ESPN is reporting that USC quarterback Mark Sanchez will enter the NFL draft.

From Star teammate David Lassen:

Lydell Sargeant's view of the USC football team proved to be all too accurate.

Sargeant, the only Southern Californian on the Penn State roster - he played at Cabrillo High in Lompoc - talked earlier in the week about how he consistently spoke well of the Trojans during his time in State College, Pa.,

"I pump up all the USC guys when I was going through college because I know them," said Sargeant, who attended USC summer football camps and played in all-star games with some of the current Trojans.

"I've always said I think Mark (Sanchez) is the best quarterback I've ever seen personally."
And so, of course, Sanchez went out and completed 28 of 35 passes for 413 yards, tying a Rose Bowl record with four touchdown passes.

"Mark did a good job throwing to the receivers that were open and really reading our coverages," Sargeant said.

Quarterback Daryll Clark set a Penn State bowl record by passing for 273 yards, two less yards than Sanchez threw for in the first half.

Mark Sanchez completed 80 percent of his passes (27 of 35) Thursday afternoon to tie a Rose Bowl record for completion percentage.

Sanchez tied the mark set by Ira McKee of Navy in 1924. McKee completed 16 of 20 passes in a 14-14 tie with Washington

With his 45-yard scoring strike to Ronald Johnson early in the fourth quarter, USC quarterback Mark Sanchez tied the Rose Bowl record for single-game touchdown passes.

He's also joins Danny O'Neill (Oregon '95 vs. Penn State) and Ron Vander Kelen (Wisconsin '63 vs. USC) the third Rose Bowl quarter to throw for 400 or more yards in a Rose Bowl.

No quarterback has thrown for more touchdowns against Penn State in a bowl game.

Sanchez has completed 27 of 34 passes for 405 yards and four touchdowns.

He's a 55-yard touchdown pass away from owning both the yardage and TD records.

Mark Sanchez threw for 276 yards and three touchdowns in the first half, completing 18 of 23 passes, as USC raced out to a sturdy 31-7 halftime lead over Penn State in the Rose Bowl.

So does this USC team deserve considering to win the Associated Press national championship?

Sanchez hits Damien Williams for 17 yards on third-and-12 from the Penn State 36 to improve to 6 for 8 on third down conversions.

The junior then hits David Ausberry with on a 19-yard scoring strike against the grain for a 24-7 USC lead.

Sanchez has completed 16 of 20 passes for 225 yards for two touchdown passes and a touchdown run.

USC quarterback Mark Sanchez heats up for a 14-7 Trojans lead.

The junior completes passes of 15, 26 and 27 yards to three different receivers before finishing the drive himself with a 7-yard quarterback draw with 12:27 left in the first half.

These may be two of the Top 10 defenses in the country, but they've already combined to allow touchdown drives of 80, 80 and 86 yards.

Speaking after practice Saturday at Howard Jones Field, USC head coach Pete Carroll thinks that the Rose Bowl against Penn State could be a low-scoring game:

"Logically, everyone will think this would be a really low scoring game. We'll try to do that, that's the only way I ever think. These are two high-powered offenses as well, so it will be interesting to see come game time."

Carroll is looking forward to coaching against Penn State's legendary coach Joe Paterno:

"It's a nice aspect of this game. It's fun to have this opportunity and I look forward to it. It's exciting to have the opportunity to go against him in such a big setting and big match-up. I have great respect for him, like everyone has and he is well-deserving of all of it."

After an up-and-down season, USC quarterback Mark Sanchez says the Trojans' offense is "starting to click." :

"We are coming around and I think we are going to peak at just the right time. The offense as a group looks fast. We are playing fast. We know what we are doing and that makes things a lot easier."

USC tailback Stafon Johnson seems excited about the potential for a physical game against a Big Ten Conference opponent:

"That's the type of game that you want. Smash mouth football, down hill football on both sides. We just want to make sure we capitalize on third downs and execute in the red zone."

For more reaction provided by the Tournament of Roses, click the jump.

When the Bowl Championship Series pairings are announced Sunday afternoon, the USC football team will be locked into its fourth straight Rose Bowl trip, despite having the same amount of losses as the two BCS title contenders.

"It's hard when you know you lost (at) a tough Oregon State tea, when you know another team has lost at home," said USC quarterback Mark Sanchez. "It's frustrating, but we can't do anything about that. All we can do is win."

USC quarterback Mark Sanchez says he is fine after leaving the game midway through the third quarter with a knee injury following a sack by Oregon defensive end Nick Reed

"I think it's going to be just fine," said Sanchez. "It just kind of bent a little funny... It didn't pop or anything. Good thing I was wearing a brace."

Three plays after David Buehler's 36-yard field goal, Josh Pinkard's fumble recovery sets up Mark Sanchez's 11-yard touchdown pass to Patrick Turner with 16 seconds to play in the first half.

After trailing 10-3 in the second quarter, USC leads 27-10 at the half.

After being sacked by Oregon's Nick Reed midway through the third quarter, USC quarterback Mark Sanchez stayed down before limping off the field. He seemed to wrench his knee.

Mitch Mustain took over on the next USC possession and was intercepted in the end zone by Jairus Byrd.

A USC spokesperson just announced in the press box that "Sanchez might return."

USC coach Pete Carroll said Tuesday that he expected junior Mark Sanchez to start Saturday at Virginia:

"Mark practiced full-go yesterday. He looked good. I think he's got to clear through the doctors tonight to get the final OK."

"We're expecting him to play."

Carroll also commented on the preseason of reserves Mitch Mustain and Aaron Corp and how the two reserves sit relative to Sanchez:

"Mitch has made a tremendous amount of progress, as Aaron Corp has. I think this has accelerated their progress, but there is still a distance between those guys' handling of the offense and where Mark is."

Carroll was indecisive when asked which quarterback, Mustain or Corp, should be considered the backup.

"We're going to leave this competition open and see how they continue to develop.
There's nothing to declare yet."

Although those of us who have watched practices consider Corp to be slightly above Mustain at this point.

LOS ANGELES -- Despite giving the USC football team perhaps the two biggest injury scares of fall camp, the potential starting backfield of quarterback Mark Sanchez and C.J. Gable may be back for next week's visit to the University of Virginia.

Neither participated in Saturday's Cardinal-and-White scrimmage Thursday at the Coliseum, yet both players received boosts from head coach Pete Carroll.