LINEUP

NFL MIDSEASON REPORT

34 THE TEXANS

Perennially loaded on offense, the best team in football now has a dominant defense to match

BY AUSTIN MURPHY

• The Cowboys' hold on Texas

42 TONY GONZALEZ

The Falcons' 36-year-old tight end is the face of the Fountain of Youth Generation

BY PETER KING

• Peyton Manning's secret

• Peter King's All-Pro Team

• Second-half forecast

FEATURES

WORLD SERIES

52 The Giants

San Francisco's run felt like some cosmic hot streak, but the team's October magic had a more straightforward pitch

BY TOM VERDUCCI

• The top five free agents

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

60 Penn State

Happy Valley remains divided about the Jerry Sandusky fallout, but not about the surprisingly resilient Nittany Lions

BY S.L. PRICE

MMA

66 Ronda Rousey

The world's top female fighter wants to tear your arm off and tell you about it—in the most pointed way possible

BY MELISSA SEGURA

GOLF

72 Rory McIlroy

Now that he's at the top of the golf world, the globe-trotter is quickly learning what life is like as the game's most marketable player

BY ALAN SHIPNUCK

DEPARTMENTS

2 SI Digital

4 The Mail

9 Leading Off

18 Scorecard

Election night as sports TV

26 Faces in the Crowd

28 Just My Type

Ray Rice on decorating

BY DAN PATRICK

82 Point After

To the NBA's new boss

BY PHIL TAYLOR

SI HAS REGIONAL COVERS THIS WEEK

ON THE COVER: Photograph by Simon Bruty (Penn State) John W. McDonough (Texans) Damian Strohmeyer (World Series)

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PHOTO

ESTHER LIN/FORZA LLC/GETTY IMAGES

READY FOR HER CLOSEUP Star power—and a vicious signature move—have made Ronda Rousey one of MMA's most commanding fighters.

THREE PHOTOS