In 2003, new Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian was entering his third year as the quarterbacks coach for the USC Trojans when he was involved in the most difficult quarterback decision of his career — deciding between sophomore Matt Leinart and junior Matt Cassel as the replacement for Carson Palmer.
The Heisman Trophy winner as the Trojans finished fourth in the AP Poll after thrashing Iowa in the Orange Bowl, Palmer had been sensational in 2002, totaling nearly 4,000 passing yards, throwing 33 touchdowns to only 10 interceptions, and doing it all with efficiency, completing 63.