NFC Championship Game 2012: 49ers vs. Giants Will Rekindle Classic Rivalry

The San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants combined to win six Super Bowls in 10 years during the the 1980s and '90s.

Five times they met in the postseason during that 10-year span, and four of the their combined six Bowl runs included matchups with one another along the way.

The two teams weren't just frequent opponents, they were rivals.

It has been quite a while since they last met, but Giants fans remember Big Blue's last trip to Candlestick in the postseason all too well.

That game has nothing to do with these two teams, but this meeting in the NFC conference championship has the potential to rejuvenate a rivalry.

The Giants have the best quarterback in the division—in the prime of his career—along with a great, young group of receivers, an improving offensive line and a defensive line that can change games for the next several years.

The 49ers have a new coach, an improving quarterback, a talented all-purpose running back and dominant defense that can force offenses to be one-dimensional.

Put simply, these are two teams that can sustain playoff-caliber football for the next several years.

And the way they play football is exactly the type of game that can bring back the classic rivalry from years ago; we've seen it once already this season.

Big Blue traveled to San Francisco earlier this year, falling 27-20 on a batted ball on fourth-and-two from the 49ers 10-yard line.

This time around, the stakes are higher and the game shouldn't be much different. If that's the case, this will be the start of things to come.