LINEUP

DEPARTMENTS

2 Leading Off

10 Letters

13 Scorecard

DeSean Jackson's battle against bullying

20 Just My Type

Haloti Ngata on Tom Brady's complaining

BY DAN PATRICK

25 Faces in the Crowd

26 Inside ...

NFL

Run, Raiders, run

College Football

The Case for Houston

NASCAR

JJ is back in the Chase

84 Point After

What Bill Curry brings to college football

BY JOE POSNANSKI

NHL PREVIEW 2011--12

PLAYER SAFETY P. 60

Nine months after losing its most important star to a concussion, the league has rededicated itself to the protection of its players

By Michael Farber

SCOUTING REPORTS P. 68

Breakdowns on all 30 teams, plus predictions of the division winners and the playoffs—which will end with the Penguins raising the Stanley Cup

FEATURES

36 PRO FOOTBALL

DETROIT LIONS

The unbeaten team is restoring the roar

By Damon Hack

42 COLLEGE FOOTBALL

ALABAMA DEFENSE

This Crimson Tide unit could be the best of all time

By Lars Anderson

46 BASEBALL

BLOCKBUSTER TRADE

The stage for the 2011 playoffs was set in 2009

By Tom Verducci

@H00dFavorite

BRANDON JENNINGS

Where is everybody hooping today? #LA

The locked-out Bucks guard is always looking for a game

By Lee Jenkins P. 52

"He scrawls his name on the bottom of a list at the scorer's table and waits to be called. It's as if Sergio García strolled up as a single to the 1st tee of a muni course.

--Lee Jenkins on Bucks guard Brandon Jennings (left), who's playing pickup nonstop during the NBA lockout

P. 52

ON THE COVER PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAVID E. KLUTHO (LIONS), BILL FRAKES (ALABAMA), DAMIAN STROHMEYER (NHL)

This week SI has three covers: the Lions, Alabama and the NHL Preview.

Please Recycle This Magazine Remove Inserts or Samples Before Recycling

PHOTO

GREG NELSON (SUH)

TWO FOR SUH With tackle Ndamukong Suh (middle) drawing double teams, and a clutch passing game, the Lions—yes, the Lions—are 4--0.

PHOTO

JOHN W. MCDONOUGH (JENNINGS AT TOP)

FOUR PHOTOS