After reading the threads following our most recent 4th quarter collapse, I began to wonder what causes some people to over or under-react to a win or a loss?  It's not simply that some care more than others.  Sure, that plays a part in it, but it's really hard to measure that, for one, and secondly ones level of caring and over/under reacting do not seem to be mutually exclusive.

So, seeing as how there is now statistic to measure it, I internalized the question.  I have always been one that can flush a loss fairly quickly (except Ohio State 1990...I was 12, in row 39 of the north end zone with the old man.  DAMN YOU BOBBY OLIVE!).  And by fairly quickly I mean that the "kicked in the gut" feeling goes away in an hour or so after I have hashed it out with friends/family.  On the flip side of this, I don't seem to enjoy the wins as much as some that I know.  Rather than joy and happiness, I often feel a sense of relief after a win (except after Tate to Holloway, I almost went off a third story balcony).  

I think my ability to stay fairly even keeled regardless of the outcome is rooted in the fact that I promised myself a long time ago that I would not allow my happiness to be controlled by 18-22 year old kids that I have never met and have no control over.  

Or, could it be that my sights are set too low? Prior to this season there was a lot of National Championship talk.  I didn't really buy into it other than to say "why not Iowa?".  I mean, it really was hard to buy into if you think about it.  What in Iowa Football history leads one to believe that we will follow up an 11-2 Orange Bowl Championship season with not only an equal, but a better one?? Plus, in my lifetime the closest an Iowa team has come to going undefeated was 1991 when we went 10-1 and then tied a Ty Detmer led BYU team in Holliday Bowl, which actually might be the best performance by an Iowa defense that NEVER gets talked about, but I digress.

I guess I didn't really answer any questions here as much as I did pose new ones.  But, I suppose there aren't any actual answers to be had.  Just variations of perceptions.