So teams that finished Over .500 vs. a team finished under .500. In other words any team 9-7 that plays a team 7-9. It seems to be a pretty shoddy analysis, especially since its Harvard. I can think of a million questions and definitions about this study that invalidate it. Like does the reputation of the team not matter? A 7-9 Lions team is a little different than a 7-9 Patriots team. Is it a divisional game? When people refer to a "trap" game, is it not more like a 12-4 Packers team playing 4-12 Giants team; the week before before the play a 12-4 Saints team for the #1 seed; and the week after playing an emotional divisonal game against a 10-6 Bears team? And, don't people refer to a team underperforming like being a 14 pt favorite and playing down to the opponent only to win by a FG in the second half? Wouldn't put much stock in this study. Believe what you want, but if you ever coached before and had a team come out flat, you understand the heuristic about a trap game.