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If a picture is indeed worth 1,000 words, it will be interesting to see how many thousands of dollars the image of Troy Smith standing next to Chris Leak at the conclusion of the lopsided national title game Monday night costs the Ohio State quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner.

Never mind that Smith (4-for-14 for 35 yards) was outplayed by the long-maligned Leak in Florida's 41-14 rout of the Buckeyes. Everyone has a poor game once in a while, and scouts rarely penalize a player for a subpar outing if it appears to be an aberration. And the classy Smith has fashioned a body of work on the field and a résumé off it that suggest no one should be overly alarmed by Monday's poor play.

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