NFL Playoff Schedule 2012: Most Ideal Conference Championship Matchups

The Wild Card Round is in the books, but it is still a long road before we reach the Super Bowl. The divisional round and the conference championships remain to be played.

The divisional round will be taken care of this weekend, but I want to look ahead to the conference championships. It's not uncommon for these games to be more entertaining and more hotly contested than the Super Bowl itself, and that's what we could be in for this year, but only if we get the right matchups.

If I were you, I'd cross your fingers and hope that we get at least one of the four matchups listed below.

AFC Championship Game

Denver Broncos at Baltimore Ravens

This is what we'll get if the Broncos beat the New England Patriots and the Ravens beat the Houston Texans. It's not a likely matchup, but it would be a good one.

The main draw, obviously, would be Tim Tebow. If he makes it this far, it will be because his Broncos out-dueled Tom Brady and the mighty Patriots on their home turf. 

A lot of people tend to roll their eyes when Tebow does something, but there will be no eye-rolling if Tebow beats the Patriots. That's a legit accomplishment, and it would have to make you believe that he is capable of leading the Broncos to the Super Bowl.

But the Ravens would not yield easily. They have the ability to be one of the most dominant teams in the league when things are going right, and they are practically unbeatable at home.

The Ravens succeed largely because of their defense, which was once again one of the best in the league during the regular season. Tebow just beat a great Pittsburgh Steelers defense, but the Steel Curtain wasn't as strong this year as is usually is.

By comparison, Baltimore's defense is as strong as it's ever been.

So on the one hand, this game would be an ultimate test for Tebow. On the other hand, it would be a chance for the Ravens to display their dominance. 

Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots

This is what we'll get if the Ravens beat the Texans and the Patriots beat the Broncos, as many people expect them to do.

If there is one team in the AFC that is perfectly suited to knock off the Patriots, it's the Ravens. Their defense is the perfect argument for Tom Brady and the Patriots' offense, and New England's defense wouldn't pose much of a challenge for always-challenged Joe Flacco.

The Ravens would invariably try to keep the Pats off the scoreboard and lure them into a slow-moving slugfest. That would allow the Ravens to give the Pats a steady dose of Ray Rice, and his talents alone could end up being enough to propel Baltimore to the Super Bowl.

The Pats will be hungry to get there, but it's hard to imagine them being hungrier than the Ravens. They haven't been to the Super Bowl since the year they won it back in 2000—when Ray Lewis was still a young man.

Lewis is no longer young, and you just know he'd like nothing more than to win another Super Bowl before his career is over.

NFC Championship Game

San Francisco 49ers at Green Bay Packers

This is what we'll get if the 49ers beat the New Orleans Saints and the Packers beat the New York Giants.

The only way the 49ers are beating the Saints is if their defense shuts down Drew Brees and his merry band of playmakers. That is going to be much, much easier said than done, but the 49ers are the only team in the NFC that has a legit shot at pulling it off.

If the 49ers shut down the Saints, the Packers would have to be pretty concerned. The 49ers will have proven just how great their defense is, and they would be looking to prove the point once again against the league's highest-scoring team.

On the flip side, this would be yet another chance for Aaron Rodgers to prove just how great he is. If he could succeed where Drew Brees failed, the debate about who the best quarterback in the league is could be put to bed.

New Orleans Saints at Green Bay Packers

This is the matchup we're all expecting to see, and it's the matchup that we probably will see.

The Saints and Packers hooked up in the first game of the 2011 regular season, and it turned into an instant classic. The Packers seemed to dominate the proceedings, but the Saints managed to hang around, and they nearly left Green Bay with an upset win in their back pocket.

If the Saints were to beat the Packers in the NFC Championship Game, it would barely count as an upset. The Packers finished with the best record in the league this season, but the Saints are arguably the best team in the NFL right now.

To beat the Saints, Rodgers would have to show up in a big way, but Green Bay's defense would have to do the same. It gave up a lot of yards and a lot of points during the regular season, but it's still the same defense that was one of the best units in the league in 2010.

To beat the Saints, Green Bay's defense would have to recapture its old form.

Divisional Round

Saturday, Jan 14

New Orleans Saints at San Francisco 49ers—4:30 p.m. ET on FOX

Denver Broncos at New England Patriots—8 p.m. ET on CBS

Sunday, Jan 15

Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens—1 p.m. ET on CBS

New York Giants at Green Bay Packers—4:30 p.m. ET on FOX

Conference Championships

AFC Championship Game

Sunday, Jan. 22 on CBS

NFC Championship Game

Sunday, Jan. 22 on FOX

Super Bowl XLVI

Where: Lucas Oil Stadium 

When: Sunday, Feb. 5 at 6:30 p.m. ET