Let me first say that I am a huge fan of Pete Carroll and in no way believe that he’s incompetent.  The following is merely my opinion on the hot topic of discussion at this minute and is not intended to imply anything other than what is written.  Also my assumption is that we are striving for a NC and nothing less.  With that said, here are my reasons for believing Mark Sanchez should start this Saturday:

1.  The Offense Needs a Leader/Playmaker Over Experience/Efficiency

• John David Booty likely knows the offensive playbook in greater
  depth than Mark Sanchez; he also probably makes more mature decisions during practice and shows greater accuracy, but none of these things help solve the problem the offense currently faces.  The fact is, we have a line that is battling through injuries and struggles greatly at times in pass protection and a WR corp that lacks confidence and is on an entirely different page than our QB.  You can’t open up the playbook if you can’t execute basics; experience and mature decisions mean nothing if you can’t avoid pressure.  Here’s a nice quote from Jeremy Hogue at WeAreSC.com:

I think JD continually shows that – when rattled with
pressure – his decisions are not good, and with his limited mobility, he needs
more help than this offense can currently give him.  He is not a guy who
can play pitch and catch with receivers when things break down and they aren’t
where they are supposed to be.  So while JD may be the best QB for us
behind our normal, healthy offensive line and a strong running game, the
mobility of a Mark Sanchez at this point – I believe – gives the Trojans an
offensive difference it sorely needs.

And that brings me to my point:  this offense needs a leader and a playmaker at QB more than it needs experience and efficiency.  Mark will likely throw more INTs and at times make less mature decisions than JDB, but he can also make a play when the O-Line misses an assignment and remain poised and confident in the face of pressure – something Booty has proven unable to do.   Here’s a quote from Stewart Mandel:

"While other quarterback prospects may have more raw ability, Sanchez is
as polished as they come in terms of his mechanics and decision-making.
What’s most striking to observers, though, is his poise and maturity."

Anyone that followed Mark’s career at MVHS knows that the standout quality in this kid is his leadership and confidence.  I remember watching the ’05 Cali-Florida game and marveling at Mark’s cool demeanor and ability to take command of the offense.  He made quick assertive calls in the huddle and walked up and down the sideline encouraging teammates and going over plays with his receivers.   That is the type of leader we need in this offense, a player that can bring confidence to a young WR corp and injured O-Line and at times carry them on his back. 

What is the risk of starting Mark?  We have the biggest cushion of any school in the nation (minus LSU) in our defense; if any school can start a new QB mid-season it is USC.  To say that starting JDB with a struggling O-Line is significantly less risky is completely baseless to me when you consider UCLA, Washington, and Stanford; compound that with the fact that Oregon, Cal, and ASU are all away and they all see some blood.  With Arizona and Notre Dame next on the schedule, THIS is the time to make a change. 

2.  A Change is Needed for the Pollsters

• Whether you like to acknowledge or not, a large part of this team’s future is held in the hands of the pollsters.  I don’t believe in inane mantras such as, "Let’s just play and let the chips fall as they may" when applied to rankings.  Do we have full control?  Of course not, but it doesn’t mean we have no control whatsoever.  Everyone knows SC is as talented as they come, but they also know that John David Booty is FAR from an elite QB and as Stewart Mandel put it, "is hurting his team more than he’s helping."

To quote Stewart again, we are now in "crisis mode" and when I think of real-life crises, almost always the 1st step taken is one of reassurance and showing some semblance of control.  Starting Mark Sanchez gives this team a new starting point, something the pollsters will mark as the catalyst for a rejuvenated Trojan team.  It splits the season into two and brings back credibility into the team, which means everything in the polls. 

3.  What Happened to Competition?

• A lot of SC fans take pride in the fact that SC is modeled on a meritocratic system, so why is JDB granted immunity?  He has played 4 underwhelming-to-awful games out of 5 this season and played a major part in a loss that literally 0% (based on fantasy pick’em) of fans predicted would happen.  If that doesn’t cause a player to be benched then I ask what does?

With a depth chart filled with All-Americans, competition should be fierce, yet I see Pete naming JDB the starter and refusing to even consider a change before watching a week of practice.  Why is it that Steve Spurrier, Frank Beamer, Bobby Bowden, etc. have all changed their starting QBs for poor play (sometimes due to a single quarter), yet at the school known for competition, we repeatedly vouch for JDB’s poor or average play?  It makes no sense and reduces the validity of the mantra that has played such a huge part in our recruiting/game success. 

Expectations are high and they should be with the amount of talent we currently have on our roster.  People talk about SC’s great tradition yet are willing to sit back and accept the status quo, and even worse criticize those that don’t?  This is a pivotal point in SC’s future and decisions made this week can be the difference between a NC and a Holiday Bowl.  If there is any time for fans to apply pressure on the coaching staff it is now.  In the meantime I would love to hear your opinions so please comment away…