taken apart a 7-0 team like the Patriots will the Colts this afternoon.

Which means I agree with former USC and Patriots defensive end Willie McGinest.

"Really, I don't think it's going to be close," McGinest said on the NFL Network this week. "I think New England is going to pretty much dominate this game.

"All the weapons that they added in the offseason, add that to what they already had and it's crazy what they're doing up there."

Almost as crazy as the silly series of stories on ESPN.com and around the country this week that marked one team in this rivalry "Good" and one team in this rivalry "Evil."

Almost as crazy as the point spread, which has the unbeaten, defending Super Bowl champion nearly a touchdown underdog at home.

Almost as crazy as the potential television ratings, which, in these days of narrowcasting, are expected to be the highest for a regular-season game in more than a decade — perhaps even eclipsing the 1995 San Francisco-Dallas game.

Almost as crazy as the voices from around the league who have called for a cheap shot on Tom Brady.

At the center of that maelstrom, the Patriots quarterback has had the finest first half of a season in league history, throwing for three or more touchdowns in each of New England's eight wins.

His 30 touchdowns have already eclipsed his previous best for a season of 27. He also leads the league with 32 completions of more than 20 yards.

The Patriots will spread out the Colts two-deep defense using multiple receiver sets, where Wes Welker, isolated on a slot defender, will have a huge day.

Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett called Welker the "greatest hot-read receiver in NFL history" earlier this season. Today he lives up to that billing.

With Marvin Harrison at less than 100 percent, the Patriots, on the other side of the ball, will be able to match Reggie Wayne with Asante Samuel and design the rest of the defense to limiting Dallas Clark.

The Patriots lead the league in scoring (41.3 points per game). They rank fifth in scoring defense at 15.8 points per game. The plus-25.5 differential is the biggest gulf through eight games in the Super Bowl era.

The Patriots lead the league in turnover difference (plus-11), third-down defense (28.7 percent) and are second in red-zone offense, with 27 touchdowns in 39 attempts.

I've said it since Sept. 2. This will be the first team in NFL history to go 19-0. Wading through "Spygate" and the uproar over running up the score will only make it more interesting.

— Joe Curley is a staff writer for The Star. E-mail address: jcurley@VenturaCountyStar.com.