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PRO FOOTBALL

36 The WinMachine
After dismantling the Cowboys, Tom Brady and the Patriots are playing on theirown plane. Can the Colts, or anyone else, stop them?
By Tim Layden

COLLEGEFOOTBALL

42 Fresh Juice
No. 2 South Florida leads a charge of the state's up-and-coming teams
By Austin Murphy

• Second thoughtsat midseason

• Danny Woodhead'srun to glory

• SI's bowl-gamematchups

BASEBALL

50 It's in theAir
In a postseason of one-sided series, the Indians--Red Sox showdown had the rarelook of a drawn-out drama
By Tom Verducci

• Rolling Rockiesare here to stay

BONUS

Two Athletes

Two Soldiers

Still haunted bythe death in Vietnam of his best friend and teammate, the author found anotherhigh school standout killed in action, in Iraq
by JACK McCALLUM

PAGE 56

Departments

6 Leading Off

16 Letters

21 Players
• Why is it so hard to play QB?
• Jeff Garcia on the NFL and garlic
• Poll: Who's the best pro punter?
• The Boss yields control to sons
• Overcoaching in Special Olympics
• Brandon Jacobs's tattoo

35 Faces in theCrowd

78 Life ofReilly
Turn on your TV and you already get jocks around the clock. Isn't that enough?Nah
by Rick Reilly

Inside...

70 The NFL
• The vanishing old-school fullback

73 High SchoolFootball
• Prospect's diary: Cal or Oregon?

76 NASCAR
• Stewart's losses: Don't blame me!

Cover
PHOTOGRAPH BY JOHN BIEVER

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›› THE HOTTESTTEAMS IN HISTORY

›› TROYTULOWITZKI'S ROCKIES AND OTHER HISTORIC TEAMS AT SI.COM/HOTTEAMS.

FEATUREDCOLUMNS

PETER KING

›A Game for AllAges
Vinny Testaverde came off the couch—literally—a month shy of his 44th birthdayto start his first football game in two years (and win it).

STEWART MANDEL

›One Topsy-TurvyYear
Even after voting Matt Grothe and USF No. 1, I wouldn't be surprised if theBulls' run ends as soon as Thursday night, at Rutgers.

› Read more ofthis column at SI.com/king.

› Read more ofthis column at SI.com/mandel.

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3. Photos: BestMonday night finishes

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3. Truth &Rumors

ANDREW PERLOFF'SBLOG

FanNation

Play Peterson

› If a chunk ofChester Taylor's 22 carries had gone to star rookie Adrian Peterson, Minnesotamight not have needed a last-second field goal to beat Chicago.

› Weigh in withyour thoughts or challenge Andrew Perloff to a Throwdown at fannation.com.

ADRIAN PETERSON•

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PHOTO

BILL FRAKES (WOODHEAD)

46 STRIPPED DOWN The NCAA's career leading rusher, Danny Woodhead of Chadron (Neb.) State, dresses in a typically bare-bones Division II locker room.

PHOTO

COURTESY OF THE GASKO FAMILY (BONUS, LEFT)

PHOTO

COURTESY OF THE ARCIOLA FAMILY

PHOTO

ROBERT BECK (TULOWITZKI)

TWO PHOTOS

MEL LEVINE (KING, MANDEL)

PHOTO

STEPHEN DUNN/GETTY IMAGES (TESTAVERDE)

PHOTO

BOB ROSATO (GROTHE)

PHOTO

GARY BOGDON (GREEN)

PHOTO

SAM SHARPE (GORDON)

PHOTO

DAVID E. KLUTHO (PETERSON)