After a banner weekend for the top teams in the country, the Football Writers Association of America held on to its top three teams: Alabama, Clemson and Georgia.
The Crimson Tide received 45 of the 52 first-place votes, while Clemson received four, Auburn two and Georgia one. LSU, though, rocketed into the Super 16 poll at No. 11 following a 33-17 thumping of Miami on Sunday in Arlington, Texas.
The Super 16 voting panel is made up of select college football writers along with College Football Hall of Fame members. The poll is released each Monday going forward.
Other newcomers to the poll included Virginia Tech, a 24-3 winner at Florida State on Monday night, at No. 15. West Virginia entered at No. 14 after beating Tennessee, 40-14.
Miami and Michigan dropped out of the poll, and TCU dropped out despite a 55-7 win over Southern.
FWAA-Super 16 poll
1. Alabama (45 first-place votes)
2. Clemson (4)
3. Georgia (1)
4. Ohio State
5. Oklahoma
6. Auburn (2)
7. Wisconsin
8. Notre Dame
9. Stanford
10. Washington
11. LSU
12. Michigan State
13. Penn State
14. West Virginia
15. Virginia Tech
16. Southern Cal
Others receiving votes: TCU (121), Mississippi State (80), UCF (38), Michigan (38), Boise State (37), South Carolina (13), Florida (12), Oregon (11), Northwestern (6), Miami (5), Florida State (3), Utah (3), BYU (2), Oklahoma State (1), Ole Miss (1), Cincinnati (1).
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
