IN THE TRENCHES: WEEK 11 OUTLAND TROPHY MATCHUPS PRESENTED BY THE NATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASES Semifinalists for the 2018 Outland Trophy will be announced on Wed., Nov. 14 and the three finalists will be revealed on Tues., Nov. 20 MISSISSIPPI STATE AT ALABAMA, 3:30 P.M. ET ON CBS Our weekly sojourn to keep an eye on Outland Trophy candidates takes us to Tuscaloosa, Ala., this week where two stalwart lines – the Alabama offensive line and the Mississippi State defensive line – match up. Three preseason Watch List members are among the start- ers here and provide a key story line in this SEC game. Alabama’s front line that includes center Ross Pierschbacher (Cedar Falls, Iowa) and left tackle Jonah Williams (Folsom, Calif.) is leading the way for the nation’s top-scoring offense at 51.3 points per game and its total offense leader at 565.6 yards per game. Traditionally a run-based attack, Alabama leads the nation in passing efficiency with a 210.28 rating. The offensive line has surrendered only six sacks on the season to lead the SEC and rank No. 4 nationally. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has only been sacked three times this year on 210 dropbacks with the first-team offensive line, a rate of one sack for every 70 dropbacks. Williams, the Outland Trophy Offensive Player of the Month for September, hasn’t allowed any sacks, and Pierschbacher has allowed just one. Facing that offensive wall is one of the country’s best defensive fronts at Mississippi State, where defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons (Macon, Miss.) is having an All-America caliber season as a nemesis in the middle. Simmons’ specialty is getting to the quarterback, and he’s one of five SEC interior defensive linemen with double-digit hurries (13) to go with four quarterback hits. Simmons is tied for eighth in the SEC in tackles for loss (9.5) and leads all SEC defensive linemen in tackles per game (5.6) in SEC play. The 6-4, 300-pound junior has a penchant for big games – he set a season-high of 10 total tackles at LSU earlier this season along with a career-high 1.5 sacks, and his second-highest single-game tackle total (6) came against Alabama last year. The two-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll is second in the SEC among defensive linemen with 42 tackles, one short of the conference leader and fourth on the Bulldogs’ team. Pro Football Focus stats reveal that Simmons has only missed two tackles this season. Both the Alabama and Clemson senior classes can win a 50th game of their careers this week. Which bring us to ... CLEMSON AT BOSTON COLLEGE, 8 P.M. ET ON ABC The four Watch List members at Clemson have appeared in this space multiple times this season. Deservedly so for the two offensive and two defensive linemen, as Clemson leads the nation in both yards per carry (6.94) and fewest yards per carry allowed (2.24). The defensive tackles Christian Wilkins (Springfield, Mass.) and Dexter Lawrence (Wake Forest, N.C.) are among the best in the nation at their position. Wilkins’ 40th start this week will tie Jim Stuckey (1976-79) for most career starts by a defensive tackle at Clemson. Lawrence has 10 career sacks, and he joins Wilkins and teammates Clelin Ferrell and Austin Bryant with double-digit career sacks. This is a highlight game for Boston College right guard Chris Lindstrom (Dudley, Mass.) and the resurgent Eagles. Lindstrom will start his 44th consecutive game in his biggest test of the season. The 6-4, 310-pound senior has been named the ACC’s Offensive Lineman of the Week twice in 10 weeks and paves the way for an offense averaging 37.2 points per game, the most points scored per game currently in school history. The Eagles are 23rd nationally and fourth in the ACC in scoring. BC’s 335 points through nine games are the most in program history through the first nine games of a season. Meanwhile, Clemson left offensive tackle Mitch Hyatt (Suwanee, Ga.) and center Justin Falcinelli (Middleton, Md.) help pace an offense attempting to win five consecutive games by at least 30 points for the first time in school history. Hyatt was the Outland Trophy Offensive Player of the Month in October and his Tigers enter this weekend with 58 total touchdowns scored by 19 different players. The 58 touchdowns are already tied for sixth-most in a season in school history. OTHER MATCHUP OF NOTE ... • Wisconsin at Penn State, 12 p.m. ET on ABC: A 2018 season-high seven Outland Trophy Watch List selections will be on the field for this game between two teams still fighting for a spot in the New Year’s Day bowl games. Wisconsin is 4th nationally in rushing at 273.0 yards per game with center Tyler Biadasz (Amherst, Wis.), guards Michael Deiter (Curtice, Ohio) and Beau Benzschawel (Grafton, Wis.) and right tackle David Edwards (Downers Grove, Ill.) clearing the way. The Badgers have allowed only 28 tackles for loss, matching Army for the fewest in the country. Wisconsin announced Thursday that nose guard Olive Sagapolu (Pago Pago, American Samoa), a fifth Watch List member, will require surgery for an arm injury and is out for the season. Penn State right guard Connor McGovern (Larksville, Pa.) and left tackle Ryan Bates (Warrington, Pa.) have provided superior protection for quarterback Trace McSorley, who is on the cusp of setting several school records. Scott Farrell, collegepressbox.com outlandtrophy.com #FIGHTFLU @OUTLANDTROPHY 2018 OUTLAND TROPHY PRESEASON WATCH LIST OL Paul Adams, Missouri ..........................@Paul_Adams77 DT Dre’Mont Jones, Ohio State .................@TheOfficial_80 OL Trey Adams, Washington OL Michael Jordan, Ohio State .....................@BigMikeJ73 OL Hakeem Adeniji, Kansas OL Luke Juriga, Western Michigan ........... @Luke_Juriga56 C Ryan Anderson, Wake Forest C John Keenoy, Western Michigan ...............@Keenoy_52 OL Alex Bars, Notre Dame .................................@AlexBars_ OL Marcus Keyes, Oklahoma State OL Ryan Bates, Penn State ............................ @52batesryan C Sean Krepsz, Nevada .......................................@Skrepsz DT Terry Beckner, Missouri .............................@beckner_jr DT Dexter Lawrence, Clemson ................. @llawrence2139 DT Ryan Bee, Marshall ..........................................@r_bee91 G Jimmy Leatiota, Eastern Michigan G David Beedle, Michigan State ....................@Big_Bug90 DT Ira Lewis, Baylor OL Beau Benzschawel, Wisconsin ................@BeauBench DT Ray Lima, Iowa State C Tyler Biadasz, Wisconsin .........................@TylerBiadasz OL Chris Lindstrom, Boston College .............. @Big_Fish68 OL Lanard Bonner, Arkansas State OL Greg Little, Ole Miss .................................@Thegreglittle G Tyler Bowling, Tulsa ................................@T_Bowling72 C Toa Lobendahn, USC ........................................ @T_Lo55 C Garrett Bradbury, N.C. State ................ @Gbradbury_11 OL Joe Lowery, Ohio ........................................@thejlow_65 OL Parker Braun, Georgia Tech OL Kaleb McGary, Washington ................@steelers47kaleb OL Ben Bredeson, Michigan C Connor McGovern, Penn State ......@Condor_McGovern DT Derrick Brown, Auburn ................... @DerrickBrownAU5 OL Patrick Mekari, California ......................... @PattM5997 C Jesse Burkett, Stanford C Chandler Miller, Tulsa OL Yodny Cajuste, West Virginia.................@YC_Rich4Ever DT David Moa, Boise State ......................@moaconstrictor_ DT Marquise Copeland, Cincinnati ...............@Be_Steezy_ C Sam Mustipher, Notre Dame ................. @smustipher53 C Deontae Crumitie, Troy ......................@deontaecrumitie C Will Noble, Houston ......................................@W_Noble OL Michael Deiter, Wisconsin ...................@MichaelDeiter OT Marcus Norman, USF .....................@MarcusNorman77 OL Tommy Doles, Northwestern ....................@TommyDoles DT Ed Oliver, Houston .....................................@Edoliver_11 OL O’Shea Dugas, Louisiana Tech ................. @Osheadugas C Ross Pierschbacher, Alabama ......................@RossP71 C Alec Eberle, Florida State ....................... @aleceberle54 OL Ben Powers, Oklahoma ...............................@BigBen_72 OL David Edwards, Wisconsin ....................@d_edwards79 OL Isaiah Prince, Ohio State .......................@ThePrince_59 OL Bobby Evans, Oklahoma ........................@BobbyEvans44 OL Dalton Risner, Kansas State ..................@DaltonBigD71 C Justin Falcinelli, Clemson ............................... @Jfalc50 NT Olive Sagapolu, Wisconsin .........................@OSagapolu C Lo Falemaka, Utah .................................@peterfalemaka OL Dru Samia, Oklahoma ................................... @DruSamia OL Hjalte Froholdt, Arkansas .............................@HFroholdt OT Max Scharping, NIU .............................@MaxScharping C Lamont Gaillard, Georgia DT Jordon Scott, Oregon DT Greg Gaines, Washington ..................... @GregGaines99 DT Jeffery Simmons, Mississippi State ...@GrindSimmons94 C Tyler Gauthier, Miami OL Trey Smith, Tennessee ...............................@smithtrey98 DT Youhanna Ghaifan, Wyoming .................. @yogaifhan81 OL Trevon Tate, Memphis ................................@_TopSh0tta C Jake Hanson, Oregon ...............................@J_Hanson55 OL Calvin Throckmorton, Oregon ................ @calthrock_54 OL Phil Haynes, Wake Forest ...................... @PhilHaynes95 DT Jerry Tillery, Notre Dame ........................... @JerryTillery G Nate Herbig, Stanford ...............................@nate_herbig