Boosters questioned the direction of the program, and irate fans filled message boards and talk radio with theories of Nutt's running off the program's biggest recruit in years. One fan used the Freedom of Information Act to get Nutt's cell phone records, then placed his findings on the Internet, further riling the community and pushing the theory that Nutt forced out Malzahn and the Springdale stars because the program wasn't big enough for the head coach and the Springdale group.

Others more sympathetic to Nutt blamed Mustain for Nutt's suddenly tenuous job status. If Mustain was leaving, the theory went, he was taking Nutt down with him. (Nutt left for Ole Miss after the 2007 season.)

"People want to talk about how much control I had," Mustain says. "I apparently didn't have any, and I think that's very evident. If I did, I wouldn't be sitting in Los Angeles right now."

Last month, when Mustain was posing for a portrait for this story, the photographer asked him, "So where are you from?"

Fifteen hundred miles from perception.

"It's a new start here," Mustain says. "It's nice to be in a whole different world."

There's no fluff in Pete Carroll, no reason for USC's ubersuccessful coach to say one thing and mean another. He already has this competition sized up.

"Mark is the clear leader," Carroll says of the USC quarterback competition. "But I think you'd be foolish to not at least see what Mitch can do. And, frankly, he's got a little chip on his shoulder."

He's not the only one. The staff wants to name a starting quarterback coming out of spring drills and give him the opportunity to build chemistry with the offense during summer workouts. That's the way they've always done it — Carson Palmer to Leinart to Booty.

Three quarterbacks — including the long shot Corp, a talented redshirt freshman -- have received equal repetitions early. Eventually, two will separate and one will win the job.

At this point, earning the starting job is gravy for Sanchez or Mustain.

The winning is in persevering over perception.

"If I get a speeding ticket tomorrow, people will find out about it," Sanchez says. "But I signed up for this; I love every part of it — even the frustrating parts. There are guys that would kill to be in my position."

And there's one other star quarterback who is, in fact, in that position.

That's as simplistic as it gets.

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