The cover of the Jan. 19 issue of Sports Illustrated, with a picture of Pittsburgh Steelers receivers Nate Washington and Santonio Holmes celebrating against the San Diego Chargers, asks the question: "Who Can Stop the Steelers?"

After the Steelers' defeat of the Baltimore Ravens in Sunday's American Football Conference championship game, the only team with any chance of doing that this playoff season is the Arizona Cardinals, who defeated the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday in the National Football Conference title matchup, earning the Cardinals their first trip to the Super Bowl.

Not so for the Steelers, who will be playing for the Vince Lombardi Trophy for the seventh time, having won five of those six previous title contests.

But this Super Bowl will have an intriguing, much-to-be-talked-about twist in the four-decades-old history of the contest. In facing Arizona, the Steelers, under second-year coach Mike Tomlin, will be facing two of the architects of the Steelers' 2006 Super Bowl victory over the Seatte Seahawks.

Ken Whisenhunt, the offensive coordinator when the Steelers won Super Bowl XL, now is the Cardinals' head coach, while Russ Grimm, another member of former Steelers Coach Bill Cowher's staff, currently is Whisenhunt's top assistant.

How the in-depth knowledge Whisenhunt and Grimm have of the Steelers and some of their star personnel will benefit the Cardinals will be determined on Feb. 1, when the two teams collide in Tampa. However, the Cardinals now are well aware that the Ravens' familiarity with the Steelers, having played the Black and Gold twice previously this season, failed to give Baltimore the edge it needed to capture the AFC title.

If the Steelers' offense plays up to its capability and avoids turnovers, and the defense gets on the field with the toughness and stinginess it has displayed practically all season, Pittsburgh should live up to — or exceed — oddsmakers' expectations regarding a predicted Steelers' victory.

However, the Steelers must avoid overconfidence. When the longtime-dismal Steelers finally achieved big-time success, earning the right to play the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IX, commentators on game day observed that if the Vikings ever were going to win the Super Bowl, that would be the year.

It wasn't. The Steelers deflated the Vikings' confidence, winning 16-6 — the Vikings' third Super Bowl defeat in the game's nine-year history.

The Vikings never have won the Big Game.

Despite having little history of success, the Cardinals, whose last NFL championship was in 1947, when the team, one of the NFL's original franchises, was based in Chicago, might just be hungry enough to give the Steelers a major challenge in which anything might happen.

But if the real Super Steelers show up on Feb. 1, they will be unstoppable, becoming the first team to win six Super Bowls.

The Steelers' performance against the Ravens on Sunday reaffirmed the Steelers' toughness and their ability to make the big plays in less-than-ideal playing conditions. Weather conditions on Feb. 1 should be more hospitable in Florida.

Also, expect mutual respect and a lack of arrogance on the part of both teams. Fans won't witness the attitude displayed by the Ravens toward the Steelers.

Steelers right tackle Willie Colon summed it up as follows in the Jan. 19 Sports Illustrated as follows:

"We don't like them (Ravens). It's the history, but it's also the arrogance and the disrespect they show us."

In that same issue of the magazine, Arizona safety Adrian Wilson, reflecting on his team's then-upcoming meeting with the Eagles following the Cardinals' victory over the Carolina Panthers, said, "Now we're just going to stay humble and hope people keeping doubting us. We like it that way."

The Steelers must avoid that mistake — the big danger to a Super Bowl win for Ben Roethlisberger and Company.

Last year's Super Bowl was one of the best and most exciting as the New York Giants defeated the previously unbeaten New England Patriots. The Steelers also can lay claim to one of the most exciting victories in the history of the Super Bowl — the Steelers' heart-stopping 35-31 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XIII.

Understandably, Steelers Nation is pumped up as fans look forward to the Feb. 1 encounter with the Cardinals. "Here We Go" will be a frequent refrain in the coming two weeks as fans plan for Super Bowl parties and other activities — and prepare to enjoy not only the game but the halftime show and the clever, high-priced ads that have become synonymous with the big game.

Most ads for the coming game have sold for about $3 million per 30-second spot — an all-time high.

Meanwhile, about 100 million U.S. viewers will watch the game, which is the most-watched event in the nation.

As Sports Illustrated observed, the Cardinals are playing with a confidence that belies their inexperience and a newfound resolve. But, as the game against Baltimore showed, the Steelers are back to playing tough and without turnovers. And that's the scenario in which the team shines — and wins.

If that holds true for the game against the Cardinals, the answer to the question on the Sports Illustrated cover will be answered quickly:

"No one."