Week Ahead

THURSDAY 9/28

High School Football, Oaks Christian at Venice Want a peek at the gridiron stars of tomorrow? Take a stroll through the Oaks Christian campus in Westlake Village, Calif. Three Lions-- QB Jimmy Clausen, running back Marc Tyler and safety Marshall Jones--are rated among the nation's top 50 recruits. The trio leads a group that is riding a 34-game winning streak. Before last Friday's game against St. Bonaventure (page 45), Tyler's father, former Rams running back Wendell Tyler, gave the team a pep talk and tore up a St. Bonaventure shirt. Marc then ran for 274 yards in a 59--13 win. ESPN2 10 p.m.

SATURDAY 9/30

Petit Le Mans The task: drive in circles in Atlanta for 1,000 miles or 10 hours, whichever comes first. The favorite: No, it's not Pascual Perez. It's the team of Allan McNish and Dindo Capello. They drive an Audi R10 diesel, winner of the last four American Le Mans Series races. Speed 11:30 a.m.

No. 14 Oregon at Arizona State It seems that the only time Dennis Dixon gets touched is when he high-fives a teammate. The Ducks quarterback, who is fifth in the nation in total offense, has been sacked only once in three games. Rushing the passer, however, is the Sun Devils' specialty. Linebacker Derron Ware (above) has four sacks for a D that leads the nation with almost five per game. ABC 3:30 p.m.

SUNDAY 10/1

Cowboys at Titans Don't be surprised if Dallas coach Bill Parcells adds himself to the injury report with a case of whiplash. The Tuna spent much of last week going back and forth on whether or not Terrell Owens can play with a broken finger. Tennessee coach Jeff Fisher has his own headache, namely whether to start quarterback Vince Young in an effort to boost an anemic offense that is averaging just 12 points per game. Fox 1 p.m.

SI Pick of the Week
TUESDAY 10/3
FALL GUYS

Whether or not the major league playoffs, which begin today, culminate in a rematch of the 2000 Subway Series could depend on two big arms. Pedro Martinez (left) made just 22 starts for the Mets this season due to a variety of injuries, but the theatrical righty usually saves his best stuff for the postseason: In 13 career appearances he is 6--2. For the Yankees, Randy Johnson (right) has had even more reason than usual to scowl this season. Big has also been a good description of the Unit's ERA, which has hovered near 5.00 for most of the year. Check listings

WEDNESDAY 10/4