Well, guess what? They did, becoming the first No. 6 seed to get a crack at the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
And if there still were any doubters out there (yes, my hand is raised), the Steelers made them believers (yes, my hand is still raised) with their 34-17 victory over the second-seeded Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game.
They didn't simply beat the Broncos. They owned them. They ignored the sea of orange that filled Invesco Field at Mile High. They ignored the Broncos' 9-0 record there, including their win over the team that won three of the last four Super Bowls. They ignored being 5,280 feet above sea level.
Ben Roethlisberger, who has grown from the wide-eyed rookie who looked like he had no business in a playoff game last year to the second coming of Terry Bradshaw, made completion after completion. Long throws, short throws, intermediate throws. Many were so impressive, you couldn't help but delight in seeing them twice on replay.