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Oct. 11, 2004 For Immediate Release Contact: Ted Gangi 214-823-7992 |
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| Deadlock at the top a first for FWAA poll | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| USC,
OKLAHOMA TIED ATOP GRANTLAND RICE SUPER 16 POLL |
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DALLAS (FWAA) – The Southern California Trojans and Oklahoma Sooners are tied atop the 2004 regular season's first Grantland Rice Super 16 Poll. USC (5-0), the defending Football Writers Association of America national champs, garnered eight of the 16 first-place votes after holding off California, 23-17, to stay unbeaten and avenge its only defeat from last season. This is the first time in the three-year history of the poll that there has been a tie for the No. 1 spot.
Oklahoma (5-0), fresh off its 12-0 win over arch-rival Texas, was voted No. 1 by seven of the pollsters and Auburn (6-0), unranked in the preseason poll, notched the final top vote and is third in the poll. New ACC rivals Miami and Virginia round out the Top 5. The 'Canes moved up from No. 8, while the Cavs jumped nine spots from No. 14. Four different conferences each have three teams in the Super 16. 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 FedEx Orange Bowl National Team of the Week, which is also announced each Monday during the regular season. 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. The regular season's first poll includes six teams that were not among the preseason rankings. Joining Auburn in the poll are Purdue (No. 6), Wisconsin (No. 9), Utah (No. 11), Arizona State (No. 15) and Louisville (No. 16). • Click here to see how and why each pollster voted The complete first regular-season 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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