FWAA > News > Grantland Rice Super 16 Poll

DALLAS (FWAA) – The Southern California Trojans remain the top-ranked team in the Grantland Rice Super 16 Poll. USC (10-0), the defending Football Writers Association of America national champs, garnered 12 No. 1 votes after taking the week off.

No. 2 Auburn (11-0) increased its lead over No. 3 Oklahoma (11-0) after beating rival Alabama, 21-13. The Sooners easily handled Baylor, 35-0. Auburn was voted No. 1 by three of the pollsters, while OU received one first-place vote.

California (9-1) and Utah (11-0) maintained their rankings as the fourth-ranked Bears beat Stanford, 41-6, and No. 5 Utah completed a perfect regular-season with a 52-21 win over Mountain West rival Utah.

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, 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.

Among eight conferences represented in the Super 16, the SEC features four teams among the Top 16, while the Pac-10 has three.

FWAA GRANTLAND RICE SUPER 16 POLL (NOV. 22, 2004)
Rk.	School [1st]	Conf.	W-L	Pts	Pvs	This Week (Nov. 27)
1.	USC [12]	Pac-10	10-0	251	1	vs. Notre Dame
2.	Auburn [3]	SEC	11-0	238	2	Idle
3.	Oklahoma [1]	Big 12	11-0	231	3	Idle
4.	California	Pac-10	9-1	197	4	Idle
5.	Utah	MWC	11-0	193	5	Reg. season complete
6.	Texas	Big 12	9-1	180	7	vs. Texas A&M (Nov. 26)
7.	Louisville	C-USA	8-1	135	9	vs. Cincinnati
8.	Miami	ACC	8-2	126	12	Idle
9.	Georgia	SEC	8-2	114	10	vs. Georgia Tech
10.	Boise State	WAC	10-0	93	13	at Nevada
11.	Michigan	Big Ten	9-2	76	6	Reg. season complete
12.	Virginia Tech	ACC	8-2	71	-	vs. Virginia
13.	Iowa	Big Ten	9-2	70	15	Reg. season complete
14.	Tennessee	SEC	8-2	55	14	vs. Kentucky
15.	LSU	SEC	8-2	47	16	at Arkansas (Nov. 26)
16.	Arizona State	Pac-10	8-2	39	-	at Arizona
FedEx Orange Bowl National Team of the Week: Utah.
First-place votes: USC 12 (Blaudschun, Davis, Dodd, Henson, Higgins, Mandel, Meisler, Miller, Moran, Richards, Robbins, Shain); Auburn 3 (Coyle, Fiutak, Griffith); Oklahoma 1 (Burchette).
Also receiving votes: Wisconsin 17, Boston College 16, Florida State 13, Virginia 9, Texas A&M 3, Florida 2.
Dropped out: Wisconsin (8), Florida State (11).
By conference: SEC 4, Pac-10 3, ACC 2, Big Ten 2, Big 12 2, Conference USA 1, Mountain West 1, WAC 1.

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.