FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (FWAA) The Alabama Crimson Tide captured the Grantland Rice Trophy for the third time in four years, signaling a dynasty in Tuscaloosa and continuing the validation of the Southeastern Conference as the best league in college football.
The Football Writers Association of America annually presents the trophy to the top team in college football. A panel of veteran FWAA voters handed Alabama its seventh Grantland Rice Trophy after the Tide (13-1) defeated top-ranked Notre Dame, 42-14, in the Discover BCS National Championship game on Monday night.
Alabama's seven Grantland Rice titles are the most of any school. No other school has won more than five. It's also the seventh straight season the SEC has claimed the Grantland Rice Trophy: Alabama (2011-12). Auburn (2010), Alabama (2009), Florida (2008), LSU (2007) and Florida (2006).
Utilizing a pulverizing rushing game behind Eddie Lacy and the pinpoint passing of quarterback AJ McCarron, Alabama rushed out to a 35-0 lead in the BCS title game. Previously unbeaten Notre Dame didn't score until the third quarter.
Dating to the 2009 title game victory over Texas, Alabama went more than 108 minutes spanning three BCS title games without allowing a score. The Crimson Tide shut out LSU in last year's title game, 21-0.
The FWAA made the presentation of the Grantland Rice Trophy to Alabama Coach Nick Saban during a news conference on Tuesday here.
"I feel great for our players, fans, administration, and the people of Alabama," Saban said after the game. "Our guys maintained their focus and played through the adversity of winning during a tough season and difficult schedule. My job is to put the players in position to win. I want them to be able to look back 25 years from now and say they won the national championship."
Alabama's other FWAA national titles were in 1965 (along with co-winner Michigan State), 1978, 1979 and 1992. Bear Bryant was the coach of three of those Alabama teams, with Gene Stallings leading the 1992 club. It's the second time the Crimson Tide has been a repeat winner of the Grantland Rice Trophy. That has only happened five times in the history of the award. Oklahoma also won back-to-back FWAA titles in 1955 and '56 under Coach Bud Wilkinson. Like Alabama, Nebraska has done it twice in 1970 and '71 under Bob Devaney and in '94 and '95 under Tom Osborne.
The Grantland Rice Trophy has been presented by the Football Writers Association of America to college football's national champion since 1954. Named for the legendary sportswriter, the Grantland Rice Trophy was the first national championship award to be presented after the college football postseason.
Although the FWAA does not conduct a final poll rating the Top 16 teams in the country at the end of the season, it will conduct a pre-season poll during the summer. The poll will be released in late August before the beginning of the 2013 season.
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.
Related link:
All-time Grantland Rice Trophy winners