By JIMMIE TRAMEL Sports Writer on Sep 3, 2013, at 5:38 PM Updated on 9/03 at 5:38 PM
GAMES PEOPLE PLAY
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Clint Chelf’s hold on the starting quarterback job at Oklahoma State lasted seven plays -- eight if you count a play that was negated by a penalty flag.
All of a sudden, he’s second string.
A question being asked in the aftermath: Is that fair?
If the question is that simple, the answer is no.
Unfortunately for Chelf, it’s not that simple.
“Fair” is probably the last thing coaches consider when they’re trying to figure out what gives them the best chance to win the next game and the game after that and the game after that.
From the outside looking in, and with Mike Gundy’s quick declarations that J.W. Walsh will start the next game and a two-QB rotation is a thing of the past, it seems the Cowboy coaching staff concluded long before the season opener that Walsh’s skill level trumps Chelf’s skill level. To be clear: I’m not saying Walsh is better than Chelf because I don’t see closed practices and I’m not Mel Kiper, Jr. But I am saying that coaches must believe Walsh is better.
If they believe that, why start Chelf in the opener? Perhaps to see if the senior could continue to ride the feel-good wave he spawned last season. Chelf’s rise from third-teamer to MVP in the Heart of Dallas Bowl was OSU’s Cinderella story of 2012.
Chelf considered leaving the program after starting last season behind two pups. He stuck around and injuries afforded him an opportunity to show he was more capable than coaches presumed. His coming-out party came when he threw for 233 yards in the second half of a loss at Kansas State.
Chelf started the final five games, finished the season as the program’s career leader in average yards per pass attempt and was named OSU’s male student athlete of the year.
Because three quarterbacks started games for OSU last season, Gundy had a good problem, but a problem nonetheless. It’s difficult to keep three QBs happy, which was borne out when Wes Lunt surprised his mates by announcing he would transfer after participating in spring drills.
“We had no idea that was coming,” Walsh said.
This is just a best guess, but Lunt may have seen writing on the wall that Walsh’s stock was on the rise. Coaches love tough guys and workout demons and, as I wrote in today’s editions of the Tulsa World, Walsh is both. Walsh’s running ability also gives OSU more options out of a hurry-up spread offense and you saw that on display Saturday, when the Cowboys ran past Mississippi State.
Chelf can run, too. He averaged 5.2 yards per attempt last season. (Walsh averaged 5.8 and popped a 46-yard run against Mississippi State.)
Unfortunately for Chelf, OSU picked up only one first down in his two series of action against an SEC defense. That’s not necessarily his fault. That’s everyone’s fault, said receiver Tracy Moore in Twitter posts directed at Chelf’s critics.
If you’re a supporter of Chelf, you have a right to say his quick hook was unfair.
But, judging by how speedily Walsh was promoted from relief pitcher to starter, it seems inevitable that coaches were going to make the move at some point and they just chose to do it sooner than later.
It’s the kind of tough decision coaches make all the time and it can’t be any fun to deliver disappointing news to someone who has helped you win games. You can debate the fairness of the situation. But the harsh reality is depth charts aren’t built on fairness.
