A great, nay, flawless season

Traditionally, columnists at the IDS can use their last columns at the paper to write about whatever they want. How that's different from every other week, I'm not sure, but I'm going to take the opportunity not to tell you, the reader about what to do in your time at IU, but to tell you why the Indianapolis Colts are going to go undefeated.\nIn this very paper at the beginning of the semester, I picked the Colts to play in the Super Bowl (to prove my sports knowledge, my co-editor Brian picked the Vikings) against the Falcons. Despite the prediction, never in my wildest dreams did I think the team would be 12-0 only four weeks from the playoffs. Ever since the win against the Patriots, I've been biting my tongue and ignoring all the talk about an undefeated season. But now, with four games left, I'm buying into the Colts' chances to actually do it.\nDespite wins against consistently playoff-bound teams like the Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers, many critics make the argument that Indy has had a weak schedule so far this season. Give me a break. This is the National Football League. It takes extremely good play to never slip up, even to a bad team, and lose a game during the regular season. Last season, on their way to the Super Bowl, the Patriots lost to the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football. New England's 14-2 season was flawed by one loss to the Steelers and a 29-28 loss to a team with a 4-12 record.\nOthers still note that the Colts' season has not been nearly as dominant as the 1972 Miami Dolphins team, the last squad to go undefeated in the regular season. It isn't really clear where this misconception of that Miami team originated, but it's just simply untrue. During 1972, the Dolphins won six of their games by 10 points or less. Not to mention struggling with many mediocre teams, including pulling out a 24-23 win against the 4-9-1 Buffalo Bills.\nSo far in 2005, the Colts have only won three games by less than 10 points and have scored more than 30 points seven times.\nObviously, it's going to take some luck -- probably more than a little -- to run the table. But Indy has the best chance of any recent team to come close to breaking the Dolphin's 1972 record. Week in and week out, you can count on the Colts for two things: solid defense and plenty of scoring.\nIt's true that three of the year's toughest games are coming in the next three weeks. Jacksonville, San Diego and Seattle are looking toward the playoffs and aren't going to be intimidated by the Colts. But brace yourselves for a stampede all the way to Detroit.\nThis is the last Down to the Dwire. Thanks to you who have read weekly and e-mailed your comments, I've appreciated all of them. It's been a blast. Keep reading the sports page -- it's only going to get better.