USC Tops FWAA Grantland Rice Super 16 Poll

The Football Writers Association of America released its Grantland Rice Super 16 preseason poll Monday. USC is its top ranked team, garnering more first place votes than the rest of the field combined. The FWAA is responsible for awarding the Grantland Rice Trophy, one of the postseason national championships. The Grantland Rice Trophy winner has only deviated from the BCS Championship once in any season since the system’s inception in 1998, when USC won it over LSU in 2003. Coincidentally, the Trojans and Tigers are teams No. 1 and 2 on this season’s Super 16.

Five of the top six received a first place vote, though only LSU with four had more than one. USC conference rival Oregon was slotted at No. 5, but was given zero first place votes. UO was also the sole Pacific 12 Conference member to crack the top 16, sharing the distinction of fewest entries with the ACC. Of the six BCS leagues, only the Big East was excluded.

As expected, the SEC tops all conferences for the most entries with five. Reigning national champion Alabama rankes No. 3, while Georgia, Arkansas and South Carolina all secured places in the top 11.

Unlike the Associated Press Top 25 or USA Today Coaches Poll (or Fansided Top 25), the Grantland Rice Super 16 is not updated during the season. Instead, the FWAA presents the Tositos Fiesta Bowl Team of the Week honor.

Rank

School [1st]

Conference

Pts.

W-L

Opening Game

1.USC [9]Pac-12 261 10-2 vs. Hawaii 2.LSU [4]SEC 247 13-1 vs. North Texas 3.Alabama [1]SEC 230 12-1 vs. No. 8 Michigan 4.Oklahoma [1]Big 12 216 10-3 at UTEP 5.Oregon Pac-12 194 12-2 vs. Arkansas State 6.Florida State [1] ACC 180 9-4 vs. Murray State 7.Georgia SEC14610-4vs. Buffalo 8.Michigan Big Ten11811-2vs. No. 3 Alabama 9.Wisconsin Big Ten9811-3vs. Northern Iowa 10.Arkansas SEC96 11-2vs. Jacksonville State 11. South Carolina SEC 90 11-2at Vanderbilt 12.West Virginia Big 12 72 10-3 vs. Marshall 13.Texas Big 12 678-5vs. Wyoming 14.Clemson ACC 5710-4vs. Auburn t15.Michigan State Big Ten5011-3vs. Boise State t15. Ohio State Big Ten 50 6-7 vs. Miami (Ohio)