As we get prepared for a busy weekend of sporting action, there are some injury notes that are worth a look:

Greg Oden – The big guy is supposed to return to action tonight for the Trail Blazers. That should be a boost for Portland, but I will hold judgment until I see two different things – how well he is physically, and whether he can last for more than a minute and a half this time. Oden is frustrating and hard to trust at this point, but I can’t wait to see what he can do if he can settle in and get comfortable. This team could use a boost.

Chris Hall – The Longhorns could have some problems getting the ball to Colt McCoy. Hall, the starting center, sprained his knee in practice this week and will be out against Kansas. This is a real problem because Buck Burnette, the backup, was booted from the team for posting a racial slur online. That means a raw freshman will have to play, and Texas could have protection problems.

Tony Romo – He’ll be back, and he says his pinkie, though still causing some pain, won’t be a problem. He had better hope so – his team desperately needs him. The bye week the team is coming off of couldn’t have come at a better time for a team needing to get their head right and their play back at an acceptable level. All is not lost if Romo can come back strong and get his team back in line.

Ben Roethlisberger – Big Ben is practicing this week despite a sore shoulder. That is notable mainly because he hasn’t been practicing the last two weeks. Not coincidentally, he has also had troubles when he has played the last two weeks. Though there is always a chance that practice could cause more problems, this has to be seen as a positive step. It’s also a sign of the command Mike Tomlin has over this team.

Tyler Hansbrough – The Tar Heels open their season this weekend, but it seems increasingly likely that they won’t be doing it with Psycho T. Hansbrough is still nursing a shin injury. This delay, though frustrating, is probably a very good thing. The team is good enough to win now without him, and it is far more important that Hansbrough gets healthy now so that the problems don’t linger into the spring. If I was Roy Williams I would figure out how long Hansbrough should ideally be out of action, then keep him out a few more games.