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Oklahoma State Football: Cue up Phillip Phillips...

GONE GONE GONE. One season removed from becoming the beacon of hope that couldn't stay healthy, Weeden Jr decides to take his talent on the road.

By Robert Whetsell
Christian Petersen

We all fell in love after the 2nd consecutive Illinois state championship.

We were all in when he enrolled early.

We started envisioning BCS championships when he was amazingly named the starter after spring 2012.

We saw him as a bright spot in a horrible loss at Arizona. After all, only one interception (a pick 6) was solely on him.

We dug deep into our medicine cabinets after watching "the 6th play."

Then came this (and yes, I said some pretty prophetic things in that post).

While a redshirt freshman Rodney Dangerfield would lead OSU to a 3-1 record over the next 4 games, we couldn't wait for Lunt to return. After Walsh's heroic game on 1 leg against Iowa State, Lunt did so quite admirably against a pretty good TCU defense.

But his next game combined the earlier issues...a pick 6 and an injury. Kansas State and Bill Snyder made quick work of our savior to be, bringing on the next QB in line and sparking a battle over... T-shirts...

Chelf would admirably lead the Cowboys home, although he looked extremely mortal in two consecutive losses to close the regular season, dropping OSU to the Heart of Dallas bowl and a blowout win over a horribly overmatched squad from Purdue. Walsh would miraculously recover from what was supposed to be a season ending knee injury to become OSU's version of the Belldozer that would actually throw the ball. But Lunt would never resurface.

When Gundy annointed Chelf #1 going into spring, we all assumed Lunt would redshirt unless something crazy happened in the spring. Then something crazy happened after spring.

Gundy completely recanted.

While I had this to say after that complete reversal, I think now more than ever we should be wondering what happened during spring practice.

This isn't rocket science.

Players with talent transfer for only a few reasons:

  • They feel they aren't going to get the opportunity they feel they are worthy of;
  • The coach who recruited them leaves;
  • The system they came to be a part of changes;
  • Personal reasons (too far from family, grades, legal issues, team rule issues, etc)
It is quite possible that all of the above could be true in this case. Or none of the above. Who knows.

All we know at this point is the Cowboys have no QB recruits coming in this summer and have lost the one true pocket passer in the program, leaving OSU with a train whose accuracy is inconsistent and a red shirt sophomore that, according to a large contingent of fans, is not capable of properly leading this offense.

Is this some kind of disaster? Absolutely not, but after last season's QB circus Cowboy fans probably don't feel secure with only two decent field generals. This has definitely changed the tenor of OSU's date in Reliant Stadium.

Are you feelin' the love, Daxx?

To quote Berry Tramel..."Here's the deal"...both Chelf and Walsh are excellent leaders; hell, Walsh might even be on the level of Weeden in that regard. Chelf can improve his accuracy. Say what you want about the motion, but Walsh's numbers from last year prove he can move this team up and down the field. The team is in good hands.

But I wonder, which led to this tweet:

Prior to Zac, Gundy was the greatest QB in OSU history. Played all four years.

But his claim to that position was more about not messing it up for the big stars. Thomas, Dykes, Sanders.

Remember Bobby Reid? I remember talking to my brother on the phone during Bedlam when Gundy was alternating between Reid and Zac, and telling him that Robinson just made it look like something good was going to happen when the ball was in his hands. I couldn't understand why Gundy wouldn't just make the move. It seemed so obvious.

Then came the greatest QB and leader the team has ever seen...as a washed-up, pro-baseball-dropout walkon...who languished in 3rd-string purgatory until that fateful November Thursday night in 2009, when the only completions thrown by the anointed backup were to the other team, leaving Gundy with no choice. Yet despite that display, and Robinson's lingering injury that rendered him very ineffective, Gundy refused to make the switch, watching as OSU managed to score 1 touchdown in their final 8 quarters of play (and that TD was courtesy of an interception, a pass interference penalty, and a trick play). The Cowboys went to Norman as a favorite with a possible BCS bowl bid and the first 10-win season since 1988 on the line, and limped out of Dallas with Gundy looking for an offensive coordinator.

I'm not around the program and don't claim to have special knowledge regarding the program. What I do know is that it took pretty severe circumstances for the two best QB's in the history of the program to finally get their chance on the field during Gundy's tenure.

The concern is not with talent making its way to Stillwater, but it is with that talent getting onto the field.

Let's hope that Lunt's departure is not a sign that Gundy is about to bury the 2013 season under another messy QB situation.

GO POKES!!!

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