DALLAS (FWAA) – The Southern California Trojans remain the top-ranked team in the Grantland Rice Super 16 Poll. USC (6-0), the two-time defending Football Writers Association of America national champs, received 12 of the 16 first-place votes after extending their winning streak to 28 games with a dramatic 34-31 win at Notre Dame. The USC win streak is the longest in the nation and the Trojans have won a record six FWAA national titles after winning each of the last two.

The Grantland Rice Trophy

Texas (6-0), still No. 2 in the poll with four first-place votes, won its 13th straight game by routing Colorado, 42-17. Virginia Tech (6-0), which was idle, and Georgia (6-0) remained third and fourth in the rankings. The Bulldogs took care of Vanderbilt, 34-17.

Alabama (6-0), despite a 13-10 struggle with Ole Miss, moved up to No. 5. Miami (5-1) is No. 6 after an easy 34-3 win over Temple, while UCLA (6-0) and LSU (5-1) each moved up three spots. UCLA won an overtime thriller at Washington State, 44-41, while LSU topped Florida, 21-17. Florida State dropped to No. 9 after a 26-21 loss at Virginia and Notre Dame rounds out the top 10.

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 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week, which is 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 2005 Grantland Rice Trophy.

Among five conferences represented in this week's poll, the ACC and SEC each feature four teams among the Top 16, while the Pac-10 has three.

• Click here to see how and why each pollster voted

The complete poll for Oct. 17 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. When introduced, it was the first national championship trophy to be awarded after college football's postseason. This is the fourth season that a season-long poll is 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).