DALLAS (FWAA) – The
Southern California Trojans are the top-ranked
team in the final regular-season Grantland Rice
Super 16 Poll, despite losing three first-place
votes this week. USC (12-0), the defending Football
Writers Association of America national champs, will
have a chance to defend that title when the Trojans
take on No. 2 Oklahoma in the FedEx Orange Bowl on
Jan. 4, 2005.
While USC held of rival UCLA, 29-24, Oklahoma
(12-0) blasted Colorado, 42-3, in the Big 12 title
game to move back into the No. 2 spot in the Super 16.
OU, which received five first-place votes, had spent
the last three weeks at No. 3 behind Auburn. Although
Auburn (12-0) held off Tennessee, 38-28, to capture to
SEC title, the Tigers dropped a spot as they ready for
Virginia Tech in the Nokia Sugar Bowl on Jan. 3.
California (10-1), after beating Southern Miss,
dropped into a fourth-place tie with Utah (11-0),
while 10-1 teams Texas and Louisville remained at Nos.
6 and 7.
The Grantland Rice Super 16 Poll, introduced prior
to the 2002 season, ranks the nation's top 16 Division
I-A football teams. A regionally-balanced group of 16
selectors votes in the poll. The pollsters also select
the FedEx Orange Bowl National Team of the Week, which
was announced each Monday
during the regular season.
In addition, the 16 voters representing four regions,
have cast a ballot each week, while giving a synopsis
of their ballot. Unlike other college football polls, the FWAA makes each of its pollster's ballot
public, along with the weekly synopsis. At the
conclusion of the Bowl Championship Series, the FWAA
will release its final poll and the top-ranked team
will be awarded the 2004 Grantland Rice Trophy.
Among eight conferences represented in the Super 16, the SEC
features four teams among the Top 16, while the ACC
has three.
The complete poll for Dec. 6 is as follows:
The FWAA has presented the Grantland Rice Trophy, named in honor of the legendary sportswriter,
to college football's national champion each year since 1954. This is the third season that a
season-long poll is concurrent with the award.
For further information contact Steve Richardson, Executive Director of the FWAA (972-713-6198,
tiger@sportswriters.net) or Ted Gangi, FWAA webmaster (214-823-7992, webmaster@sportswriters.net).