Brennan's entire career will be defined by Sugar Bowl

Colt Brennan knows that NFL scouts will be closely watching his performance against a fast Georgia defense in the Sugar Bowl. AP

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NEW ORLEANS -- He's broken or tied 29 NCAA records. He finished third in this season's Heisman voting. Yet for all he's accomplished in 34 starts as a college quarterback, Colt Brennan's career is almost certain to be defined by how he performs in his final game.

Rarely has an individual player had so much riding on a bowl game as Hawaii's quarterback will in Monday night's Sugar Bowl against fifth-ranked Georgia (10-2). This is about more than just proving he's for real. How Brennan performs against a highly respected SEC defense could have a huge impact on both his legacy as a college quarterback and his stock as future pro.

"It's crazy how much success I've had," said the former walk-on transfer from Colorado. "Yet I realize you are only as good as your last game. My last game happens to be in the Sugar Bowl against one of the best teams in the country."

For the past two years, as the nation watched him put up such ridiculous numbers as 5,549 yards and 58 touchdowns in a season and completion rates north of 70 percent, the jury has remained split among believers and cynics. Some chalk up his production to Hawaii's pass-happy offense and/or the Warriors' lightly regarded schedule. Others -- including numerous opposing coaches -- contend he's one of the most accurate passers they've ever seen at any level.

Lately, it seems, the believers have gained the majority, most notably the Heisman voters who tabbed him higher than all but Florida quarterback Tim Tebow and Arkansas running back Darren McFadden, despite Brennan missing all or most of two games and facing the nation's lowest-rated schedule. Those opinions could change in a hurry, however, if the senior falls flat in the biggest game of his career.

Or, Brennan could go out and throw for 420 yards and five touchdowns against the Bulldogs' 19th-ranked defense -- one that Heisman winner Tebow said was the toughest he faced all season -- and his star power will suddenly rise to a whole other stratosphere.

"This game has a huge impact on how I will be remembered and how my career will be looked at," he acknowledged.

Brennan last faced a nationally ranked non-conference foe in his very first game for Hawaii, a 63-17 loss to No. 1 USC in the 2005 season opener in which he rotated with Tyler Graunke and threw for 250 yards on 21-of-32 passing. (He took over as starter the following week.)

He's faced seven BCS-conference opponents since and put up some of his most memorable performances, including a 559-yard, five-touchdown performance in last year's Hawaii Bowl rout over Arizona State and perhaps his finest career performance (42-of-50, 442 yards, five TDs, no interceptions) in the undefeated Warriors' BCS-clinching win against Washington.

In his only previous performance against an SEC foe (Hawaii's 2006 season opener at Alabama), Brennan went 30-of-44 for 350 yards, two TDs and one pick in a 25-17 defeat.

"I've faced Alabama, I've faced USC," said Brennan. "It's not like I haven't faced this before."

He and his teammates concede, however, that Georgia poses the fastest, most athletic defense they've faced to date. "There's no doubt -- Georgia is extremely fast," said Brennan. "We really won't know what it's like until we're out on the field."

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