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August 27, 2004 For Immediate Release Contact: Ted Gangi 214-823-7992 |
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| Trojans the pick to repeat national title | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| USC TOPS 2004 PRESEASON GRANTLAND RICE SUPER 16 POLL |
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DALLAS (FWAA) – The Southern California Trojans are No. 1 in the FWAA's preseason Grantland Rice Super 16 Poll. USC, which won the Grantland Rice Trophy after a 12-1 season a year ago, is picked to become the first repeat champion since Nebraska turned the trick in 1994-95. In the 50-year history of the Grantland Rice Trophy, only four schools have won back-to-back FWAA national titles. USC has won five previous FWAA national titles, but never in consecutive seasons.
The Trojans, who edged out Oklahoma for the top spot by a mere three poll points, received eight first-place votes on their way to the No. 1 ranking. Oklahoma, the preseason favorite a year ago, got four first-place votes to earn the No. 2 spot. SEC schools Georgia and LSU each nabbed a pair of the remaining top votes to rank third and fourth, respectively. 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 a National Team of the Week, which will be announced each Monday during the regular season, beginning on Sept. 6. The Grantland Rice poll, also released each Monday, does not resume until Oct. 11. In addition, the 16 voters representing four regions, will cast a ballot each week and give a brief synopsis of their ballot. Unlike other college football polls, the FWAA makes each of its pollster's ballot public, along with the weekly synopsis. Rounding out the preseason top 10 are Florida State, Texas, Miami, Ohio State and Florida. The expanded ACC and SEC lead all conferences with four teams in the Super 16. Three teams from the Big Ten and Big 12 are also in the poll. The remaining teams in the initial poll are California, West Virginia, Kansas State, Virginia, Clemson, Iowa and Tennessee. • Click here to see how and why each pollster voted The complete preseason poll 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. This is the third season that a season-long poll will be 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). |
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