Super Bowl 2012: Eli Manning and 5 Legacies That Can Be Drastically Altered

There is more on the line than a championship during this year's Super Bowl.

There are legacies to be determined.

The New England Patriots will face off with the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI and there are plenty of story lines to be discussed.

Here's a look at five legacies that could be drastically altered when all is said and done.

Eli Manning

Eli Manning made headlines this offseason when he said he was in the same class as Tom Brady.

Well, he's playing like an elite quarterback right now and is on the verge of defeating Brady and the Patriots in the Super Bowl for the second time in four years.

After a disappointing 2010, Manning passed for 4,933 yards and 29 touchdowns to just 16 interceptions. In the playoffs, he's passed for at least 277 yards in each of his three games and is coming off a 316-yard, two-touchdown performance against the vaunted San Francisco 49ers' defense.

If Manning wins this time, it's hard to argue that he's at least in the same company as Brady.

Tom Brady

Brady has already done enough to be called one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game. He's a seven-time Pro Bowler and three-time champion.

But if he wants to be called the greatest to ever play the game, he can't allow Manning and the Giants to beat his Patriots on the big stage for the second time in four years.

Bill Belichick

Would the greatest coach ever allow his team to sink to the same team once again? I don't think so.

That's why a loss to the Giants will undoubtedly damage Belichick's legacy and steal some of his thunder. After all, if a coach who was on the verge of possibly getting fired this season beats him, you wonder how powerful Belichick really is.

Tom Coughlin

With the Giants sinking late in the season, many were calling for Tom Coughlin's head in New York. The Giants were on the verge of getting knocked out of the playoffs at the end of the season once again.

But the Giants did what they had, defeating the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys and soaring into the playoffs.

Now Coughlin has a chance of winning his second Super Bowl in four years. It's hard to imagine any talk of him being fired if he does that.

Chad Ochocinco

Yes, Chad Ochocinco still plays professional football.

Ochocinco, largely seen as a game-changing pickup for the Patriots in the offseason, has just 15 catches all season long and one touchdown.

Even if the Patriots win this game, it's very likely that Ochocinco won't be a factor. Then you start wondering if this six-time Pro Bowler was overrated all along. If the Giants win and Ochocinco isn't a factor, you really start questioning if he's ever been a true winner. Ochocinco has always been talented, but does he have the intangibles to go along with it?