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Football Writers Association of America Nov. 4, 2002
For Immediate Release
Contact: Steve Richardson
972-713-6198

Boston College earns "Team of the Week"
OKLAHOMA REGAINS ITS NO. 1
RANK IN FWAA SUPER 16 POLL

DALLAS (FWAA) – There is a new No. 1 team in the FWAA/Grantland Rice Super 16 Poll. Oklahoma, the top-ranked team in the preseason, has taken over the top spot from Miami after the Sooners dominated Colorado, 27-11, and Miami struggled with Rutgers for three quarters before pulling away for a 42-17 win.

Oklahoma received 10 of the 16 first-place votes, while the other six all went to Miami. Ohio State, which moved to 10-0 on the season with its convincing win over Minnesota, rose to No. 3. Bowling Green, the only other unbeaten team in Division I-A, makes the Mid-American Conference's debut in the poll at No. 16.

Miami's fall from the top marks the first major shuffle in the Super 16. With losses by previously unbeaten Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, Georgia and N.C. State, the top 10 has taken on a new look. Texas, Washington State and Iowa now follow Ohio State with Notre Dame taking the hardest fall from No. 3 to No. 9. Last week, the Fighting Irish had two first-place votes in the poll. USC rounds out the top 10, with Colorado and Arizona State the only schools to fall out this week.

The FWAA/Grantland Rice Super 16 Poll, which has made its debut this season, will decide the winner of the Grantland Rice Trophy, the FWAA's national championship award presented since 1954. The presentation will be made on Sat., Jan. 4 in Tempe, Ariz., following the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

Click here to see how and why each pollster voted

The complete poll for the week of Nov. 4 is as follows:

  School [1st Place Votes] W-L Pts.  LW  Next Game
1. Oklahoma [10] 8-0 250 2  Nov. 9 at Texas A&M
2. Miami (Fla.) [6] 8-0 245 1  Nov. 9 at Tennessee
3. Ohio State 10-0 225 6  Nov. 9 at Purdue
4. Texas 8-1 198 7  Nov. 9 vs. Baylor
5. Washington State 8-1 185 10  Nov. 9 vs. Oregon
6. Iowa 9-1 180 9  Nov. 9 vs. Northwestern
7. Georgia 8-1 145 5  Nov. 9 vs. Ole Miss
8. Virginia Tech 8-1 142 4  Nov. 9 at Syracuse
9. Notre Dame 8-1 139 3  Nov. 9 at Navy
10. USC 6-2 108 11  Nov. 9 at Stanford
11. Alabama 7-2 70 13  Nov. 9 vs. Mississippi State
12. N.C. State 9-1 64 8  Nov. 9 at Maryland
13. Kansas State 7-2 57 14  Nov. 9 vs. Iowa State
14. Michigan 7-2 54 15  Nov. 9 at Minnesota
15. Oregon 7-2 37 -  Nov. 9 at Washington State
16. Bowling Green 8-0 13 -  Nov. 9 at Northern Illinois
Also receiving votes: LSU 12, Pittsburgh 12, Colorado State 10, Florida State 10, Florida 9, Maryland 4, Penn State 4, Colorado 3.
Dropped out: Colorado (12), Arizona State (16).
By conference: Big 12 (3); Big Ten (3); Pac-10 (3); Big East (2); SEC (2); ACC (1); Independents (1); Mid-American (1).

Boston College, which upset Notre Dame, 14-7, in South Bend is the FWAA's national "Team of the Week." The Eagles turned the tables on the Fighting Irish, forcing five turnovers in breaking the hearts of the Notre Dame faithful for the second time in nine years. Boston College linebacker Josh Ott recovered one fumble to set up the Eagles' first score and returned an interception 71 yards for the other.

The honor is also decided by the 16-member panel that votes in the organization's Grantland Rice Super 16 Poll.

Pittsburgh is the only other team drawing consideration for the award this week after its come-from-behind 28-21 win over Virginia Tech in Blacksburg.

The FWAA "Team of the Week" will continue to be announced each Monday with the Super 16 Poll throughout the season.

The FWAA, in conjunction with the Charlotte Touchdown Club, also awards a Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week award each week.

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).

2002 Grantland Rice Super 16 Polls (No. 1 team)
Preseason: Oklahoma
Sept. 30: Miami
Oct. 7: Miami
Oct. 14: Miami
Oct. 21: Miami
Oct. 28: Miami
Nov. 4: Oklahoma
Nov. 11: Miami
Nov. 18: Miami
Nov. 25: Miami
Dec. 2: Miami


2002 FWAA Teams of the Week
Aug. 31: Duke (ended 23-game losing streak)
Sept. 7: Miami (routed Florida, 41-16, in Gainesville)
Sept. 14: California (upset Michigan State, 46-22, in East Lansing)
Sept. 21: Florida (beat Tennessee, 30-13, in Knoxville)
Sept. 28: Iowa State (beat Nebraska, 36-14)
Oct. 5: Ole Miss (upset Florida, 17-14)
Oct. 12: Miami (beat Florida State, 28-27)
Oct. 19: Arizona State (upset Oregon, 45-42)
Oct. 26: Notre Dame (beat Florida State, 34-24)
Nov. 2: Boston College (upset Notre Dame, 14-7)
Nov. 9: Texas A&M (upset Oklahoma, 30-26)
Nov. 16: Texas Tech (upset Texas, 42-38)
Nov. 23: Ohio State (finished the season 13-0)

Related Links:
FWAA to debut Grantland Rice Super 16 Poll
Grantland Rice Trophy
Grantland Rice Trophy winners

2002 FWAA/GRANTLAND RICE SUPER 16 POLLSTERS
EAST SOUTH MIDWEST WEST
Shelly Anderson
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Ron Higgins
The Commercial Appeal
Dennis Dodd
CBS SportsLine
Randy Holtz
Rocky Mountain News
Mark Blaudschun
Boston Globe
Stewart Mandel
cnnsi.com
Herb Gould
Chicago Sun-Times
Ted Miller
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Gregg Doyel
Charlotte Observer
Darryl Richards
foxsports.com
Vahe Gregorian
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Bob Moran
East Valley Tribune
Lenn Robbins
New York Post
Joe Schad
Orlando Sentinel
Keith Whitmire
The Dallas Morning News
Jay Posner
San Diego Union-Tribune
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