With seemingly endless amounts of preseason watch lists, loyal RipsIt reader Brandon Buehler e-mailed in a question about just how important those lists are to the final award voting.
"Does a player need to be on the preseason watch list of an award to win it? Even though an SC running back isn't on the watch list, could they win the Heisman, or does the award go to somebody on the preseason list?"
The watch lists, which usually contain dozens of players per award, are simply estimations about who could be vying for the honor come season's end. The preseason watch lists simply aim to create some buzz for each award during a typically slow time of the college football season, and they're definitely not the exclusive source of the award winners.
Most, if not all, awards end up adding players to their watch lists as the season moves along to better represent who the best are at each position.
Currently, the Doak Walker Award, given to the nation's top running back, doesn't have a USC running back on its watch list, but partway through the season, you're likely to see a Trojan or two added to the watch list when one or more of the tailbacks emerge from the pack.
Then you have Aaron Corp, who is on the O'Brien Award watch list for the nation's top quarterback even though he has thrown only four career passes. It goes to show that it's all a wild guess for these watch lists right now.
In the end, the preseason watch lists will become meaningless as soon as the football season kicks off. Players can be added or subtracted, and the winner will emerge regardless of whether he was a preseason nominee or not.
University Southern California Trojans
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