10 reasons I’m excited about the Walsh era

Photo Attribution: USATSI

You guys know I’m big on writing and talking thinks through to understand how I feel about them. The QB thing has been exhibit A on that front and we’ve nearly exhausted (for some of you we HAVE exhausted) my word quota on Walsh and Chelf.

Allow me one more post though, to fully put Choo Choo in a casket and move myself on mentally to the JW era.

Here are 10 reasons I’m excited about No. 4 taking the leading role..

1. He might be charmed — Walsh threw [doing rough math off the top of my head] four or five balls that should have been pick sixes last season (there were like three against Iowa State alone!) Somehow he only ended the season with three though which leads me to believe that either A.) his ball is really tough to catch or B.) he’s heavily involved in magic (which seems like the more likely explanation).

2. He owns a snake — Based on this article and No. 1 above I believe we can start calling him the “snake charmer.”

3. His name is J.W. — Speaking of names and nicknames on a scale of 1 to Colt McCoy how great of a quarterback name is J.W. Walsh? Potentials I’ve already seen for what J.W. stands for: John Wayne, Just Win, Johnny Winner.[1. Believe the last is a shot at you, Mr. Foots.]

4. He’s No. 4 — This offers the very real possibility that OSU’s best players on offense, defense, and special teams all wear the No. 4. Then nobody will be mad about Student Union jersey sales[1. Or PFB t-shirt sales, for that matter.] because…who knows which player it’s for?!

5. No more stories? — With a full season maybe I won’t have to hear about how he and Josh Stewart grew up together anymore! Doubtful, given the fruit is both hanging low and quite delectable, but an OSU fan can dream, can’t he?

6. He was top five in QBR last year — I don’t really understand the stat but of guys who ran 200+ plays only JFF and Marcus Mariota were ahead of him which, really, is all you need to know. Plus he was top five in QB rating.

7. Is his arm strength an issue? — My answer to this has always been a resounding “yes” but now, with Yurcich running the show, I’m not so sure. If OSU is going to run out of the diamond all year (I refuse to call it the “trey”) and Yurcich is going to limit how much Walsh goes deep and over the middle…with that D playing as well as we’ve ever seen it…well…maybe they can pull it off.

Nobody’s going to confuse him with Aaron Rodgers and I still think if a team like Texas or TCU just goes all in on the zone read and QB runs then you might be screwed but I also think Walsh might have just enough in him to get by on duct tape, sideline routes, and Boone’s magic.

8. National media swoon — There’s nothing the national media loves more than a highly-recruited but poor-armed QB who runs like his life depends on it, has “it,” and plays like he gives zero Fs. I mean, you guys have watched ESPN the last five years, haven’t you?

9. He could be Zac 2.0 — I loved Zac Robinson. Nolan and I almost came to blows one time because I was arguing that Zac was better than Colt McCoy and it wasn’t even close. I don’t know if you could have ever won the Big 12 with Zac — OSU never came that close with him at the helm — but Zac also didn’t have a receiver past Dez and his defenses were all vomit-worthy. I think Walsh might be a touch faster (quicker?) than 11s was with maybe a slightly worse arm. But on this team in this year, I think it might be enough.

10. He does “that thing” — This is a little hard for me to admit because I was rooting for sirs Lunt and Chelf all along but Walsh really does have that “thing” going on that Gundy talked about in his presser (27:30 here) and Carson and I discussed it in today’s podcast a little bit as well.

Carson calls it “the Tebow in him being strong” (see No. 8) and I kind of have to agree. As much as I’ve whined about Walsh celebrating like he won the Rose Bowl after a 13-yard run in the middle of the second quarter of the [fill in any team he’s played] game, it’s part of what makes him great and something, after reading everything and talking it out with people the last few days, I’ve finally come around to.

All in.