>>#14 Illinois Crushes #8 Ohio State

(Champaign, IL)  --  As heard on Newstalk 97.3 WTIM, Brandon Paul posted 19 points and seven rebounds as 14th-ranked Illinois crushed eighth-ranked Ohio State 74-55 on Saturday at Assembly Hall.  The Illini bounced
back from their loss at Purdue in the Big Ten opener on Wednesday and improved
to 14-and-2 on the season.  Illinois hosts Minnesota Wednesday.

>>Notre Dame Meets Alabama In BCS Title Game Tonight

(Miami, FL)  -- Notre Dame meets Alabama in the BCS National Championship Game tonight in
Miami.  The Fighting Irish went 12-and-0 this season on their way to the top
ranking in the country.  'Bama was 12-and-1 with a 7-and-1 mark out of the SEC.

>>NHL, Players Association Reach Tentative Deal

(New York, NY)  -- The NHL and its Players' Association have reached a tentative deal that
would end the current lockout.  The deal came after a marathon 16-hour
bargaining session with federal mediator Scot Beckenbaugh that lasted until
early Sunday morning.  The agreement would pave the way for a 48-game season
that would tentatively begin January 19th.

>>Illini With Big Matchup Against Minnesota

(Champaign, IL)  --  The Big Ten season continues for number-14 Illinois on Wednesday.  The Fighting
Illini face number-13 Minnesota, which won on Sunday to go to 14-and-1. 
Illinois is 14-and-2 this season and 1-and-1 in conference play.