First impressions, second thoughts and the third degree:

The Bowl Championship Series is officially on death watch. The funeral bells haven't begun tolling and there are those at the bedside who believe the patient will pull through, but if Barack Obama wants to call it, who's going to stop him? …

Until now, there's never been a skeptical power to confront the BCS and its frustratingly comical opposition to a playoff for major college football. Until now, those making policy for the BCS have never had to step out en mass and explain their rationale for allowing a flawed, unjust, irresponsibly subjective formula to determine a national champion. …

If the President-elect wants to get this done — and since he's referenced it twice in 10 days, it sure seems like he does — he should summon every chancellor, commissioner and athletic director involved with the BCS to the White House for a public forum. With the proper line of questioning, the charade will be over faster than you can say, "Mark McGwire." All that will be left is the obit. …

It's a complete waste of time to think CC Sabathia will return to Milwaukee next season — yeah, like he's going to take $40 million less than the Yankees' offer just to stay in the National League and his take cuts every fifth day — so what's Plan B for the pitching staff? …

Randy Wolf makes sense as an affordable free-agent starter, a durable left-hander to replace Sabathia, but there's nothing about his overall body of work to suggest he's absolute top-of-the-rotation material. …

The retirement of Salomon Torres means the Brewers again need a closer. They once had interest in Kerry Wood, but he's too much of a health risk, especially when Brian Fuentes is a free agent and Bobby Jenks has surfaced on the trade market. …

Then again, Milwaukee general manager Doug Melvin might call his former draft guru Jack Zduriencik, the new GM in Seattle, and see what the deal is with J.J. Putz. …

Speaking of Sabathia, he was more of an NL MVP candidate than left fielder Ryan Braun — a point suggested by the fact CC got more votes for second and third than Braun — but that's not how it played out in the final count. …

It's one thing to make the organizational errors Bret Bielema has made this season as University of Wisconsin football coach, but it's something else entirely to make the kind of costly instinctive mistake Minnesota counterpart Tim Brewster made Saturday. He took his foot off the play-calling accelerator at the end of the first half and it cost him big-time. …

The sad difference between the NHL and the other major pro sports leagues was spelled out last week when Rick Tocchet became the coach at Tampa Bay even though he's being punished for a gambling problem. ...

No matter how you feel about Bob Knight, it's a good thing ESPN is giving him more exposure as an analyst this season. You get access to a Hall of Famer's knowledge in an environment where he can't throw things and cop a condescending attitude.