Sprinkled into college football news every summer is the Watch List, a preseason ploy of national award presenters that self-promotes the award as much as the player on it.
If there is a hunk of hardware made of crystal, granite or bronze, there is a watch list to market it. Try 16 award categories in all, and we’re not talking about a top-10 list for each to keep an eye on. The Doak Walker award, given to the nation’s best running back, includes 77 candidates nominated by their schools. Any player lining up in the backfield apparently has a chance to win.