CARL DAVIS, BRANDON SCHERFF NAMED TO OUTLAND WATCH LIST

Iowa offensive tackle Brandon Scherff and defensive tackle Carl Davis were named to the 64-man Outland Trophy Watch List Thursday morning.  The Outland Trophy is given to the nation's top interior lineman, regardless of which side of the line he plays on (it began back when linemen played on both offense and defense).  Ends are not eligible for the award.  Pitt defensive tackle Aaron Donald won last year's award, and Texas A&M tackle Luke Joeckel won in 2012.

The Outland is chosen from three finalists selected at the close of the season.  All finalists must be on the Football Writers Association of America All-America team.  No first-team FWAA All-Americans eligible for the Outland have returned this season, but two second-teamers -- Brandon Scherff and Oregon center Hroniss Grasu -- are back in school and on the watch list.  Iowa is one of four teams (along with Kansas State, Michigan State, and Ole Miss) to put two players on the Outland watch list this season.

Three Hawkeyes have won the Outland Award: Guard Cal Jones won in 1955, tackle/horse-puncher Alex Karras took home the trophy in 1957, and tackle Robert Gallery won the award in 2003.  The three previous winners ties Iowa for fourth-most all-time, behind Nebraska (9 winners), Oklahoma (5), and Ohio State (4).

In other news from Watch List Week, Davis was named to the 81-man Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List.  The Nagurski goes to the nation's best defensive player.  It was started in 1993, and is named for a former Golden Gopher, so we don't want the damn award anyway.