Is Matt Lauer Leading the "Today" Show Beard War?

Hamptons horse farmer and Today show host Matt Lauer is nearly two weeks into his month-long bid to become NBC’s ultimate beardsman—and he’s doing it all in the name of men’s health.

On November 1, NBC’s Today announced that their male anchors—including Lauer, Al Roker, Shelter Islander Willie Geist and Carson Daly—as well as a handful of staffers would not shave for the entire month of November in an effort to raise awareness for men’s health issues, particularly prostate and testicular cancer. And the NBC newsmen aren’t the only ones participating in “No-Shave November.” Thousands around the word have put down their razors and clippers to go au naturel for the cause.

READ BEARD TEAM USA CAPTAIN PHIL OLSEN’S TAKE ON THE TODAY SHOW BEARDS HERE!

Sounds like a great excuse to eschew grooming standards, while not appearing depressed or lazy… we’re in.

So, while the cause is righteous, the fellas at Today also inadvertently set the stage for a celebrity beard war — Beard war! Beard war! Beard war!

Multiple world beard champion Jack Passion they are not, but as of November 12 (using pictures from November 11), it’s tough to pick a frontrunner in the NBC facial-hair fracas.

Is it The Voice host Carson “The Young Gun” Daly? Does Roker’s chrome dome make his silver stubble appear more voluminous? Or will Geist’s ginger whiskers take the prize? We’re betting on Lauer—whose buzzed do and growing beard have resulted in a hair-all-over, Wolfman look that might just carry him to victory on December 1. His Hamptons residency doesn’t hurt either. We stay loyal to our people. Sorry Willie. Sorry Shelter Island.

Keep an eye out for more on this follicular fight to the finish. And in the meantime, check out the beards above and tell us who’s winning the Today show beard war in the comments below.

If you’ve joined the unshaven masses this month, send us your photos here, or share them with Lauer and company on Instagram and Twitter, using #NoShaveTODAY.