Wry: Is it good plain?

Perched on a stool in Rockefeller Center's Studio 1A, the petite pop star playfully pummeled Lauer's arms and legs, demonstrating how she deals with fellow "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell.

The morning show anchor sat calmly through the assault. "This is enjoyable," he deadpanned.

Such wryness has become a trademark for Lauer, who applies his self-effacing humor to the varied mix that is morning TV. The "Today" co-host seems to be winking at the audience even while he's participating in outlandish stunts, whether it's dressing in drag for Halloween or suiting up for synchronized swimming.

For the last nine years, Lauer's brand of mild sarcasm has served as a counterpoint to co-host Katie Couric's gregariousness.

"We can complete each other's sentences," he said in an interview last week, seated in his snug dressing room overlooking Rockefeller Plaza. "I know what's going to poke her a little bit to become effusive about something, and she knows what's going to get my goat, and I think the audience really responds to it."

That dynamic will be on full display this month as "Today" broadcasts live from the Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. After four Games together, the co-hosts bring a familiar repartee to the coverage. But this year's Olympics has a different cast: It's possibly the last they'll cover together.

After almost 15 years as co-host of "Today," Couric is contemplating leaving the program for CBS, where executives are hoping she'll become the next anchor of the network's evening news broadcast. She's expected to make a decision in the next few months.

"Clearly, she is someone with options, and she deserves every single one of them," Lauer said. "I don't know what her thinking is.... I would imagine challenge is very important to her right now, and clearly she's being offered some things that present huge challenges."

The Couric-Lauer team has arguably been the most successful pairing in the history of morning television, helping "Today" extend its winning streak for the last 10 years. Couric's departure would not only alter the show's chemistry, but it would also thrust Lauer -- long the straight man of the duo -- front and center.

"It would be a major adjustment," admitted Lauer, who said he hopes his co-host decides to stay. If not, "the best way to get through that would be to view it as an opportunity ... and say, OK, this gives us an opportunity to bring someone new into the mix and to bring that person's sensibilities into the show, which will naturally change the dynamic a bit and take us in a different direction. I would embrace it."

"Today" executive producer Jim Bell sounded a little more anxious when asked how Couric leaving would affect the show.

"It would be hard to just come up with an easy answer to that," he said. "Clearly, chemistry plays an important role on this show.... If she decides to stay -- which I think we're all working toward -- it's a question I won't even have to answer."

'Pinch-me moment'

"TODAY" has regained its wide margin over ABC's "Good Morning America," which had made significant gains on the top-ranked show last spring. NBC is now averaging 724,000 more viewers in the morning than ABC so far this season, according to Nielsen Media Research. However, with an average audience of 5.89 million people, "Today's" viewership is still down slightly, compared to this time last season.

Couric's exit would represent the biggest upheaval at the show since January 1997, when Lauer -- then the program's news anchor -- succeeded co-host Bryant Gumbel. At the time, the program had recently climbed back into first place from second, and Lauer was admittedly nervous about taking over. Although his genial personality was viewed as a better fit with Couric's than Gumbel's gruffer nature had been, Lauer faced some skepticism about whether he had the news chops for the role.

"I was scared to death that I was going to be the guy who single-handedly killed the 'Today' show," he recalled.

And now?

"I still worry that I'm going to be the guy who single-handedly kills the 'Today' show," he said dryly.

Producers at rival programs say there's not much chance of that.

"He is at the top of his game," said Michael Bass, senior executive producer of CBS' "The Early Show," who served as the senior broadcast producer at "Today" in the late 1990s. "His connection to the audience is so strong."

Lauer, 48, was not always so comfortable in front of the camera. After studying communications at Ohio University, he first sought a career as a television producer. But months into his first job -- producing a noon newscast in Huntington, W.Va. -- he grew bored and persuaded the news director to let him report a story.