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.

Endangered species: Does anybody else find it strange that the Bucks didn't lose a game during Wisconsin's gun deer hunting season? Now that it's over, the Bucks are reeling. Losses to Philadelphia, Atlanta, New York and Detroit do not constitute good preparation for a lengthy trip to the West Coast. It's hard to get too worked up about the NBA regular season, but it's fascinating to see a team undergo such a dramatic swing in such a short time.

Question of the day: Which impending free agent would Wisconsin fans least like to lose after the 2008 season: Brewers pitcher Ben Sheets or Packers backup quarterback Aaron Rodgers?

Discuss.

Hot corner, hot rumor: Speculation continues to swirl around a possible deal that would bring St. Louis veteran third baseman Scott Rolen to the Brewers.

Rolen, who has had injury problems and a conflict with Cardinals skipper Tony La Russa, is exactly the kind of elder statesman that budding teams like the Brewers seek out to put them over the edge.

Potential snags in making the deal: Rolen's health; his salary of about $12 million per season (the Redbirds would have to pick up a portion); and, what the Cardinals would ask for in return (Chris Capuano and Bill Hall have been mentioned as trade candidates).

The winter meetings begin Monday in Nashville. Brewers general manager Doug Melvin, who is on the brink of signing David Riske to a three-year deal, will be a busy / popular guy.

Nall or nothing: A day after they announced that Brett Favre will not miss a game because of the elbow / shoulder injuries that sidelined him Thursday night in Dallas, the Packers signed quarterback Craig Nall to be their third quarterback.

Somebody has to hold the clipboard, right? Think of it this way: had Rodgers gotten hurt Thursday night, the Packers would have had to have reinserted Favre into the game or used Ruvell Martin as their emergency QB.

Memory lane: During his time with Pittsburgh, new Brewers catcher Jason Kendall was involved in two unforgettable plays at first base. Coincidentally, both came against Milwaukee.

On July 4, 1999, a steamy-hot day at Three Rivers Stadium, Kendall tried to bunt for a hit against Brewers right-hander Steve Woodard, who was throwing a no-hitter at the time. When he got to first base, Kendall landed awkwardly on his ankle and suffered a gruesome compound dislocation. The bone in his ankle was sticking through his sock. Brewers first baseman Mark Loretta almost threw up. Kendall missed the rest of the season.

On June 26, 2001, Kendall was again trying to leg out an infield hit against Milwaukee when he was called out by umpire Rick Reed on a close play. Lloyd McClendon, the Pirates' manager at the time, was so enraged by the call that he tore first base out of the ground and walked off the field with it.

"I remember I was safe," Kendall said. "And Mac just lost it. That was really unbelievable. It's going to be shown on the highlight films for ever."

Kendall, who finished last season with the Cubs, won't have trouble feeling at home in Milwaukee. When he broke in the with the Pirates in 1996, Brewers bench coach Ted Simmons was his general manager and third base coach Dale Sveum was a veteran teammate. Jack Zduriencik was the scouting director. Kendall also caught Jeff Suppan when the veteran right-hander was with the Pirates.