• Ohio State looks into tattoo allegations: Ohio State is investigating allegations that several football players traded autographs for tattoos, according to multiple reports. WBNS-TV and The Columbus Dispatch, both citing unidentified sources, reported on their websites Wednesday night that the school was looking into the possible NCAA violations just two weeks before the Buckeyes face Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 4. Quarterback Terrelle Pryor, not mentioned in either report, quickly responded on Twitter. “I paid for my tattoos. GoBucks” he posted.

• Rodgers returns to Packers practice: Aaron Rodgers returned to practice for the Green Bay Packers on Wednesday. With the playoffs still a realistic possibility, he’s expected to start Sunday’s game against the New York Giants. And while Rodgers acknowledges he’ll be careful about sliding instead of taking a direct hit when he scrambles in the future, he says coming back from his second concussion this season won’t fundamentally change the way he plays. Rodgers sat out practices and team meetings last week and didn’t play in Sunday night’s loss at New England.

• Colts WR Collie out for season: Peyton Manning has lost another of his top targets for the season. Indianapolis Colts receiver Austin Collie suffered a concussion Sunday against Jacksonville, and the team placed him on injured reserve Wednesday. Though Collie is in his second year, Manning feels like he’s losing a veteran. Despite missing five games and more than a half in three others, Collie leads all Indy receivers with eight touchdown catches, is second in receptions (58) and third in yards (649). “He’s fast, he’s got a good feel for zones, he understands defenses,” Manning said. “He has his physical talents, but also, his experience has helped him play at such a high level at such a young point in his career.”

• Concussion has Favre in limbo: As the Minnesota Vikings have been reminded this season, ruling Brett Favre out is never easy. He managed to make it in Monday night’s game after the final injury report declared him out, let alone all the other weeks just this year when his status was unclear until the final hours. That’s why Vikings interim coach Leslie Frazier is still holding a spot in the starting lineup for the 41-year-old, soon-to-be-retired quarterback in case he recovers quickly from the concussion that knocked him out of the game against the Bears. “It will just be a day-to-day situation,” Frazier said. “If he gets cleared by our doctors then things will change, but until he’s cleared there isn’t much that can be done other than whatever the doctors recommend.”

• Jets’ Ryan: Foot-fetish report ‘a personal matter’: New York Jets coach Rex Ryan says it’s a “personal matter” and declined to talk about a “foot-fetish” report posted by the sports website Deadspin that show four videos of a woman who bears a close resemblance to Ryan’s wife, Michelle. The videos show a woman displaying her toes to an off-screen cameraman who, in one video, sounds a lot like the coach. The two are having an intimate chat about her feet. During his news conference Wednesday, Ryan declined several times to discuss the situation. “I understand I’m going to get asked this question frontways, sideways, backways, and all this, but it is a personal matter,” he said.

• Metrodome roof nearly clear of snow and ice: Workers are finally close to clearing the Metrodome roof of snow and ice so that more substantial repair work can begin on the home of the Minnesota Vikings in Minneapolis. The executive director of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission said crews hoped to have the roof clear on Wednesday. He says it’s still not clear how long total repairs will take, whether it will involve replacing damaged panels or replacing the roof entirely, and how much it will all cost.

• Brady passes Vick to top final fan Pro Bowl voting: Tom Brady has overtaken Michael Vick to lead all players in the final fan voting for the Pro Bowl. The New England Patriots quarterback had nearly 1.9 million votes when balloting ended Monday. The NFL said Wednesday that Vick topped the NFC with more than 1.5 million. Almost 100 million votes were cast online and via mobile phones. Fans account for one-third of the selection process. Players and coaches vote Wednesday and today. The 43-man rosters will be announced Tuesday. Players leading their position voting include Houston Texans running back Arian Foster and wide receiver Andre Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers strong safety Troy Polamalu and Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney. The Pro Bowl is Jan. 30 in Honolulu.