Super Bowl XLVI: The 5 Best Super Bowl Matchups That Have Never Happened

The Super Bowl is one of the greatest sporting events in NFL history.

It matches the best NFL teams up against one another in a game viewed by millions each year. Last year, two teams with storied traditions, Pittsburgh and Green Bay, met in Dallas and put on a show in a game won by Green Bay, 31-25.

This year, the tradition will be renewed. The winner of the Baltimore-New England AFC Championship and the NY Giants-San Francisco NFC Championship will add on to the legacy the game leaves, and they will meet Feb. 5 in Indianapolis.

But there are teams with traditions just like Pittsburgh and Green Bay that have never played against each other in the "Big Game." Sure, we've all seen Dallas and New England in the big game, but have we seen them play each other?

Let's go over the five best Super Bowl matchups that have never happened.

5. New York Giants vs. Indianapolis Colts

The last time Peyton faced Eli, the Colts blew out the Giants. The time before that, the Colts won, 26-21. Eli has never beaten his big brother in the NFL before.

If Eli faced Peyton in the Super Bowl with a chance to prove that he's better than his brother, he should draw the attention of the entire nation. The Super Bowl record books would be rewritten.

The Giants are three-time Super Bowl champions, and under Eli Manning, they have made a national name for themselves. The same goes for Peyton and the Colts, who have won and lost a Super Bowl and brought football back to Indianapolis.

Even if Peyton didn't play, you'd have Andrew Luck trying to win a second Super Bowl for the Colts. Two franchises going at it with one prize on the line.

This one would be a real treat for the nation. Either Eli vs. Peyton or Eli vs. Luck, bringing two talented teams into the big game. Maybe this wouldn't be one for the past, but definitely one for the present.

4. Green Bay Packers vs. New York Jets

New York Jets = trash talk.

In the Super Bowl, the trash talking would increase to a new level.

Mark Sanchez and the Jets, who seem to have all the attention of the NFL right at their fingertips, would take on Aaron Rodgers and the Super Bowl XLV champs.

Cheeseheads vs. trash talkers.

What a game that would be.

New York has used their defense as a backbone for an offense led by Mark Sanchez, a quarterback who has been known for throwing interceptions and failing in big situations. However, the Jets have beaten the Colts, Patriots and Chargers on the road during the playoffs.

If New York could come through and get to the Super Bowl against the small little team from Wisconsin, who knows what would've happened.

Just imagine what could've been last year.

3. San Francisco 49ers vs. New England Patriots

The last time these two teams played, Matt Cassel and J.T. O'Sullivan were quarterbacking the two teams.

Don't get me wrong, there's a good chance that the 49ers and Patriots will meet in two weeks. And also, for the record, Tom Brady was injured, and Cassel took over.

But now, there's no doubt about Alex Smith being the starter. And with one win from Smith and Brady, it's a Super Bowl rematch on the menu. The tradition of Joe Cool and Steve Young in the big game would finally be renewed.

How about the Patriots? Six Super Bowl appearances, three wins. If you want a game between teams with history, tune into this one. In fact, the game will be played during the 2012 season in Boston.

Football fans who want a game with tradition should be rooting for New England and San Francisco. These teams have played in a combined 11 Super Bowls, and a 12th is likely to come this year.

So if you want tradition, you'd love this Super Bowl.

2. Dallas Cowboys vs. New England Patriots

Hey, America. How's this for Super Bowl tradition? Patriots and Cowboys?

Tony Romo and Tom Brady squaring off on the gridiron with the NFL's ultimate prize on the line. The Cowboy cheerleaders and the Brady fanatics. All of this in the Super Bowl?

Wow. To think this game has never happened before.

Why? Because when the Patriots started their dynasty, the Cowboys shut off their dynasty. Now, Romo is known for failing in the clutch and being a guy no Cowboy fan can trust. A Super Bowl berth would change all of that, however.

And for Brady? A fourth Super Bowl ring would be nice to add to his finger, and the trophy would be great for the city of Boston.

Just imagine the storylines for this game. Brady vs. Romo.

Can Romo win in the clutch? Will Brady do it again? Is a new Cowboy dynasty starting?

Wow. What Super Bowl matchup that has never happened could possibly top this?

1. San Francisco 49ers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Wow. Can it really get better than Niners vs. Steelers?

Maybe. But out of all the games that have never happened before (in the Super Bowl), this one takes the cake.

Eleven combined Super Bowl titles. Dynasties featuring Joe Cool, Steve Young, Terry Bradshaw, Ben Roethlisberger and great tradition would be carried on for a huge game.

The Alex Smith comparisons wouldn't stop. The "what ifs" about Big Ben and a third title would continue for two weeks. The talk about an up-and-coming 49ers defense against a defensive powerhouse.

Could Hollywood write it up much better than this for a first-time Super Bowl matchup? Probably not. Talk about tradition. This one's got it all.

We've all seen the Steelers dominate recently, appearing in three of six Super Bowls and taking home the Lombardi trophy twice. But now, the 49ers are coming, and word in San Francisco is that a win over the New York Giants in the NFC Championship Game would kick off a new dynasty.

Roethlisberger trying to solidify his reputation as a great quarterback and Alex Smith trying to prove he belongs. Hollywood wouldn't need to do any work for this game.

Pittsburgh and San Francisco already wrote the script for you.