Mark Sanchez says USC can’t afford complacency

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Mark Sanchez is flattered but he really doesn’t want to hear about it.

“A lot of people are telling us we’re the best in the land,” USC’s quarterback said this week. “But we can’t listen to it. We can’t succumb to that kind of complacency because we’re not that good yet.”

Top-ranked USC (2-0) once again has the national stage tonight when the Trojans play Oregon State in their Pacific 10 Conference opener at Reser Stadium.

Oregon State is 1-2 overall and 0-1 in the Pac-10, a conference facing a massive perception problem after losing four games in one weekend against Mountain West Conference opponents.

Sanchez, who has passed for seven touchdowns in two games, is not worried about perception. The Trojans, he said, still must prove their case every week against conference teams that know USC well.

“There’s no Pac-10 championship game, so this is it, this is all we’ve got,” he said.

Coach Pete Carroll also sounded unconcerned about a letdown by his team, which includes fewer than half a dozen players from the Trojans’ last national championship team in 2004.

“These guys seem fresher about everything that’s going on,” Carroll said. “It showed up in spring football and it hasn’t backed off one bit.”

 gary.klein@latimes.com