College football is back, and I’m willing to have my heart ripped out of my chest every week betting my hard-earned money on kids who aren’t even old enough to drink alcohol — and I wouldn’t have it any other way. This morning, I woke up with the traditional Monday anxieties: I checked my bank account, called myself a loser, brushed my teeth, and went to work like a man. I love to kid myself so that the mistakes I made over the weekend — like spending $400 at Old Crow — feel insignificant.

Do you know how easy it is to tell yourself on Monday morning that you won’t go out on Friday? Anyone can do that. But this week is different. There’s no point fooling yourself. Everyone knows they’re going to bet on college football, for better or for worse. Hopefully everyone reading this will win, but let’s be honest – most of us will lose. Just like in real sports, whether you lose by 1 or 20, a loss is a loss, which begs the question: Would you rather lose your bet at halftime or on the last play of the game?

Here is my case for both cases:

Losing at halftime

I remember as a kid I had a bandage on my elbow for two days and refused to take it off because it hurt too much every time I tried. So I just left it hanging. Then one day my dad came home from work, saw his son walking around with a bandage barely sticking to his elbow and decided to do something about it. He sneaked up behind me, ripped it off, and I didn’t even notice. That’s what it feels like when your bet is dead at halftime. Just get it over with and go back to the drawing board.

Of course, you’ll be hesitant to bet on another game, especially if the bet you just placed is voided before the second half begins. But it’s better to know early that you’ve lost your bet than to find out two minutes before the next game starts. This is why 4:05am start times should be banned in the NFL – how are we supposed to bet on a game when we don’t know the outcome of our games at 1pm? So it’s better to know than to wait anxiously for a losing bet slip.

Losing on the last move

Losing on the last play is like having to put your dog down. It’s one of the worst feelings in the world. I get emotional every time I think about it. But it’s a part of life. You can’t let the pain of loss take away all the happiness your dog has given you. The same goes for losing on the last play. Yes, it hurts, but it hurts because you were close. It hurts because at one point during the game you were on top of the world. It hurts because your head was in the right place but the ball bounced the other way. You were basically the 12th man on the field, sweating on every single play. That’s why it hurts.

And if I’m honest, that’s exactly what I’m looking for when I bet. We all love an effortless winner, but unless life-changing money is at stake, we’re betting on success. I don’t want to be dead at halftime. I want to be on the edge of my seat, fighting for my life. And even if it doesn’t go in my favor, at least I was there.