It didn’t just get Troy Smith, though his 4-for-12, 35 yd. performance in the national championship game is about as ugly as it gets. Look how the top 10 Heisman finalists went out in their bowl games.

Troy Smith, Ohio State: dreadful
Darren McFadden, Arkansas: lost (89 yards)
Brady Quinn, Notre Dame: painful
Steve Slaton, West Virginia: injured, non-factor
Mike Hart, Michigan: lost (< 50 yards) Colt Brennan, Hawai'i: finally someone who played well Ray Rice, Rutgers: 170 yards, but no one saw him play Ian Johnson, Boise State: another big winner Dwayne Jarrett, Southern Cal: huge second half on the biggest Jan. 1st stage Calvin Johnson, Georgia Tech: great bowl but still lost If we're ranking them just according to bowl performance, the list gets flipped almost upside down:

1. Brennan
2. Jarrett
3. Calvin Johnson
4. Ray Rice
5. Ian Johnson
6. McFadden
7. Quinn
8. Hart
9. Smith
10. Slaton (injured)