There are some things in life that always seem like a good idea when they are suggested, but in the long run probably are not the best decisions.

Like traveling to France. Or buying a Terrell Owens Eagles jersey in 2004. Or eating a 15-pound cheeseburger in Clearfield.

But one thing least likely to make that list: Instant replay in college football.

I know I'm definitely in the minority here, but the events that have transpired in the last two weeks have swayed me back to the idea that replay is bad for the game.

Let's rewind back to the Sept. 16 game between Oregon and Oklahoma.

The Ducks trailed by six points with less than three minutes to go, and decided to try an onside kick. Oregon's kicker Matt Evensen put a perfect bounce on the ball, but it hit a Ducks player before touching the Sooners' return team, which constitutes a re-kick.

Or did it?

After the Ducks jumped on the apparently dead ball, the Oklahoma sideline looked around for the illegal procedure flag, but the bean-filled yellow hanky was nowhere to be found. Sooners head coach Bob Stoops went nuts on the referee, who obliged the irate coach and asked for instant replay.

Then, after about a dozen replays, the referee -- a Pac-10 official -- walked out onto the field and ruled that the play stands and awarded the ball to Oregon. Everyone knows the rest of the story; the Ducks won 34-33 on a blocked field goal. The loss left Norman, Okla., on the brink of rioting, and edged Stoops closer to a white padded room. To the NCAA's credit, it did admit its mistake with a statement later in the week.

"Errors clearly were made and not corrected, and for that we apologize to the University of Oklahoma, Coach Stoops and his players," Pac-10 Commissioner Tom Hansen told USA Today.

But making that statement is like a police department apologizing at a press conference for arresting the wrong man. Yes it is necessary, but it would be more productive if you tried to fix the problem.

Weren't we promised that instant replay would stolve these problems?

There was also an incident during last week's Auburn-LSU game. In the best game of the season so far, Auburn corner back Eric Brock was called for pass interference on a fourth down play with a little more than two minutes remaining in the game. But the call was overturned by replay officials, who ruled that there was no infraction on the play and awarded the ball to Auburn. The latter eventually went on to win 7-3, and now has full control of the SEC conference.

Wait? They can overrule flags?

Isn't the whole human element the best part of sports? If we are going to allow replay and replay officials to decide what is and what isn't a penalty, why even have human officials at all?

Maybe I'm a purest here, but one of the best things about being a sports fan -- and a college football fan in general -- is that you get to yell at officials after a bad call. Because if it is now OK to challenge a flag, why would officials even bother throwing their flags in the first place? They could just call for an instant replay and get to double-check the play in slow motion. Or, on the other hand, what would stop them from throwing their flags on just about every play, and then checking the replay "just to be sure?"

Instant replay -- like most new ideas -- has been perfected by the NFL. Just think how different the Super Bowl would've been if Mike Holmgren could have had the ability to challenge penalties.

Experimenting with replay in situations such as turnovers, scoring plays and catches is fine, but it's about time that the NCAA backs up and allows the human element back into the game.