(By Daisy Barringer)

You know how sometimes when you get what you want it doesn't feel real? Like, you're in a fog or a dream or underwater? That is exactly what has happened to me. After Saturday's emotional win over the Saints, I was depleted. Despite hours and hour of sleep, I didn't feel fully human again until Wednesday. And now it's Friday. And we're 48 hours away from the NFC Championship game; a game, let's be honest, none of us thought we'd get to this season. A game that's the biggest any of us have experienced since the 49ers lost to Green Bay in '97/'98.

People? THIS IS HAPPENING.

So why am I in Tahoe in the midst of an epic (?) storm? Why even risk the chance of getting stuck up here and being unable to get back to San Francisco in time for the 3:30 p.m. kickoff at Candlestick? Why tempt fate days before one of the most important football games of my entire life?

Because, as much SportCenter as I watch, articles that I read, tweets I consume: None of this feels real. Not yet.

The San Francisco 49ers are one win away from the Super Bowl. One win away from a chance to prove all of the doubters and haters wrong. Because that is what it will take to shut everyone up: Super Bowl victory. But first, we have to beat the NY Giants. So how are we going to do that? I'll tell you:

The Bad

>> The Giants are on a roll. They won two straight at the end of the season to clinch the NFC East. Then they crushed the Atlanta Falcons in the wildcard game, upset the 15-1 Packers in the division game, and now they're coming to San Francisco with a ton of momentum.

>> Eli Manning is having the best season of his life. A stomach bug is not going to keep this guy from throwing touchdowns. Speaking of, he's had three TD passes in each of the Giants' playoff wins.

>> The Giants are healthy. Though the 27-20 win in October was pretty kickass, we weren't playing a team at full strength. Of course, the Niners have also improved greatly since that game...

>> The Giants put hefty pressure on the quarterback. This is one of my biggest fears. Yes, our offensive line improved in the second half of the season, but they still let Alex Smith get sacked 48 times this season. Smith's mobility and the fact that he knows when to throw the ball away are crucial. Because the pass rush? It's coming.

>> Forget pressure on the quarterback. What about the emotional pressure on the 49ers? I'm worried it's all going to end up being just a little too much for them. That they aren't prepared for this. That maybe they blew their load against the Saints.

>> Ted Ginn, Jr. may not be healthy enough to play. If not up to it, Kyle Williams will likely step in to return punts. This isn't actually the worst thing in the world. Williams stepped it up this year when he needed to and I think he's capable of making some big plays.

>> Speaking of injuries, Tarell Brown and Patrick Willis both had new injuries that caused them to sit out of practice on Thursday. (They both practiced on Wednesday.) I'm just going to assume their injuries aren't serious and they'll be playing on Sunday. Delanie Walker (broken jaw) is also supposed to play (yay!) though apparently he hasn't received medical clearance yet.

>> In short: the Giants are definitely healthier than the Niners. Of course, they haven't been on the receiving end of one of our knockout hits yet either. (SF has sent seven starting running backs to the locker room because of injury this year. BAM!)

The Good

>> The Giants ended the regular season dead last in the NFL for rushing yards. Dead. Last. It's supposed to rain on Sunday. I'm no expert, but as far as I understand it, the more it rains, the more teams need to run the ball. Just try to run against us, Giants. Just try.

>> Since the Giants aren't going to be able to run on the 49ers, Eli Manning is going to need to connect with his receivers and not make mistakes. My favorite thing about Eli Manning? As good as he is, he just looooves to throw interceptions. And the Niners defense? They love catching them. (In the last three seasons, Eli's thrown 55 INTs. This year he's had 16. Alex Smith, on the other hand, set a franchise record for fewest interceptions with five.)

>> Vernon Davis, Michael Crabtree (although what was up with those dropped passes last Saturday?), Ginn (maybe), Aldon Smith, Donte Whitner, Justin Smith, Carlos Rodgers, Dashon Goldson, Navarro Bowman, Delanie Walker (hopefully), Andy Lee, David Akers, Joe Staley, Frank Gore, Kendall (Jackson) Hunter, Isaac Sopoaga, Patrick Willis. (God, did I forget someone? This is just like what it would be like to give a speech at the Academy Awards.) Oh! ALEX SMITH.

>> The 49ers are magic. I think that's the technical term for it, right? Whatever you want to call it, this has been a charmed season for a young, talented, inspired

San Francisco team. Combine one part offense and two parts defense. Sprinkle in a healthy dose of special teams and top it all off with an awesome coaching staff. Crap, that's more of a recipe than an enchanted spell, isn't it? Whatever. You get the point.

>> Home Field Advantage. What I witnessed at Candlestick last Saturday was stupendous. Exhausting, but stupendous. I expect this crowd to bring it even harder. To scream so loudly they can't speak for weeks. Let's turn The 'Stick into a fortress and do this. Wear red. Get loud. Even YOU, bandwagon fans. And seriously? If I see a single empty seat because of a little rain, I am going to figure out who that seat belongs to, find out where they live, and cut their cable right before kickoff every Sunday FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIFE.

The Rest of It

>> The turnover battle. I should probably get a job for ESPN because I'm going to say right now that the turnover war is huge. Whoever wins it will probably win the game. AND GO TO THE MOTHER F*CKING SUPER BOWL. Sorry, sorry. I got excited there for a second. Apparently all I needed to make it start feeling real was to write this post!

>> The Giants think they can't be beat. Is there anything better than proving cocky smack-talking a-holes wrong? I think not.

>> The weather. I mentioned it already, but if it rains, expect a messy game with hard-hits and lots of running. That type of game, in my opinion, favors the 49ers.

>> The 49ers need to run the ball, win the time of possession battle, dominate on special teams, create turnovers (while avoiding their own), and BRING IT.

>> Ultimately, it all comes down to this: Who wants it more? I think we all know the answer to that one: ME! And, fine, the 49ers. And San Francisco. ALL OF US.

So, wow. This is happening. It's actually happening. I'm starting to freak the hell out and as I watch inches of snow accumulate on the deck, wondering why the hell I'm in Tahoe and not safe and sound in San Francisco. But still, I feel oddly calm. Like someone's been slipping Xanax into my Sauvignon Blanc.

I thought writing this would somehow make this whole NFC Championship thing feel more real somehow. Last Friday, I was so anxious, I was literally pacing around my apartment like a crazy person. I went to dinner with friends on Friday night, just to try to take my mind off of things, and my best friend told me later that she's never been so worried about me.

I know it's going to hit me; it's simply a matter of when. Probably in the middle of the snow storm while driving across Donner Pass on Saturday night. Fun.

But enough about me. How are you preparing for this game? What do you think the Niners need to do to pull out a win over the NY Giants? Are you starting to freak out? IS THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENING?

Watch San Francisco take on the NY Giants in the NFC Championship Game on
Sunday at 3:30 p.m. on FOX.