By Drew Olson Special to OnMilwaukee.com Published Nov 03, 2007 at 5:29 AM

Welcome to Saturday Scorecard. If you have any trouble receiving this column, contact your local cable operator. The phones have been quiet there this week.

Bad timing: It's comforting to know I'm not the only person who gets confused by the end of daylight savings. Bucks point guard Mo Williams lost track of time, the score or both in the closing seconds of a 102-99 loss in Charlotte.

With his team trailing by three and the clock running out, Williams bypassed a three-point attempt and drove the lane for what turned out to be an ill-advised and rather worthless layup. (No wonder he was wide open).

The Bucks, winless in their first two games, face several questions going into their home opener against Chicago:

Can anyone on the team even pretend to play defense for a majority of the game?

Should Bobby Simmons be starting ahead of Desmond Mason?

Can Williams distribute the ball and keep the offense flowing? If the Bucks aren't going to stop people, they're going to need to increase their offensive production.

Tall order: The Badgers are heavy underdogs going into their matchup with No. 1 Ohio State this afternoon in Columbus. That's not a surprise. Sophomore tailback P.J. Hill will likely miss the game with a leg injury.

Nothing against Zach Brown, but you don't really want to go up against the top team in the country when your lead running back has carried the ball just 35 times.

A colleague claims that a victory by Wisconsin today would represent the biggest upset in school history. That seems like a stretch. It wasn't that long ago that the Badgers were ranked fifth in the nation.

The Badgers will have to play a nearly flawless game in order to win this afternoon. Even that might not be enough.

War of words: Wisconsin's athletic office put out several informational news releases this week about the situation surrounding the Big Ten Networks's battle with the cable companies.

The university doesn't have a big role in negotiations. The folks that do are spending so much time ripping each other in various media that a deal seems unlikely.

Bottom line: The Badgers situation is bringing attention to the stalemate, but it isn't enough to bring about change. What would it take? How about a big chunk of the population missing a Packers game?

The entire episode is helping build the case for ala Carte pricing of cable offerings.

Driver drought: Some Packers fans were disappointed when wide receiver Donald Driver did not catch Brett Favre's record-setting touchdown pass in Minnesota. Driver hasn't caught many passes -- historic or otherwise -- lately. He has 12 catches for 117 yards in the past three weeks. Chalk it up to a combination of good defense and strong performances by other receivers.

General Grant: Packers fans probably shouldn't rush to the store for a Ryan Grant jersey just yet. Sure, he had some nice moments in the Monday Night victory in Denver, but Samkon Gado and DeShawn Wynn had some nice carries in the past, too, and look what it got them.

This week's game of the year: Look for the New England-Indianapolis game to draw a huge national rating on Sunday - provided the game is close through the first three quarters or so. The Patriots have been blowing teams out, but the Colts could make them sweat.

Wounded Knee: Marquette freshman forward Trevor Mbakwe's season-ending knee injury will cause Tom Crean and his assistants to scramble a bit this season. Look for the Golden Eagles to implement a four-guard set at some point before the Big East season opener.

He said, he said: It's unclear whether Avery Smith quit the UWM basketball team or was asked to leave. In either case, it's a blow for the Panthers' program. Smith, who was one of the more experienced players on the roster, may have balked at the prospect of reduced playing time.

Right-hand man: How many more games will the Brewers win with Ted Simmons in the dugout serving as Ned Yost's bench coach? It's impossible to say. Simmons, though, was a tremendous addition for the Brewers. He is universally respected in the game. He has close ties to Yost and scouting director Jack Zduriencik and he has deep knowledge of every team's roster because he was a top scout / advisor in San Diego.

38 wishes: The Brewers' chances of signing free agent pitcher Curt Schilling seem remote, but the fact that they were on the right-hander's final list is a sign of progress.

In the nets: The Wave plays its home opener against expansion New Jersey at 5 p.m. tonight at the U.S. Cellular Arena. New Jersey's nickname is the Ironmen and the goalie is former World Cup star Tony Meola.

Call from the Hall: The Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is slated for Friday at the Midwest Airlines Center. The Class of 2007 includes Dick Bennett, Mike Webster, Sen. Herb Kohl, Frederick C. Miller, Harry "Buddy" Melges and Cecil Cooper. Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig will introduce Kohl, who was his roommate at the University of Wisconsin.

Drew Olson Special to OnMilwaukee.com

Host of “The Drew Olson Show,” which airs 1-3 p.m. weekdays on The Big 902. Sidekick on “The Mike Heller Show,” airing weekdays on The Big 920 and a statewide network including stations in Madison, Appleton and Wausau. Co-author of Bill Schroeder’s “If These Walls Could Talk: Milwaukee Brewers” on Triumph Books. Co-host of “Big 12 Sports Saturday,” which airs Saturdays during football season on WISN-12. Former senior editor at OnMilwaukee.com. Former reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.