DALLAS (FWAA) The Oklahoma Sooners are favored to win the Grantland Rice Trophy in the Football Writers Association of America's annual preseason poll.
Oklahoma, which won the Big 12 title last season, would snap a string of five straight Southeastern Conference teams to win the FWAA trophy if the FWAA voters are accurate. Auburn won the trophy last season, Alabama in 2009, Florida in 2008 and 2006, and LSU in 2007.
The Grantland Rice Trophy has been awarded to the top team in college football by the FWAA since 1954. Oklahoma last won the Grantland Rice Trophy in 2000. The Sooners have claimed the FWAA Trophy a total of five times (1955, 1956, 1975, 1985 and 2000).
The Sooners garnered seven first-place votes to Alabamas five. LSU, Stanford and South Carolina each received one first-place vote. Oklahoma·s 229 points easily outdistanced second place Alabama, which was followed by Oregon, Boise State and LSU. Oregon and LSU will face each other in their season opener on Sept. 3 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Rounding out the Top 10 are Florida State, Stanford, Nebraska, Virginia Tech and Texas A&M. The SEC had the most
teams in the Super 16 with four (Alabama, LSU, Arkansas and South Carolina). The Big 12 had the next most with three. No other conference had more than two teams in the Super 16.
The 2011 Grantland Rice Trophy will be awarded by a vote of selected board members and past presidents of the association after the Allstate BCS Championship Game. It will be presented to the FWAA's national champion the morning after the BCS title game in New Orleans.
The Grantland Rice Trophy, given to college football's national champion since 1954, is named in memory of the legendary sportswriter. It was the first national championship awarded presented after college football's post-season.
While the FWAA will not conduct a weekly poll this season, it will present the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week each Monday, as selected by a panel of select FWAA members. This marks the tenth season the FWAA will present a team of the week.
The Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization
founded in 1941, consists of more than 1,200 men and women who cover college football
for a living. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists,
as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works
to govern areas that include gameday operations, major awards and its annual All-America
team. For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve
Richardson at tiger@fwaa.com or 972-713-6198.