Lineup

Features

WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS

26 The Astros

They are built to last—bad news for the rest of MLB

By Ben Reiter

NFL

34 Julius Peppers

Why you rarely hear a word from the Panthers' pass rusher

By Jonathan Jones

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

40 Wisconsin

No team is better at mining and developing in-state talent

By Joan Niesen

NBA

44 Blake Griffin

The Clippers' fate depends on their reluctant dunker

By Lee Jenkins

TRUE CRIME

52 Operation Stolen Base

How Cliff Panezich engineered an epic fraud

By Luke Winn

Departments

2 SI Digital

4 Inbox

6 Leading Off

15 Scorecard

24 Faces in The Crowd

60 Point After

Michael Rosenberg: Oksana Masters is up for any challenge