SI.com's 10 most popular stories from the week ending Jan. 9

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Jan 9, 2015

Here is a roundup of SI.com's 10 most popular stories this week. Be sure to read to the bottom for a bonus story from the SI Vault.

Goodell's Lie

roger goodell top 10 — Andrew Burton/Getty Images

The Mueller Report tried to take the heat off Roger Goodell in his handling of the Ray Rice case, but the only thing the report tells us for sure is that Goodell lied. By Michael Rosenberg.

Inside the mind of John Elway

john-elway-denver-broncos-2 — Peter Read Miller for SI

Now a general manager, John Elway is still motivated by a strong competitive spirit -- even if all he can do on Sundays is watch. By S.L. Price.

Seller's remorse

Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez and John Smoltz were all traded early in their careers because they didn't fit the mold. On Tuesday, they were elected to the Hall of Fame.By Tom Verducci.

Young Bucks

The Buckeyes will play for a national championship Monday, and they are being led by a class of recruits that graduated high school in 2013.By Brian Hamilton.

The All-Clutch Team

By looking at how players perform in close games at the end of the fourth quarter and overtime, you can see who is -- and who isn't -- clutch when their teams need them the most.By Ben Golliver.

Why they won't win

mike tolbert — Scott Cunningham/Getty Images

Eight teams remain in the NFL playoffs. But each of these contenders has flaws that could keep them from winning the Super Bowl. By Chris Burke.

They aren't flashy or led by a ball-dominating superstar like other teams in the conference, but the Portland Trail Blazers' commitment to both sides of the ball make them a legitimate championship contender.By Rob Mahoney.

Life behind a Heisman winner

While Marcus Mariota earns all the accolades, Oregon Ducks backup quarterback Jeff Lockie plays his own important role on the sidelines.By Lindsay Schnell.

The best Super Bowl matchups

russell wilson super bowl — Focus on Sport/Getty

There are 16 possible matchups for the Super Bowl. Here they are in order of most intriguing to most boring.By Don Banks.

Hall of Fame forecast

hall of fame 2015 — Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

With the 2015 Hall of Fame class all set, it's time to predict who will make it to the Hall over the next five election cycles.By Jay Jaffe.

SI Vault: Secretariat

Secretariat Belmont turn — Herb Scharfman/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images

This story - one of 60 iconic stories being republished, in full, in honor of Sports Illustrated's 60th anniversary - is from 1990. It tells the story of the life and emotional death of racehorse Secretariat.By William Nack.