Super Bowl XLVI will feature a rematch of the teams in Super Bowl XLII, the New York Giants and New England Patriots, which was in 2008.
The circumstances coming into this year's Super Bowl are quite similar but each team's core has had a makeover.
The Super Bowl run for the Patriots in the 2007-08 season was one of epic proportions. Bill Belichick and Tom Brady put together a record-breaking season consisting of an undefeated regular season, a new record for touchdown passes in a single season and a focused Randy Moss who set the record for receiving touchdowns in a single season.
The Giants also had a memorable run that season, which included Eli Manning winning three road playoff games to reach the Super Bowl, David Tyree's theatrical catch against his helmet and the brutal end to the Patriots' previously unblemished record.
The aftermath of Super Bowl XLII was that Eli Manning asserted himself as an elite-quarterback in the NFL, Tom Brady's immortal playoff record was wounded and the end of the Patriot dynasty might be closer than most originally thought.
Four years later and we have Eli Manning vs. Tom Brady, round two.
This time around, Brady does not have the constant deep threat he had in Moss in the first matchup, but instead is equipped with two tight ends in Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez that give defensive coordinators more headaches than any normal person gets listening to the Kardashian sisters for more than five minutes.
Manning is now an established top-tier quarterback, but his receiving targets have changed as well.
One nightclub and a gun shot later, Plaxico Burress blasted himself into jail and out of the NFL for a season only to return to the Giant's in-town rival, the New York Jets.
Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks have filled Burress's shoes and then some as they accounted for 1,536 and 1,192 receiving yards during the regular season, respectively.
As much as the two teams have changed in those four years, the constants between them might be of more importance.
The difference in the Giants' upset over the Patriots in 2008 was the ability to get pressure on Brady with the Giants' freakish defensive line that included current Giants Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora.
The Giants have added Jason Pierre-Paul, who was fourth in the league in sacks this season with 16.5, and former Dallas Cowboy Chris Canty to their rushing attack.
The defensive line even has a package named "NASCAR" for passing situations which put the Giants' four best pass rushers on the field to put the opposing quarterback under as much duress as possible.
The goal for both Brady and Manning are the same, to hoist the Lombardi Trophy once again. The implications on their legacies up the ante, however.
Brady has a chance to capture his fourth Super Bowl ring and move ahead of Joe Montana with the highest number of playoff wins for an NFL quarterback in the process.
With a win Sunday, Manning can silence the critics that claimed his first Super Bowl run was a fluke and pass his brother Peyton in number of Super Bowl wins as well.
Playing in Indianapolis, Ind., at Lucas Oil Stadium, Peyton's home stadium for the Indianapolis Colts for the past 14 years, Eli and the Giants will look to repeat the road they traveled to win Super Bowl XLII.
The Giants have already won three road games in Atlanta, Green Bay, Wis. and San Francisco to get to the Super Bowl.
Next up are the Patriots. Can the Giants finish the repeat story or will Tom Brady get his long-awaited revenge?
One thing is for sure, if the game is anything like the previous matchup, it will be remembered for the 15-second plays that determine the game and not the 30-second, million-dollar commercials.
Corbin McGuire is a sophomore in journalism and mass communications. Please send comments to sports@kstatecollegian.com.
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