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Big League Bat Boston third base prospect Kevin Youkilis is on the fast track, thanks to his ability to get on base
By Melissa Segura
Dominican Darling World champion Felix Sanchez will get a hero's welcome when he competes at the Pan Am Games
By Brian Cazeneuve
Bad Boy No More Former Pistons hothead center Bill Laimbeer has changed his ways, and the fortunes of the Shock
By Andrea Woo
Fenway Friends The lives of four old Red Sox, and a tribute to the dying Ted Williams, produce a literary home run
By Charles Hirshberg
Straight Talk The author pulls no punches on being a gay athlete
By Charles Hirshberg
Rising in the East Thailand's Paradorn Srichaphan is the first Asian-born player to break into the Top 10
By L. Jon Wertheim
Sports Illustrated Bonus Section: Golf Plus
Stroke Of Genius
By James P. Herre/Editor, Golf Plus
Time Tested The clock is ticking on Annika Sorenstam's Hall of Fame career, and that's what made completing her Grand Slam at Royal Lytham special
By Michael Bamberger
Stan's The Man Stan Utley has won only once in 15 years on Tour, but as the circuit's in-house putting coach he's a superstar among his peers and just the man to tell us what makes Tiger Woods's stroke so special
By Gary Van Sickle; Stan Utley
Now What? It's been a wild ride for Ben Curtis since he unexpectedly won the British Open, but his return to the PGA Tour made it clear that challenges await
By Seth Davis
Rock-solid Success After a win at the Buick, Jim Furyk has the PGA, and more, in sight
By Alan Shipnuck
Big Play Jim Furyk is a great closer because he plays with his head--not his heart--and it was a smart lay-up on 13 that keyed his Buick Open win
By Bryan Gathright
After the Deluge
By Steve Rushin
The Lessons Of History
By Alan Shipnuck
Coming Up
By Sal Johnson
Riding Shotgun With A Tour Sponsor
By Alan Shipnuck
Catching Up With...
Rex Kern, Quarterback September 15, 1969
By Bill Syken
Sports Illustrated 50th Anniversary
To Play's The Thing At the SHOW-ME STATE GAMES in Columbia, some 28,000 athletes compete in 35 sports
By Kelley King
You Can Quote Us From Yogi to Dizzy to Satchel, Missourians have always provided pearls of wisdom
By John Garrity
The Poll Missourians weigh in on sports*
Compiled by Bill Syken
Baseball
Deadline Dealin' In a shrewd move with giant playoff implications, San Francisco snared the best available pitcher, Sidney Ponson, to fortify a starting staff full of surprises
By Daniel G. Habib
And Across The Bay ... Rookie Rich Harden has given the A's another mighty arm
By George Dohrmann
Soccer
A Keeper Of Promise Tim Howard, a 24-year-old from New Jersey, could be the first American to start in goal for world powerhouse Manchester United
By Grant Wahl
Pro Football
You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet New Redskins wideout Laveranues Coles has a fat $35 million deal, plus plenty of incentive to prove skeptics--and his former employer--wrong
By Josh Elliott David Sabino
College Football 2003
Brain Power It's the muscle inside the helmet and beneath the headset that counts most
A Beautiful Mind Craig Krenzel, national champion quarterback and molecular genetics major, wields the most imposing weapon in the game
By Tim Layden
Wise Guides Plotting, scheming and motivating behind the scenes, these sideline sages are the best at preparing their teams
Compiled by Kelli Anderson, Lars Anderson, Kelley King and Gene Menez
ALL Business Miami puts its defensive fortune in the hands of middle linebacker and finance student Jonathan Vilma
By Kelley King
The Smartest Players in Football They may look like big, slow brutes to the casual fan, but offensive linemen are proving, on and off the field, that they possess uncommon intellect
By John Ed Bradley Linemen Boxes Compiled By Mark Beech
Heisman Watch
Compiled by Gene Menez
SI's 2003 All-America Team
Compiled by Gene Menez
What's New
Compiled by Gene Menez
Must-See Games
Compiled by Gene Menez
What's Weird
Compiled by Gene Menez
Countdown
Compiled by Gene Menez
Scouting Reports The Top 25
1 Ohio State With a no-frills coach and an offense that has every starter back, the Buckeyes have what it takes to repeat
By Tim Layden David Sabino
2 Oklahoma The Sooners shoot for the Sugar Bowl with a quarterback on a mission and their familiar devastating defense
By Lars Anderson David Sabino
3 Miami While the Hurricanes are still loaded, their hopes for a second title in three years rest with some untested players
By Kelley King David Sabino
4 Texas The Longhorns have been fighting among themselves in the off-season--and that may be the key to their success
By Kelley King David Sabino
5 Georgia After a troubling off-season, the Dawgs would be smart to follow the lead of their top defender, David Pollack
By Kelley King David Sabino
6 Virginia Tech For the Hokies, one way to go all the way is to ride a player like speedy DeAngelo Hall, who can go two ways
By Kelley King David Sabino
7 Kansas State The Wildcats are counting on a wiser Ell Roberson to lead them to their first Big 12 title--and maybe more
By Lars Anderson David Sabino
8 N.C. State Quarterback Philip Rivers has embraced married life, fatherhood and the lead role in his team's title bid
By Jeffri Chadiha David Sabino
9 Auburn Stocked in the backfield and stacked on defense, the Tigers are primed to climb in the SEC West
By Pete McEntegart David Sabino
10 USC Though their Heisman winner is gone, the Trojans have plenty of weapons left to make a run at the Pac-10 crown
By Kelli Anderson David Sabino
11 Florida State After a decade of ACC dominance, it's gut-check time in Tallahassee for the suddenly struggling Seminoles
By Jeffri Chadiha David Sabino
12 Pittsburgh Coach Walt Harris's explosive West Coast attack has the resurgent Panthers on the prowl again in the Big East
By Kelley King David Sabino
13 Michigan Behind quarterback John Navarre, Big Blue goes for big air as it looks to reassert itself in the Big Ten
By Mark Beech David Sabino
14 Washington The Neuheisel fiasco overshadows an offensive juggernaut led by receiver Reggie Williams and passer Cody Pickett
By Phil Taylor David Sabino
16 Tenessee The Volunteers are ready for a return to basics thanks to a tough off-season regimen that was anything but voluntary
By Pete McEntegart David Sabino
15 Virginia A young team with experience counts on senior passer Matt Schaub to lead it to the ACC championship
By Jeffri Chadiha David Sabino
17 Notre Dame The task of living up to last season's promise will be made easier by the Irish's stingy, ball-hawking defense
By Kelley King David Sabino
18 Maryland A healthy running back and a seasoned quarterback make the Terrapins' offense formidable again
By Jeffri Chadiha David Sabino
19 Wisconsin The traditionally ground-bound Badgers are ready to add some pizzazz by airing the ball out on offense
By Mark Beech David Sabino
20 LSU With former minor leaguer Matt Mauck back and throwing strikes, the Tigers will contend in the SEC West
By Pete McEntegart David Sabino
21 Texas A&M Program-builder Dennis Franchione has plenty of tools on hand--beginning with an explosive sophomore QB
By Lars Anderson David Sabino
22 Arizona State A playmaking defender who's part corner and part linebacker has the Sun Devils stalking the Pac-10
By Kelli Anderson David Sabino
23 Oregon Two years removed from a Pac-10 championship, the Ducks look to plug the holes that sank the D last season
By Phil Taylor David Sabino
24 Penn State The Nittany Lions will be scrambling to fill the gap in the attack left by 2,000-yard running back Larry Johnson
By Mark Beech David Sabino
25 Oklahoma State There's a new winning spirit running deep in Stillwater, thanks largely to all-world receiver Rashaun Woods
By Lars Anderson David Sabino
All the Rest Our Rankings from 26 to 117
Compiled By Richard Deitsch
Lower Division Rankings
Compiled by Lars Anderson
Inside
Inside The Week in Sports
Inside Baseball
Trading Day Amid a flurry of deals, New York and Boston prepared for a pennant race
By Albert Chen
Who is This Guy?
By Albert Chen
Offense Coming Back from Dead Konerko Sparks White Sox
By Albert Chen
Tom Verducci's View
By Tom Verducci
Inside Horse Racing
Demolition Derbies Upsets of Funny Cide and Empire Maker left the 3-year-old division in disarray as the Travers loomed
By Tim Layden
Inside The NFL
End Game Steelers linebacker Kendrell Bell is learning the tricks of a new position
By Peter King
Time for Cleveland Defender to Deliver Courtney Brown's Comeback
By Peter King
Texans Wideout Finds His Focus Andre Johnson's Adjustment
By Peter King
Corrupting Our Utes
By Rick Reilly
Departments
Leading Off
Letters
The Brains Trust
College Sports 101 Recent events show folks are still flunking Remedial Ethics. A pop quiz
Edited by Kostya Kennedy and Mark Bechtel
An Uncertain Environment Ferdinand's death shows why thoroughbred activists fear for horses abroad
By Mark Beech Edited by Kostya Kennedy and Mark Bechtel
Go Figure
Edited by Kostya Kennedy and Mark Bechtel
For The Record
Edited by Kostya Kennedy and Mark Bechtel
Mr. Bassman
By Chris Ballard Edited by Kostya Kennedy and Mark Bechtel
The Show
By Bill Scheft Edited by Kostya Kennedy and Mark Bechtel
Q+A Rush Limbaugh
By Richard Deitsch; Rush Limbaugh Edited by Kostya Kennedy and Mark Bechtel
The Week In Television
Edited by Kostya Kennedy and Mark Bechtel
Under Review James's Games--Sister, Where Art Thou?
By Richard Deitsch Edited by Kostya Kennedy and Mark Bechtel
Sports Beat
Edited by Kostya Kennedy and Mark Bechtel
Faces in the Crowd
Edited by Kostya Kennedy and Mark Bechtel
