Welcome to a special Sunday edition of the Scorecard. With the Packers idle and the driveway covered with snow and ice, we'll give you a few minutes of sports opinion / infotainment.

The rest of the day is yours. Let's get started:

Common refrain: A couple local teams gave us the "It's just another game on the schedule" treatment over the past week.

The Packers said it about the Cowboys. Marquette said it about UW-Milwaukee. Both scenarios raised some issues.

Quick reactions:

The Packers lost the game -- not to mention home-field advantage and quite possibly a shot at a Super Bowl berth -- in large part because cornerback Charles Woodson and defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila were sidelined by injuries. After the 37-27 loss, which featured deplorable coverage by the secondary and a non-existent pass rush, word circulated that both men could have started "if it had been a playoff game."

The Packers figured they were being smart. But, if it was smart to hold Woodson and KBG out because there is still "a lot of football left," wouldn't it then make sense to apply the same logic to Brett Favre next week?

There is no reason to believe that Favre will not be ready to face the Raiders seven days from now at Lambeau Field. Coach Mike McCarthy said Favre would be ready and history indicates that he will. Favre has battled through injuries, aches and pains to run his consecutive games streak to 249 games. If there is any doubt about his health, though, wouldn't it make sense to at least consider starting Aaron Rodgers against lowly Oakland?

It won't happen, but it's something to think about.

As for Marquette...

Mission statement: If the matchup against UWM was "just another game" on the schedule, why did Tom Crean have his marquee players in the game with four minutes left to play and his team leading by close to 35 points?

With the Packers' McCarthy watching from a courtside seat (near Brewers pitching coach Mike Maddux), Crean and the Golden Eagles treated their guests with the same hospitality that New England and Bill Belichick have employed for most of this season.

They showed no mercy.

Crean talked about working on different combinations and playing hard and getting ready for a matchup with Wisconsin. Some fans may question Crean for exposing key players like Dominic James and Jerel McNeal and Wes Matthews, Jr., to injury, but it's certainly not hard to envision him taking the same approach against Sacramento State, Coppin State or one of the other opponents in upcoming "buy" games.

Marquette is an intense team led by an intense coach. That intensity and laser-like focus on the job at hand are key reasons the program has gone from middle of the pack to top-15 status.

But, you have to believe Crean and his team were sending a message to the principles and fans of the program on the East Side. UWM lobbied for the crosstown series for a long time, often with help from sympathetic media members who recognized the value of a good David vs. Goliath plot line.

The situation is basically a lose-lose proposition for Marquette, so it wasn't surprising that the Golden Eagles avoided the game when Bruce Pearl had the Panthers flying high. It was a little surprising when MU agreed to a five-year series, again because there just isn't a lot for the Golden Eagles to gain.

Friday night, the game arrived. MU entered it with a far superior team and the result was a predictable rout by the Golden Eagles, who extended their record to 35-0 against UWM before a crowd that was announced at 18,283 (the turnstile count was about 2,000 less).

Few fans will remember the victories by Marquette in this series. A victory by UWM would be a gigantic story. The blowout on Friday will only make this game interesting if UWM reaches a point where it can compete on a more even plane with the Big East power.

Up for grabs: Christmas came early for the millions of people who hate the BCS system in college football. The gigantic upset by Pitt, a 28-point underdog, squashed No. 2 West Virginia's title hopes.

Less than an hour later, No. 1 Missouri, a three-point underdog, lost to Oklahoma.

College football needs a playoff. Forget that junk about the sanctity and tradition of the bowls and the conflicts with classes. They can make it work. Let the champions of the top six conferences and two at-large teams go at it. You can do it in three weeks. Keep the rest of the bowls the way they are.

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Recent Talkbacks ...

Posted by Jon D. on Dec. 7, 2007 at 1:46 p.m. (report)

Don't you make a trade like Rolen to put you over the top? Putting you over the edge would constitute a giant setback, wouldn't it?