SpringfieldNewsSun.com

Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith was a perfect 5-0 in "big games" — three victories over Michigan, a 34-20 triumph over Notre Dame in the January 2006 Fiesta Bowl and a 24-7 win at No. 2 Texas in the second week of the 2006 season.

Then came the fateful night of Jan. 8, 2007, when "Houdini" and the No. 1 Buckeyes got humbled by the Florida Gators in the BCS Championship Game in Glendale, Ariz.

Smith completed just 4-of-14 passes for 35 yards, suffered an interception and got sacked five times — losing a fumble — in a 41-14 defeat.

The performance didn't help his draft status, but how much did it hurt?

Here's some mixed reaction from NFL experts:

"One of the things about Troy Smith that was always there was, 'Man, he's wonderful in big games.' He wasn't against Florida, but this was not his fault. The offensive line was terrible. Two things happened that affected him. One was that game. The other was JaMarcus Russell (of LSU) declaring for the draft. Troy Smith could get bumped out of round one." — Jerry Jones, The Drugstore List

"I'm a Troy Smith fan. He's a great athlete with great arm strength, and I like him as a person. I liken him to Drew Brees. He's an end of the first round type of guy. The Florida game hurt him, but he has a chance to recoup. He can come to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, work out good, and that performance will be forgotten. My advice to him and NFL scouts is this: Don't ever let one game get rid of two years worth of good stuff." — Gil Brandt, NFL.com Senior Analyst

"People say you're only as good as your last game. As far as personnel departments go, we kind of divorce ourselves from just one particular game. You can take one game from anyone. It just goes in the pie with everything else. You don't ignore it, but you don't rest on it, either. The scouts are going to rest on his total body of work." — Vince Newsome, assistant director of pro personnel, Baltimore Ravens

"It's a really scary year if you're sitting at the top of this draft and you want to take a quarterback. There are questions about all those guys. In Troy's case, his ability to handle pressure in the pocket. Really, he's not that fast. He gets run down by defensive ends. He's not real big. He kind of stares down his targets. You didn't see those breathtaking thread-the-needle throws (against Florida) that you'd hope to see from a top-of-the-draft quarterback." — Greg Seamon, scout, Cincinnati Bengals

"Those people who wanted to find something negative to say about him, he gave them that. But the people who are smart enough know that it's his body of work that you use to gauge. I don't think he's hurt himself significantly with those people. He's one heck of a young man. Because of his maturity and the fact that he's battle tested in life, he's suited for the criticism, the sting and the moments of failure he's going to be facing. He's not going to cower in the face of adversity like a Joey Harrington." — Solomon Wilcots, CBS Sports

"Troy Smith is a short, accurate passer with good mobility and fine intangibles. He lacks prototypical numbers, which will hurt his draft position. His final game exposed several limitations, including difficulty as a pocket passer. He needs a big week at the Senior Bowl to stay within the top 75-100 prospects. He is a great story, but has only marginal NFL starting ability." — Frank Coyle, DraftInsiders.com

"I don't think he hurt himself at all. This is the Heisman Trophy winner. One game is not going to make or break his career. The Senior Bowl is going to prove everything for him. The scouts will get a chance to see how he prepares and works. He has all the tools — the arm, the athleticism, the mobility. There are questions about his height, and they want to know if he's smart enough — if he's able to read and react, look at coverages, and be able to decipher where to go with the ball coming off his progressions." — Carlos

Holmes, BigCProFootball.com