Putting stock into college football watch lists is as wise as believing winters in Ohio won't last until April. It doesn't make much sense because players could suffer injuries or do not live up to expectations.
Still, the offseason isn't over yet (though it's getting close!) so here we are talking about them. Ohio State only returns six starters from its 2015 team that finished 12-1 and beat Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl.
That did not keep the Buckeyes from littering watch lists, although understandably there aren't as many as last season. Ohio State dominated the 2015 offseason for more reasons than returning so many starters from a team that won the national championship. Watch lists took notice.
Below is a breakdown preseason watch lists released over the past few weeks, with Big Ten contingents on each.
Maxwell Award Watch List (Nation's Best Player, 90 Players Named)
OHIO STATE: Quarterback J.T. Barrett
PENN STATE: Running Back Saquon Barkley, Wide Receiver Chris Godwin
INDIANA: Wide Receiver Simmie Cobbs
IOWA: Quarterback C.J. Beathard
MICHIGAN: Tight End Jake Butt, Wide Receiver Jehu Chesson
MINNESOTA: Quarterback Mitch Leidner
NEBRASKA: Quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr.
NORTHWESTERN: Running Back Justin Jackson
WISCONSIN: Running Back Corey Clement
Davey O'Brien Award Watch List (Nation's Best Quarterback, 30 Players Named)
OHIO STATE: J.T. Barrett
NEBRASKA: Tommy Armstrong Jr.
IOWA: C.J. Beathard
MINNESOTA: Mitch Leidner
ILLINOIS: West Lunt
Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List (Nation's Best Defensive Player, 90 Players Named)
OHIO STATE: Linebacker Raekwon McMillan, Defensive End Tyquan Lewis
MICHIGAN: Cornerback Jourdan Lewis, Safety/Linebacker Jabrill Peppers, Defensive End Chris Wormley
MICHIGAN STATE: Linebacker Riley Bullough, Defensive Lineman Malik McDowell
WISCONSIN: Linebacker Vince Biegel
MARYLAND: Cornerback William Likely
IOWA: Cornerback Desmond King
ILLINOIS: Defensive End Dawuane Smoot
PURDUE: Defensive Tackle Jake Replogle
NEBRASKA: Safety Nate Gerry
NORTHWESTERN: Linebacker Anthony Walker
PENN STATE: Linebacker Jason Cabinda
RUTGERS: Defensive Tackle Darius Hamilton
Rimington Award Watch List (Nation's Best Center, 62 Players Named)
OHIO STATE: Pat Elflein
MARYLAND: Brendan Moore
NEBRASKA: Dylan Utter
ILLINOIS: Joe Spencer
MICHIGAN: Mason Cole
WISCONSIN: Michael Deiter
MICHIGAN STATE: Brian Allen
IOWA: Sean Welsh
John Mackey Award Watch List (Nation's Best Tight End, 45 Players Named)
IOWA: George Kittle
MICHIGAN: Jake Butt
NEBRASKA: Cethan Carter
MINNESOTA: Brandon Lingen
MICHIGAN STATE: Josiah Price
Ray Guy Award Watch List (Nation's Best Punter, 28 Players Named)
OHIO STATE: Cameron Johnston
NEBRASKA: Sam Foltz
Lou Groza Award Watch List (Nation's Best Place Kicker, 30 Players Named)
NEBRASKA: Drew Brown
INDIANA: Griffin Oakes
MINNESOTA: Ryan Santoso
Bronko Nagurski Award Watch List (National Defensive Player of the Year, 88 Players Named)
OHIO STATE: Linebacker Raekwon McMillan, Defensive End Tyquan Lewis
WISCONSIN: Linebacker Vince Biegel
ILLINOIS: Linebacker Hardy Nickerson
IOWA: Linebacker Josey Jewel, Cornerback Desmond King
MARYLAND: Cornerback William Likely
MICHIGAN STATE: Defensive Lineman Malik McDowell
MICHIGAN: Cornerback Jourdan Lewis, Safety/Linebacker Jabrill Peppers, Defensive End Chris Wormley
NORTHWESTERN: Linebacker Anthony Walker
Outland Trophy Watch List (Nation's Best Interior Lineman, 70 Players Named)
OHIO STATE: Center Pat Elflein, Guard Billy Price
MICHIGAN: Center Mason Cole, Offensive Tackle Erik Magnuson
MICHIGAN STATE: Center Brian Allen, Defensive Tackle Malik McDowell
INDIANA: Guard Dan Feeney
IOWA: Defensive Tackle Jaleel Johnson
RUTGERS: Defensive Tackle Darius Hamilton
WISCONSIN: Center Dan Voltz
Jim Thorpe Award Watch List (Nation's Best Defensive Back, 39 Players Named)
NEBRASKA: Nate Gerry
IOWA: Desmond King (2015 winner)
MICHIGAN: Jourdan Lewis
MARYLAND: William Likely
Butkus Award Watch List (Nation's Best Linebacker, 51 Players Named)
OHIO STATE: Raekwon McMillan, Dante Booker
WISCONSIN: Vince Biegel
PENN STATE: Jason Cabinda
MARYLAND: Jermaine Carter
IOWA: Josey Jewell
ILLINOIS: Hardy Nickerson
NORTHWESTERN: Anthony Walker
PENN STATE: Nyeem Warman-White
Biletnikoff Award Watch List (Nation's Most Outstanding Receiver, 53 Players Named)
MICHIGAN: Jehu Chesson
INDIANA: Simmie Cobbs Jr., Ricky Jones
PENN STATE: Chris Godwin
NEBRASKA: Brandon Reilly, Jordan Westerkamp
Doak Walker Award Watch List (Nation's Top Running Back, 76 Players Named)
PENN STATE: Saquon Barkley
WISCONSIN: Corey Clement
IOWA: LeShun Daniels
PURDUE: Markell Jones
NEBRASKA: Terrell Newby
INDIANA: Devine Redding
MICHIGAN: De'Veon Smith
ILLINOIS: Ke'Shawn Vaughn
| TEAM | WATCH LIST REPS |
|---|---|
| MICHIGAN | 18 |
| OHIO STATE | 16 |
| IOWA | 15 |
| NEBRASKA | 12 |
| MICHIGAN STATE | 9 |
| PENN STATE | 7 |
| INDIANA | 7 |
| ILLINOIS | 7 |
| WISCONSIN | 7 |
| MARYLAND | 7 |
| NORTHWESTERN | 6 |
| MARYLAND | 5 |
| RUTGERS | 3 |
| PURDUE | 2 |
Walter Camp Award Watch List (College Football Player of the Year, 40 Players Named)
OHIO STATE: Linebacker Raekwon McMillan, Quarterback J.T. Barrett
MICHIGAN: Safety/Linebacker Jabrill Peppers, Cornerback Jourdan Lewis
IOWA: Quarterback C.J. Beathard, Cornerback Desmond King
NORTHWESTERN: Running Back Justin Jackson
Paul Hornung Award Watch List (Nation's Most Versatile Player, 43 Players Named)
OHIO STATE: H-Back Dontre Wilson
MICHIGAN: Safety/Linebacker Jabrill Peppers
MICHIGAN STATE: Running Back/Wide Receiver R.J. Shelton
RUTGERS: Wide Receiver Janarion Grant
IOWA: Cornerback Desmond King
MARYLAND: Cornerback William Likely
Wuerffel Trophy (Community Service With Academic/Athletic Achievement, 88 Players Named)
OHIO STATE: Safety Jarrod Barnes
ILLINOIS: Offensive Lineman Joe Spencer
INDIANA: Wide Receiver Mitchell Paige
IOWA: Running Back LeShun Daniels
MARYLAND: Cornerback William Likely
MICHIGAN STATE: Tight End Josiah Price
MINNESOTA: Safety Damarius Travis
NEBRASKA: Kicker Drew Brown
NORTHWESTERN: Cornerback Matthew Harris
Ohio State's recruiting classes show on paper the Buckeyes have plenty of talent available for the 2016 season but the majority of it is largely unproven. The Buckeyes returned just six starters from their 12-1 squad that beat Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl to cap the 2015 season.
That amount of suspicion forced Ohio State to lose the watch list title to Michigan in 2016. The Wolverines lead the conference with 18 mentions on watch lists, while the Buckeyes are second with 16. Last season, Ohio State had more than 20 players pop up on watch lists. The Wolverines had fewer than five.
