DALLAS (FWAA) – The Southern California Trojans remain the top-ranked team in the Grantland Rice Super 16 Poll. USC (10-0), the two-time defending Football Writers Association of America national champs, received 9 of the 16 first-place votes after enjoying an idle week to prepare for crosstown rival UCLA. The Trojans' winning streak stands at 33 games as they prepare to finish the regular season. USC has won a record six FWAA national titles after winning each of the last two.

The Grantland Rice Trophy

Texas (11-0), pulled away from rival Texas A&M, 42-29, and kept its seven first-place votes to remain just two points behind USC in the balloting. The Longhorns try to finish out the slate with the Big 12 title game vs. Colorado this weekend. Texas has won 18 in a row, the nation's second longest winning streak.

Penn State, already 10-1 and the Big Ten champion, awaits its BCS bowl berth and moved up to No. 3 as LSU struggled to hold off Arkansas, 19-17, just prior to its appearance in the SEC championship in Atlanta on Saturday where Georgia awaits. Virginia Tech mowed down North Carolina, 30-3, to improve to 10-1 and earn a berth in the ACC title game in Jacksonville. The Hokies remain No. 5 in the poll.

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 seven conferences represented in this week's poll, the SEC now features five teams among the Top 16 with Florida moving into the rankings. The Pacific-10 has three among the Super 16.

• Click here to see how and why each pollster voted

The complete poll for Nov. 28 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).