First impressions, second thoughts and the third degree:

It's fine if college football coaches want to complain about the injustices of the Bowl Championship Series — like Bret Bielema of the University of Wisconsin did in 2006, like Mack Brown of Texas is doing now — as long as they know they look like total hypocrites because they vote in a poll that's used in the BCS formula. …

Come to think of it, having a ballot in the USA Today coaches poll is a pretty dicey proposition these days. Nearly half of those involved (27 of 57) have losing records, while Tommy Bowden, Phil Fulmer and Tyrone Willingham were fired during the season and guys like Charlie Weis (Notre Dame) and Tommy Tuberville (Auburn) are looking over their shoulders. …

The most fun part of the BCS pairings process Sunday is checking out how the coaches and those in the Harris poll — another piece of this nutty puzzle — voted. It's our first and only opportunity of the season to attach names to ballots and investigate all the conspiracy theories. …

Just so we're all crystal clear on this: Oklahoma will play Missouri for the Big 12 Conference title Saturday and both lost to once-beaten Texas during the regular season. …

Action: The BCS standings were used to determine that Oklahoma (7-1) would get that nod over Texas and Texas Tech, which also finished 7-1. Reaction: All future tiebreakers for all NCAA sports should be grade-point averages. …

If indeed the Badgers hook up with Clemson in Champs Sports Bowl, don't look at it as a fifth straight trip to Florida. Look at it as a chance to see UW face a school it's never played before. …

That's quite the charade being conducted by Sports Illustrated, which is throwing out all sorts of possibilities for the Sportsman of the Year designate to be unveiled Tuesday. Seriously, like there's a better candidate than eight-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps? …

Packers coach Mike McCarthy should have gone for it on fourth down at the Carolina 1 late in the fourth quarter instead of breaking a 28-all tie with a field goal. You have a very mobile quarterback in Aaron Rodgers and a good passing scheme in the red zone. Even if you fail, the Panthers are pinned deep. …

A recent poll of state residents found 7.5 percent didn't know who Brett Favre is. Given the tired storyline, which has at least 10 more chapters in the works, put me down as envious. …

We should put the special teams coach for the Badgers (Bielema) and the one for the Packers (Mike Stock) in a room and, you know, have them edit each other's resumes for typos. …

Just 23 names on the latest ballot for the Baseball Hall of Fame and only one absolute no-brainer: Rickey Henderson, the all-time leader in stolen bases and runs. …

The NCAA went easy on former Indiana men's basketball coach and current Bucks assistant Kelvin Sampson, banning him from coaching for five years. Habitual, unapologetic cheaters like Sampson and Jim Harrick should be kept off campuses permanently.