by Mark Kriegel

The piece was composed for the soundtrack of a 1947 film, "Captain from Castile," starring Tyrone Power and Cesar Romero as Cortez, "Conquerer of a New World." Maybe you assumed, as did I, that Troy's victory ditty would be taken from a Gladiator picture. But, hey, this is Hollywood; neither accuracy nor congruence are considered virtues. Besides, it sounds right. It looks right. These practices are so expertly choreographed, so gloriously stage-managed, that you half expect a Cecil B. DeMille troupe — muscle-men clad as Centurions and buxom extras bearing feathered fans — to carry Sanchez off the field and into the locker room.

Hail the conquering hero. Hail Mark Sanchez. His is what's become the most coveted position in college football: starting quarterback for USC.

Back in the ancient epoch, in 2004, before Matt Leinart became the second Trojan quarterback in a decade to win the Heisman, Sanchez was a high school senior being recruited by, among others, Ohio State. It was then, in Columbus, that coach Jim Tressel reportedly told him that the two most important people in Ohio were the governor and the Buckeyes' quarterback. And of the two, he added, the quarterback reigned supreme.

Whoop-de-do, I might have said. No one knows who the governor of Ohio is. And no one would care anyway.

But Sanchez was raised better than that. No thanks, he told Tressel, whom he calls "a great recruiter, a great person," and "tough to say 'no' to."

The Trojans' opener against Virginia was a walk in the park. Saturday's test won't be so easy. (Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)

Not that tough, though, especially for a kid raised in Southern California. Here in Hollywood, you have the good weather, the fine girls, and a culture that celebrates you as a star. There's a reason there's no NFL franchise in Los Angeles. It's called USC.

Here, you're cast in the Bowl Subdivision's version of "Entourage." There, you're standing around the keg at a frat party. In Ohio, you play for a conference in decline. The girls are not as pretty. It gets wet and cold.

"They told me it was going to snow for the Michigan-Ohio State game and that kind of hurt," recalls Sanchez. "I'll go to the snow for the weekend, but not the week."

Much less the winter. I don't care what Sanchez says about the guy in the sweater vest — "a very nice guy and a great football coach, obviously" — it couldn't have been much of a choice for the kid. He's not an idiot.

"Have you spoken to him since turning him down?" I asked.

"I haven't actually, no," said Sanchez. "... I'll see them on Saturday and wish them well and we'll get after it."

Get after it? I think that's Pete Carroll-ese for play ball. With Beanie Wells considered "doubtful," the line is 11 points. But the number doesn't really address the stakes for OSU. The Buckeyes have been ritual sacrifices in the last two title games, and perhaps again in the aptly-named Coliseum. Illinois beat the Buckeyes in Columbus last season, 28-21. Southern Cal beat Illinois 47-10 in the Rose Bowl. You do the math.

Of course, Buckeyes' fans will say that was last year. They'll insist their conference is still great. But until the Big Ten's standard-bearer finally beats a real opponent, it's all talk. Tomorrow's game might have national championship implications, but the burden of proof rests squarely on Ohio State.

Conversely, things couldn't be better for the No. 1-ranked Trojans, who disposed of Virginia, 52-7, a couple of weeks ago. Sanchez threw for 338 yards and a touchdown.

"This is the best spot to be if you're a quarterback," he said.

Why do you think Mitch Mustain transferred all the way from Arkansas? Young guys will wait their turn for a chance to be this kind of star.

As practice ends, Sanchez is besieged by autograph-seekers. He signs everything put in front of him: the assortment of replica helmets and magazine covers. He has leading man looks, the right smile, and of course, the right rap ("You want games like this," he says of OSU. "It's almost like a bowl game ... all we ever wanted.) But it's taken some time for the red-shirt junior to assume his place in the Trojans' pantheon of stars.

"That time it takes is largely due to the complexity," he says. "It's very similar to a pro offense. ... There are so many different concepts. ... It takes a lot of repetition. But if you really believe in this offense, it will work for you."

Again, the Carroll-ism. Believe in the offense. It worked for Carson Palmer. It worked for Matt Leinart. Hell, it worked for Matt Cassel, who will start on Sunday for the Patriots despite never having started for USC.

"That kind of success attracts a lot of talent," says Sanchez.

The pros know, and the kids do, too. That's why a high school senior — among the least patient of all male breeds — is perfectly content to wait his turn here. Better to be a backup at USC than a governor in Columbus.