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Football Writers Association of America Sept. 1, 2010
For Immediate Release
Contact: Steve Richardson
972-713-6198
Crimson Tide garners 9 of 15 first-place votes
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ALABAMA TOPS FWAA'S
PRESEASON GRANTLAND RICE POLL
The Grantland
Rice Trophy

DALLAS (FWAA) – The Alabama Crimson Tide is the favorite to repeat as the Grantland Rice Trophy champion in the Football Writers Association of America's annual preseason poll.

Alabama, which finished 14-0 last season after beating Texas in Pasadena, Calif., would become the fifth straight Southeastern Conference team to win the FWAA trophy if the voters are
accurate. Before last season, Florida won in 2008 and '06 and LSU in '07.

Alabama claimed nine of 15 first-place votes and tallied 231 votes in the poll. Ohio State, which garnered three first-place votes, was second with 205 points. Boise State had two first-place votes and was third with 199 points. The other first-place vote from the 15 voters went to Nebraska, which was eighth in the poll with 133 points.

Rounding out the Top 10 are Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, TCU, Nebraska, Virginia Tech and Iowa.

2010 PRESEASON GRANTLAND RICE POLL
Rank School [1st] Conference Pts. W-L Opening Game
1. Alabama [9] SEC 231 14-0 vs. San Jose State
2. Ohio State [3] Big Ten 205 11-2 vs. Marshall
3. Boise State [2] WAC 199 14-0 vs. No. 9 Virginia Tech
4. Florida SEC 164 13-1 vs. Miami (Ohio)
5. Texas Big 12 147 13-1 at Rice
6. Oklahoma Big 12 145 8-5 vs. Utah State
7. TCU Mountain West 142 12-1 vs. Oregon State
8. Nebraska [1] Big 12 133 10-4 vs. Western Kentucky
9. Virginia Tech ACC 126 10-3 vs. No. 3 Boise State
10. Iowa Big Ten 109 11-2 vs. Eastern Illinois
11. Oregon Pac-10 89 10-3 vs. New Mexico
12. Miami ACC 84 9-4 vs. Florida A&M
13. USC Pac-10 50 9-4 at Hawaii
14. Wisconsin Big Ten 42 10-3 at UNLV
15. Florida State ACC 26 7-6 vs. Samford
16. Auburn SEC 22 8-5 vs. Arkansas State
Records are from the 2009 season

The 2010 Grantland Rice Trophy will be awarded by a vote of selected board members and past presidents of the association after the Citi BCS Championship Game. It will be presented to the FWAA's national champion the morning after the BCS title game in Scottsdale, Ariz.

The Grantland Rice Trophy, given to college football's national champion since 1954, is named in memory of the legendary sportswriter. It was the first national championship awarded presented after college football's post-season.

While the FWAA will not conduct a weekly poll this season, it will present the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week each Monday, as selected by a panel of select FWAA members. This marks the ninth season the FWAA will present a team of the week.

The Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization founded in 1941, consists of more than 1,200 men and women who cover college football for a living. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include gameday operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson at tiger@fwaa.com or 972-713-6198.
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