FWAA > News > Grantland Rice Super 16 Poll

DALLAS (FWAA) – The Southern California Trojans are the top-ranked team in the final regular-season Grantland Rice Super 16 Poll, despite losing three first-place votes this week. USC (12-0), the defending Football Writers Association of America national champs, will have a chance to defend that title when the Trojans take on No. 2 Oklahoma in the FedEx Orange Bowl on Jan. 4, 2005.

While USC held of rival UCLA, 29-24, Oklahoma (12-0) blasted Colorado, 42-3, in the Big 12 title game to move back into the No. 2 spot in the Super 16. OU, which received five first-place votes, had spent the last three weeks at No. 3 behind Auburn. Although Auburn (12-0) held off Tennessee, 38-28, to capture to SEC title, the Tigers dropped a spot as they ready for Virginia Tech in the Nokia Sugar Bowl on Jan. 3.

California (10-1), after beating Southern Miss, dropped into a fourth-place tie with Utah (11-0), while 10-1 teams Texas and Louisville remained at Nos. 6 and 7.

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 was announced each Monday during the regular season.

In addition, the 16 voters representing four regions, have cast a ballot each week, while giving a synopsis of their ballot. Unlike other college football polls, the FWAA makes each of its pollster's ballot public, along with the weekly synopsis. At the conclusion of the Bowl Championship Series, the FWAA will release its final poll and the top-ranked team will be awarded the 2004 Grantland Rice Trophy.

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

FWAA GRANTLAND RICE SUPER 16 POLL (DEC. 6, 2004)
Rk.	School [1st]	Conf.	W-L	Pts	Pvs	Bowl Foe
1.	USC [8]	Pac-10	12-0	244	1	Oklahoma (Orange)
2.	Oklahoma [5]	Big 12	12-0	242	3	USC (Orange)
3.	Auburn [3]	SEC	12-0	234	2	Virginia Tech (Sugar)
t4.	California	Pac-10	10-1	192	4	Texas Tech (Holiday)
t4.	Utah	MWC	11-0	192	5	Pittsburgh (Fiesta)
6.	Texas	Big 12	10-1	184	6	Michigan (Rose)
7.	Louisville	C-USA	10-1	148	7	Boise State (Liberty)
8.	Virginia Tech	ACC	10-2	139	11	Auburn (Sugar)
9.	Georgia	SEC	9-2	118	10	Wisconsin (Outback)
10.	Boise State	WAC	11-0	107	9	Louisville (Liberty)
11.	Michigan	Big Ten	9-2	81	13	Texas (Rose)
12.	Iowa	Big Ten	9-2	78	12	LSU (Citrus)
13.	LSU	SEC	9-2	74	14	Iowa (Citrus)
14.	Miami	ACC	8-3	49	8	Florida (Peach)
15.	Tennessee	SEC	9-3	34	15	Texas A&M (Cotton)
16.	Florida State	ACC	8-3	24	-	West Virginia (Gator)
First-place votes: USC 8 (Blaudschun, Dodd, Henson, Higgins, Miller, Moran, Richards, Shain); Oklahoma 5 (Burchette, Davis, Fiutak, Meisler, Robbins); Auburn 3 (Coyle, Griffith, Mandel).
Also receiving votes: Wisconsin 20, Pittsburgh 5, Florida 4, Arizona State 3, Texas A&M 3, Purdue 1.
Dropped out: Wisconsin (16).
By conference: SEC 4, ACC 3, Big Ten 2, Big 12 2, Pac-10 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 is concurrent with the award.