Right now, Bill Belichick is a genius in the minds of millions. A defensive mastermind, a devoted and meticulous game preparations psycho, an offensive strategist-Belichick is a lock for the Hall of Fame, and has been mentioned in the same breath as Bill Walsh, Bill Parcells and the immortal Vince Lombardi. But in two weeks, Bill Belichick will be forced to prove once again that he is deserving of all those superlatives. I'm not talking about the Super Bowl. I'm talking about after the Super Bowl. In two weeks, Bill Belichick will lose his offensive coordinator Charlie Weis, who will take over as the head coach of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and his defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel, who will probably be named head coach of the Cleveland Browns about five minutes after he raises the Super Bowl trophy for the last time as a member of the New England Patriots coaching staff.

For Bill Belichick, Super Bowl XXXIX is not the test. After making the Colts look like ponies and the Steelers look like rubber, the Patriots come to Jacksonville as overwhelming favorites to win their third Super Bowl in four years under Belichick. Even if they lose, the Patriots' success will not be discounted. But no one really knows how much the Patriots owe their success to Belichick or to his coordinators Crennel and Weis. For two more weeks, the answer will be a secret. We won't know whether Belichick is as great as everyone claims. Is he a great motivator, a man who constantly criticizes and challenges a team that has done the unthinkable, re-establishing a dynasty during a time when everyone thought parity had set in, or is he just a figurehead?

I know it's been discussed in every television show, every radio broadcast and every newspaper, but I must emphasize once again that the Patriots are truly a dynasty. This postseason, they haven't just gotten by like they did in previous years. They didn't just outplay the opposition down the stretch and let Vinatieri win the game for them as time expired. The Patriots shifted their game into a gear that has not been seen in the NFL for a long time, if ever. They shut down the greatest offensive team in NFL history (not my claim), they scored 41 points against the best defensive team in the league, a team that allowed only 15.7 points and 258.4 yards per game in the regular season. These two opponents were a combined 29-4 when they faced New England. Not exactly the 8-8 teams playing in the NFC playoffs that the Eagles and Falcons faced.

Since I have another week to write about the Super Bowl, I'll stop here and hold off on the real game analysis for another week. But I don't think anyone wonders who I think will be the last team standing in Jacksonville on Feb. 5.

All around the mulberry bush

• It's only a month into 2005 and Tiger Woods is already at the top of the PGA money list. Look out. Tiger's married, focused and ready for a huge season. Be afraid, be very afraid. Vijay Singh disrupted the sleeping monster in 2004. I hope he's ready to deal with the consequences.

• Many people (one in particular) gave me a lot of crap when I picked the Chicago Bulls to make the NBA playoffs in my NBA preview article (Nov. 11). Back then, I wrote: "I like the Bulls. I don't know what it is, but I think they can make the playoffs. Luol Deng could be this year's Carmelo Anthony and Kirk Hinrich is starting this season where he left off at the end of last season. Everyone knew Hinrich was a leader and an excellent shooter in college, but people questioned how his game would adapt to the pros. Well it has, even quicker than expected, and he looks ready to be Chicago's go-to guy this season."

Well the Bulls lost their first nine games but have rebounded, and are now 20-19-16-4 in their last 20 games, and 9-1 in their last 10. They are a team of college superstars (Kirk Hinrich, Luol Deng, Ben Gordon, Chris Duhon) and prep-to-pros big men finally breaking out (Tyson Chandler, Eddie Curry). It's amazing that it took this long for NBA GMs to realize that guys who were successful in college are more often than not solid NBA players. With such a young, talented nucleus, the Bulls may finally be returning to the greatness they have so feverishly missed since the Jordan Era.

• The NHL will never be the same. College hockey, with a little marketing, could soon become the new "in" sport, replacing college basketball. If anyone from the NCAA or ESPN is reading this, please hire me to head your college hockey marketing division.

• I always forget how much I take The Boston Globe's Sports Section for granted while I'm at school. Is there a better source of sports news, statistics, analysis and features than The Globe? Just another reason why I'll always be a Bostonian at heart.

• ESPN's new show, "Tilt," has lots of potential, both as a show for poker players and as a drama. However, whether it lives up to that potential is yet to be determined. The concept is exceptional, the characters are all engaging, but the story has not yet grasped me to the point of obsession.

• Boston College basketball deserves some recognition! Many experts think the Eagles are overrated because of their low Strength-of-Schedule rank (49th), but they are fourth in the RPI rankings. Their overall schedule isn't as tough as many of the top teams, but they have quality wins over UConn, West Virginia, Villanova and Providence, all tournament-worthy teams.

• Over the next two weeks, the men's and women's basketball and hockey teams will be hosting Williams and Middlebury Colleges in important NESCAC match-ups. Do yourselves a favor and go root on the Jeffs. I'm sure they'd really appreciate your support. Excuses like "I have too much work" do not fly during the first three weeks of classes. Get off your asses and cheer on the Jeffs!