Super Bowl 2012: 3 Matchups That We Want to See in Indy

With the Super Bowl about two and a half weeks away, most football fans are already anticipating which matchups they want to see. Some of those matchups come in the form of two teams, but others are smaller individual matchups that could make for extremely interesting storylines.

While neither the Green Bay Packers nor the New Orleans Saints reached the NFC Championship Game as anticipated, some entertaining Super Bowl battles are still in play. Here are three Super Bowl matchups that look the most intriguing as we enter Conference Championship weekend.

New England Patriots Offense vs. San Francisco 49ers Defense

Although it is somewhat arguable, I think that most would agree that the New England Patriots have the best offense remaining in the playoffs while the San Francisco 49ers have the best defense. With that in mind, New England vs. San Francisco is a naturally interesting Super Bowl matchup. Quarterback Tom Brady operating against a defense that ranked near the top in the league in most categories, including forced turnovers, would be a fantastic dynamic.

While the Niners are better known for their ability to stop the run than the pass, they were able to survive a barrage by quarterback Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints last week. If Brady doesn't play well then the Patriots have no chance of winning the Super Bowl, but the same can be said of the 49ers and their defense. This matchup would be the ultimate test of strength vs. strength.

John Harbaugh vs. Jim Harbaugh

It's tough to say just how entertaining a Baltimore Ravens vs. San Francisco 49ers Super Bowl could really be since there likely wouldn't be much offense, but having brothers John and Jim Harbaugh coach against each other for all the marbles would be pretty cool. The Harbaughs faced each other in the regular season in a game where the Ravens came out on top on Thanksgiving night, but this game would be far more meaningful.

John has proven to be one of the best head coaches in the game since taking over as the Ravens' boss, while Jim is already considered to be among the best in just his first professional season. I'm not sure what the record is for most shots of head coaches on the sidelines in a single game, but this matchup would undoubtedly shatter it. This game would be a defensive chess match, but a brother vs. brother battle would be something to behold.

New York Giants vs. New England Patriots

No disrespect to the San Francisco 49ers or Baltimore Ravens, but I have to believe that most unbiased football fans would agree that the New York Giants and New England Patriots are the two most entertaining teams remaining in the postseason. Because of that, it only stands to reason that they would put on the best possible Super Bowl.

Not only that, but these two teams have quite a history as the Giants ruined the Patriots' undefeated season in the Super Bowl four years ago. With many of the major players still in the fold, namely Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and Giants quarterback Eli Manning, this game would be heated and tightly contested. It has been proven that the easiest way to beat Brady is with a great pass rush and the Giants have that. The game was a classic the last time these two teams met in the playoffs and it would likely be so again this season.