2012 Rimington Award: Six Big Ten Centers on Watch List

The Rimington Award released its annual preseason watch list, covering a not-at-all unreasonable 50 centers who are projected to start for their teams in 2012. As one person pointed out, that's over 40% of all starting centers in the entire FBS, so not a whole lot of prestige here.

At any rate, though, the Big Ten is at least a little better represented in the Rimington Watch List, with fully half of the league's starting centers (and six of the eight returning starters) getting mentions. The list, in alphabetical order, is as follows:

James Ferentz, Iowa
Travis Frederick, Wisconsin
Will Matte, Indiana
Graham Pocic, Illinois
Matt Stankiewitch, Penn State
Brandon Vitabile, Northwestern 

Six centers is good. But in a league that's so loaded at the position this season, six isn't enough.

The omission of Michigan State sophomore-to-be Travis Jackson is particularly surprising. Jackson stepped in at center last year after a season-ending injury to Blake Treadwell and then never let go of the job, even after Treadwell came back healthy in the spring. Jackson was named a first team Freshman All-American by Phil Steele, and he looks like a potential four-year starter. If we're identifying the top fifty centers in the league for this award, why isn't Jackson getting any attention?

It's less surprising that a player with zero starts at center isn't on the Rimington Watch List this early, but keep an eye on Ohio State's Corey Linsley this year. Urban Meyer has praised Linsley as much as anybody on offense--not the line, the entire offense--and if he stays healthy, Linsley might even work his way into some all-conference talk. He won't win the Rimington this year, mind you, but his ceiling's high.