MIAMI — Today's history lesson is on how Heisman-winning quarterbacks keep turning national championship games into rides on the Hindenburg.
Florida State's Chris Weinke won the award four years ago. . .
The only points the Seminoles scored in the Orange Bowl were on a safety.
Nebraska's Eric Crouch won in 2001 . . .
His fumble in the Rose Bowl set up the first of many Miami touchdowns. The Cornhuskers fell behind 34-0 and lost 37-14.
Last year, it was Oklahoma's Jason White . . .
He went 13 for 37 against LSU in a 21-14 Sugar Bowl loss.
Anyone notice a trend?
Since 1975, 13 Heisman winners — quarterbacks and otherwise — have played a bowl game with No. 1 at stake . . .
They lost nine times. Better odds can be found at the roulette table.
Here's how it seems to work. The Downtown Athletic Club hands a happy guy the Heisman Trophy, with all the ensuing pictures, autographs, handshakes and nice words from Lee Corso.
Then they hand him the bill. It is as if the statue comes with fine print: "Must flop in early January."
Maybe the attention distracts him. The adulation drains him. The other team's defense wants to squeeze his helmet down three sizes. Whatever.
Sunday was Orange Bowl Media Day at the stadium - though you could tell right away it wasn't like Super Bowl Media Day, since not one player was asked what kind of tree he wanted to be.
The new Heisman winner, the University of Southern California quarterback sitting on a chair with the wind blowing his dark hair, was asked if he had a theory on the foul bowl fate of his predecessors.
Dozens of media leaned forward to hear the learned answer.
Said Matt Leinart:
"Nope."
Oh.
When pressed, Leinart doesn't seem very affected.
"Every once in awhile, I'll stop and think, 'Is this really happening?' That kind of stuff. But it didn't take much to put that weekend behind me and get back to business.
"I'm ready to play. I have been ever since I got back."
The trophy? "It's in my living room, sitting there not really doing much."
The jinx? "I don' think there is one. For whatever reason, they haven't won."
The past woes of so many others? Leinart preferred to mention the Heisman winner two years ago, who didn't play for the national championship, but won MVP at the Orange Bowl with 303 yards of passing.
Carson Palmer. The USC quarterback he replaced.
"I remember standing on this sideline, watching him tear up Iowa," Leinart said. "That's the only example I use."
So we'll see about any jinx Tuesday night. And who's that in the other huddle? The latest victim.
Jason White will find out if playing for No. 1 as the third place finisher in the Heisman vote is any more pleasant than playing as the winner. Two Heisman winners, one bowl game. Never happened before.
"I wouldn't necessarily say it is a burden, but you do have that X on your back," White said. "I didn't play well last year but that was not because I won the Heisman. It was because the whole team didn't play well."
So that makes two things several recent Heisman winners have had to come up with. A nice suit for the ceremony, and an explanation why the bowl game was bad news.
"People who play against (a Heisman winner) have their own pride," USC offensive coordinator Norm Chow gave as one reason. "They're determined to show they're good football players, too, and they're going to get after him."
"I think Oklahoma will get after this guy."
Leinart said he expects it. And in the opposing camp, White understands, knowing how heavy that crown can be.