KICK AND RUN As noted on Twitter by @SI_PeterKing, Ryan Longwell was planning on running his first marathon Sunday before being signed by Seattle.

BIG COMEBACK? According to ESPN.com, Greg Oden is plotting an NBA comeback in 2013-14 and the Heat is interested. He last played Dec. 5, 2009.

LOSING INTEREST Overall attendance at college bowl games fell by more than 2 percent for the second consecutive year, SI.com reports, and changes could be afoot.

Illinois was not supposed to be part of the Big Ten men's basketball "elite" this year. Then again, neither were the Gophers. The Illini might very well fall back toward the pack after a hot start. Then again, they have wins over Gonzaga and Ohio State. The Gophers are not always going to shoot the ball like they did Wednesday. Then again, a 17-point road win against a ranked team is nothing about which to quibble. Other web highlights: