A $250,000 billboard across from Madison Square Garden. National hype. Playing on the No. 4 BCS team in the country. A season highlighted by 23 touchdowns versus only five picks. A Heisman Trophy finalist.

You'd think people would know something about Oregon QB Joey Harrington by now, but after what he went through this past week, it's clear they don't. In Orlando for the College Football Awards, Harrington was introduced at a dinner as "Joey Harrington from Oregon State."

When he flew to New York for the Heisman Trophy presentation on Saturday, it got worse. After he finished fourth, he went to the press conference. Before more than 100 people, the first question was: "Eric, coming off the loss in Boulder, do you think ..."

It was the type of question that made you squirm. Harrington has a slight facial resemblance to Eric Crouch, but this was absurd. Harrington just smiled, but later, when I asked him about it, he seemed a little put off. "Is it a compliment to be mistaken for Crouch? Yes and no. Hey, I knew I wasn't going to win."

"That's kinda sad," I said.

"Why? It's realistic."

Maybe. Still, there seemed to be a touch of sadness to Harrington that night. Seems to happen to someone every year. Last year, LaDainian Tomlinson sat in a security office with his mother, crying over finishing fourth -- and relieved at the end of all the demands of being a Heisman contender.

After the BCS snub and the fourth-place finish in the Heisman, Harrington did a good job of submerging the hurt, but as he was walking away, he turned and said one more thing:

"After all this, I'm ready for Colorado."

E-mail Seth Wickersham at seth.wickersham@espnmag.com.