DALLAS (FWAA) The Southern California Trojans remain
the top-ranked team in the Grantland Rice Super 16 Poll. USC (9-0),
the two-time defending Football Writers Association of America national
champs, received 11 of the 16 first-place votes after extending their winning
streak to 31 games with a 51-21 win over Stanford. The USC win streak is
the longest in the nation and the Trojans have won a record six FWAA national
titles after winning each of the last two.
Texas (9-0), still No. 2 in the poll with five first-place votes, won
its 16th straight game by routing Baylor, 62-0. Alabama (9-0) moved up to
No. 3 after a hard-fought 17-0 win at Mississippi State. Losses by Virginia
Tech (27-7 to Miami) and UCLA (52-17 to Arizona) shook up the poll this
week. Miami moved up to No. 4 after stifling the Hokies and UCLA fell seven
spots to No. 12 after being disposed of by the Wildcats. Penn State is
now ranked fifth after an impressive 35-14 win over Wisconsin.
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
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week, which is 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 2005 Grantland Rice Trophy.
Among six conferences represented in this week's poll, the SEC now features
five teams among the Top 16. The Pacific-10 boasts three
The complete poll for Nov. 7 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. When introduced, it was the first national championship
trophy to be awarded after college football's postseason. This is the fourth
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).