Sanchez Departure = Pissed Off Pete
January 16th, 2009 Posted in Football FixEvery year as soon as a national champ is crowned in college football we are almost instantaneously bombarded with the news of underclassmen expressing their intent to either return to school for another year or take their game to the next level by declaring for the draft. Since the news is made mid-January, most of us take the word with a grain of salt, not thinking much of it, or at least not until March when the draft is really anyone talks about. For me personally, I found Mark Sanchez’s press conference Thursday was quite interesting, but the best part had nothing to do with his future plans.
Usually with the press conferences the head coach will sit down and say the same generic message. Either, “We 
enjoyed our time here and winning games with him…,” to something like, “I am excited to get him for another year.” Although with Pete Carroll, that wasn’t the case as he was did not shy away from voicing his displeasure with the final decision Sanchez came to, “Mark is going against the grain, and he knows that.” The most telling moment was after speaking with the press for several moments, Carroll barely acknowledging Sanchez at all providing only a pat on his shoulder as he headed towards the exit. Carroll reportedly cut his Hawaii trip short so he could be at the press conference, but reportedly spent a lengthy period of time meeting with Sanchez late Wednesday, possibly doing all in his power to change his mind.
If you consider the options, Sanchez is making the right call, especially after Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy of Texas both chose to stay at school, leaving Georgia’s Matthew Stafford as the lone early challenge for Sanchez in the battle for first quarterback’s to be taken in the first round. The potential big bucks could be there for the red shirt junior who tossed for over 3,200 yards and 34 TD’s, which is the second most in school history, despite it being his first full year as a starter.
When you think of USC you can’t help but think of the constant overstock of talent on the sidelines, even of the guys who never actually see the field. So why make the big deal of one guys decides to go after money? Carroll’s reaction could tell you everything you need to know concerning the Trojans’ QB situation for ’09. It is almost funny to even consider especially how strong it was perceived once the highly touted recruit Mitch Mustain transferred from Arkansas to SC, but in the spring ball, the one time Mr. Football from the Razorback state failed to win the number 2 QB spot as Mustain got beaten out by a Freshman.
Now Carroll realizes what he has isn’t good enough and may already see his chance for a title next season already slipping away. It’s not a question of weather or not USC will have talent, because anyone who knows anything about football will tell you they do, but with the big names they have already lost on defense like Rey Maualuga, Brian Cushing, and potentially even Taylor Mays, you will need to have steady play from the quarterback position in order to head to the title game. What all this says to me is that once again the Trojans are bound for the Rose Bowl- again. What would be a superb season by nearly anyone else’s standards has been reduced to a mere slap in the face for USC. Which is why it is so infuriating for Carroll to watch his best QB desert him for the next level. Until next time, keep your mind on the fine side.