I don't understand this at all...
No one remembers the losers of the national championship game, so of course I would rather have the Colts WIN the Superbowl than the Hawkeyes LOSE the national championship...I would hate getting to the national championship and losing
see, I totally disagree with this sentiment.
As a fan I can look back on my teams best years with fondness, even if they fall short of the ultimate prize.
Just think of how often Tom Davis' first team in '87 is cited as a favorite and they didn't even make the Final 4.
Or the '05-'06 team of Alford, they looked like a team that could do damage in the tourney, but got upset by Northwestern State. If you were a Steeler fan, would you trade in the 5th title they had won a couple months earlier for a chance for that Hawkeye team to make the Final 4?
For me it's pretty easy: I don't have any huge pro sports allegiances right now. I don't really like the NFL team I grew up loving (Cowboys) anymore. And the teams I cheer for now Packers, and teams with former Hawkeyes on them- I would gladly trade a championship for them for any Hawkeye win.
The only thing I wouldn't want is to make a NC and get the Buckeye treatment and lose in embarassing fashion. I could handle a competitive loss; I could even hand a blowout loss if the team had won its way to the title game thru a playoff series, but if they were one of the 2 teams to play for the title in the current BCS system and got blown out it would be pretty to handle. There would be lots of haters out there.