By the time I digested the new overtime rules for the playoffs, it was over. In fact, I was out of the room for the first snap in overtime. Saw the touchdown on replay. In essence, I got Tebowed.

Denver beat the Steelers, 29-23, last night on Demaryius Thomas’ 80-yard catch and run with a pass from Tim Tebow. The electrifying play means that the Broncos will travel to New England to face the Patriots next week. At least one more chance to stun a football nation.

Lost in the sudden ending of the game were three outstanding  defensive plays at the end of regulation when Ben Roethlisberger appeared to be driving his team to a potential game-winning field goal. Big Ben had already wiped out a 14-point halftime deficit and it seemed that Denver was helpless to prevent Pittsburgh from Tebowing the Broncos themselves.

The biggest play in regulation came with the Steelers on Denver’s 45-yard-line with 29 seconds left. A 62-yard field goal in the rarified air of Denver was not out of the question. But Elvis Dumervil dived at the quarterback and knocked the ball from his hands. By the time Roethlisberger corralled the fumble, his team had lost 12 yards and was out of field goal range.

There was time for one big play to get back into field goal territory again, but Champ Bailey knocked away a pass intended for Hines Ward.

Robert Ayers completed the defensive effort by sacking Roethlisberger before he could get off a Hail Mary pass.

Next week is a new chapter in the Tim Tebow story. He hopes it’s much different than the one that ended in a 41-23 pounding by New England that sent the Broncos into an end-of-year tailspin. But who’s to say he can’t rewrite his own ending? I’m not comfortable betting against him – or his team.

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It didn’t take long for all the Giants-Packers talk to begin. The Giants were dominant in the second half of yesterday’s 24-2 victory over the Falcons, earning a trip to Green Bay next week and allowing Giants fans to dream big for awhile.

The comparisons have been made to the Giants’ last Super Bowl run, when they gave the Patriots all they could handle at the end of the regular season before pulling off the stunner in the Super Bowl. Round 1 of Packers-Giants was eerily similar to New York’s first meeting with New England. All that remains is an upset in the NFC playoffs at Green Bay.

The Giants’ defensive line is peaking right now. It gives them a chance to pressure Aaron Rodgers and throw him off his game. And with Hakeem Nicks returning to form yesterday, it gives Eli Manning two dangerous targets (along with Victor Cruz) as he tries to keep pace with the Packers’ offensive machine next week.

This is a veteran team that will not be intimidated going into Green Bay at this time of year. The trouble is, though, they won’t find the Falcons … or Jets and Cowboys when they get there.

Imagine having to beat the Packers in Green Bay and the Saints in New Orleans in respective weeks. Just to get to the Super Bowl. If Big Blue can do that, as well as win the big game, it would be an even more impressive achievement that knocking off the unbeaten Patriots.

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Here’s something to think about tonight’s NCAA championship game between LSU and Alabama: Some voters are on record as saying they will keep the Tigers as the No. 1 team in the polls if the Tide does not beat them convincingly.

That’s because LSU already beat the Tide in Alabama this season, and tonight’s game is being played on a neutral field.

So what kind of a “national championship game” is this anyway, one where the winner may not be the No. 1 team in the nation.

It sounds like college football may need a new system.