DALLAS (FWAA) The Southern California Trojans remain
the top-ranked team in the Grantland Rice Super 16 Poll. USC (10-0),
the two-time defending Football Writers Association of America national
champs, received 9 of the 16 first-place votes after enjoying an idle
week to prepare for crosstown rival UCLA. The Trojans' winning
streak stands at 33 games as they prepare to finish the regular season. USC
has won a record
six FWAA national titles after winning each of the last two.
Texas (11-0), pulled away from rival Texas A&M, 42-29, and kept its
seven first-place votes to remain just two points behind USC in the
balloting. The Longhorns try to finish out the slate with the Big 12
title game vs. Colorado this weekend. Texas has won 18 in a row, the
nation's second longest winning streak.
Penn State, already 10-1 and the Big Ten champion, awaits its BCS
bowl berth and moved up to No. 3 as LSU struggled to hold off Arkansas,
19-17, just prior to its appearance in the SEC championship in Atlanta
on Saturday where Georgia awaits. Virginia Tech mowed down North
Carolina, 30-3, to improve to 10-1 and earn a berth in the ACC title
game in Jacksonville. The Hokies remain No. 5 in the poll.
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 seven conferences represented in this week's poll, the SEC now
features five teams among the Top 16 with Florida moving into the
rankings. The Pacific-10 has three among the Super 16.
The complete poll for Nov. 28 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).