DALLAS (FWAA) The Southeastern Conference dominated the 2014 Outland Trophy Watch List with 19 players · at least eight more prospects than any of the seven other major-college conferences represented on the 64-man list released by the Football Writers Association of America.
Texas A&M and South Carolina, which open the 2014 season in the first game on the SEC Network on Aug. 28, each had three linemen on the list. Other SEC schools with three players were Alabama and Auburn. The only other schools with three players were defending national champion Florida State and Oregon.
There are no returning linemen from the first-team FWAA All-America group from 2013. But Oregon center Hroniss Grasu and Iowa offensive tackle Brandon Scherff, second-teamers from last season, are on the list.
As might be expected, the five power NCAA Division I Bowl Subdivision Conferences dominated. Following the SEC were the Pac-12 (11), Big Ten (9), ACC (9) and Big 12 (9). Iowa, Kansas State, Michigan State, Ole all placed teammates on the list.
The Outland Trophy winner is chosen from three finalists who are part of the FWAA All-America Team. The FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from the entire membership, selects the 26-man first team and eventually the Outland finalists. Committee members, then by individual ballot, select the winner. Only interior linemen on offense or defense are eligible for the award; ends are not eligible.
The list will be trimmed to six or seven semifinalists on Nov. 20. Four days later, three Outland Trophy finalists will be named by the FWAA. The winner of the 69th Outland Trophy, named after the late John Outland, an All-America lineman at Penn at the turn of the 20th century, will be announced on ESPN on The Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 11 from Disneys Boardwalk in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Pittsburgh defensive tackle Aaron Donald won the award last season.
The Outland Trophy presentation banquet, sponsored by the Greater Omaha Sports Committee, will be held on Jan. 15, 2015, in Omaha, Neb. This year, Notre Dames Ross Browner, the 1976 Outland Trophy winner, will be honored and presented an Outland Trophy, which was not given in the era in which he won the award.
The Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization
founded in 1941, consists of more than 1,400 men and women who cover college football.
The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key
executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas
that include gameday operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For
more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson
at tiger@fwaa.com or 214-870-6516.
The Outland Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). The NCFAA encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. The 21 awards boast nearly 700 years of tradition-selection excellence. Visit ncfaa.org to learn more about our story.
The members of the NCFAA are unveiling their preseason watch lists over a 12-day period this month. Fifteen of the associations 21 awards select a preseason watch list and the NCFAA has spearheaded a coordinated effort to promote each award·s preseason candidates. Following is the complete 2014 preseason watch list calendar:
July 7: Maxwell Award/Bednarik Award
July 8: Mackey Award/Riminigton Trophy
July 9: Lou Groza Award/Ray Guy Award
July 10: Bronko Nagurski Trophy/Outland Trophy
July 11: Jim Thorpe Award
July 14: Butkus Award/Rotary Lombardi Award
July 15: Biletnikoff Award
July 16: Davey O'Brien Award
July 17: Doak Walker Award
July 18: Walter Camp Award
Related links:
All-time Outland Trophy winners
· Outland Trophy official site (outlandtrophy.com)