On January 20, 2008, the 10-6 New York Giants entered Lambeau Field to face off against the 13-3 Green Bay Packers for a trip to Super Bowl XLII. Eli Manning was still trying to step out of his older brother's shadow while Brett Favre was looking to solidify his legacy with one last hoorah (pff..). Tom Coughlin and Mike McCarthy were both looking for their first Super Bowl rings as head coaches.
What ensued would become an instant classic. The Giants would win the game on a Lawrence Tynes 47-yard field goal in overtime, completing their third straight playoff road victory. Two weeks later, they shocked the world by defeating the previously undefeated New England Patriots to win it all.
A few years later, the Packers would get a little revenge, helping keep the G-Men out of the playoffs, then going on a very similar playoff run to win Super Bowl XLV.
Now, it's 2012.
The 9-7 New York Giants are heading to Lambeau once more to face off against the 15-1 Green Bay Packers. This time for a trip back to the NFC Championship. Eli Manning will look to surpass his older brother's success while Aaron Rodgers will look to surpass the success of his predecessor. Tom Coughlin and Mike McCarthy will now be hunting for their second rings.
The similarities are there. In 2008, the Giants came into the game eight-point underdogs. So far for this game, the spread favors Green Bay by 8.5 points.
However, while there will be plenty of parallels between this Sunday's game and 2008's NFC Championship Game, there will also be some significant differences that will play key roles in deciding its outcome.
Here are the top five of each...
