Super Bowl 50: Cam Newton's Carolina Panthers Take on Peyton Manning's Denver Broncos

If you're a big football fan like I am, you're on pins and needles waiting for the 50th annual Super Bowl match-up coming up on February 7. Over 114 million households watched last year's game featuring the Seahawks and the Patriots, and this year's audience is expected to be even bigger as the NFC champions, the Carolina Panthers, play the AFC champion Denver Broncos.

Here's a rundown of both teams' very different 2015 seasons, what to expect from them in the Super Bowl, and of course a preview of the commercials we'll be seeing on game day.

CAROLINA PANTHERS

On Sunday, January 24, the Carolina Panthers, led by quarterback Cam Newton, won the NFC Championship Game in a blowout match against the Arizona Cardinals, 49-15. This is the second time the Panthers have reached the Super Bowl: the 2003-04 team won the NFC Championship only to lose to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVIII. The Panthers' final win in the playoffs capped a nearly-perfect season for the team.

The Panthers entered the playoffs as the first seed in the NFC and possessing a very valuable home-field advantage. They entered the playoffs 15-1, becoming only the seventh team in NFL history to have notched 15 regular season wins. The Panthers' 2015 season was a regular Cinderella story, improving from 7-8-1 in 2014 to go 14-0 through Week 15 in 2015, only to lose their only game in Week 16 against their rivals, the Atlanta Falcons. The team was led by quarterback Cam Newton, who became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 30 touchdowns and rush for 10 in the same season. In the NFC Championship Game, Carolina scored more points than any other team in any past NFC Championship match-up. Carolina forced Arizona into seven turnovers and outpaced the Cardinals on yardage, 476-287.

DENVER BRONCOS

The Denver Broncos will be going to the Super Bowl for the eighth time. For head coach Gary Kubiak, this will be the first time he will be coaching players in a Super Bowl, after failing to reach the Super Bowl twice in the AFC playoffs when he coached the Houston Texans. After a uncertain season for quarterback Peyton Manning, he will be playing in his fourth Super Bowl, becoming the oldest quarterback to play in football's most important game (he will turn 40 on March 24).

The Broncos had a difficult road to the Super Bowl, with much of the drama revolving around quarterback Peyton Manning and his struggle to play while dealing with plantar fasciitis. The Broncos started off very promising, at one point going 7-0, but in week ten Manning had to leave during the game against the Kansas City Chiefs due to a plantar fasciitis tear in his left foot. Brock Osweiler took over as quarterback, winning four of the next six (albeit two in overtime), only for Manning to return in the final game of the regular season. In the AFC Championship Game, the Broncos played the New England Patriots, and the Broncos ran up at 17-9 lead by halftime. The Patriots tried to come from behind to steal the game, coming within two points of the Broncos, but their final two-point conversion attempt and onside kick attempt were both foiled. The final score was 20-18, and it's Denver that will be going west for the Super Bowl.

THE COMMERCIALS

Since so many people watch the Super Bowl each year, the price for airtime during their highly-coveted commercial breaks is sky high. For the first time ever, the average price one would need to pay to air a 30-second commercial during the Super Bowl has topped $5 million, a sharp rise from the $4.5 million it took just last year. It might seem like a steep price to pay, but there is no easier way to get your name out to hundreds of millions of viewers at the same time.

Coca-Cola has recently introduced a new marketing campaign, revolving around the slogan "Taste the Feeling." They will be pushing this slogan very heavily during the Super Bowl. Coca-Cola is one of the Super Bowl's most dedicated advertisers, and this year they will be shelling out a lot to get its updated image out to as many people as possible. GoDaddy, who is well-known for their Super Bowl ads, will be sitting out this year after airing commercials every year since Super Bowl XXXIX.

Ready to take GoDaddy's place, website builder Wix.com has put together a very visually-appealing ad featuring characters from the animated film Kung Fu Panda. Korean supercorporation LG is advertising in the Super Bowl for the very first time this year, showcasing their newest line of TVs featuring OLED ("organic light-emitting diodes") technology. Look for Liam Neeson in the spot!

Budweiser has ditched the cute pups seen in the past two Super Bowls, instead going back to basics and bringing back the fan-favorite Budweiser Clydesdales! Speaking of dogs and beer, you'll have to wait another year for Spuds MacKenzie's comeback because this year's Bud Light ad will be very humorous and will feature comedians Amy Schumer and Seth Rogen. And of course if you're a fan of the Doritos' Crash the Super Bowl contest, you will be very happy to know that this is the tenth and final year for this much-loved tradition. The top three advertisements have been chosen and you can vote for your favorite right now by going to crashthesuperbowl.doritos.com.

Super Bowl 50 will kick off from Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California on Sunday, February 7 at 3:30 p.m. (6:30 Eastern Time) on CBS (WTSP, WKMG, WPEC, WFOR). For more information, visit superbowl.com