Preseason FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll

August 12, 2024 by FWAA, NFF, CollegeFootballPoll.com

Georgia dominated the Super 16 Preseason Poll with 38 of 54 first place votes, marking the Bulldogs' 35th all-time appearance at No. 1. Georgia continues to have the second-most appearances at No. 1, only behind Alabama's 61 appearances in the top spot. Their appearance at No. 1 also marks the 56th time in the last 57 weeks an SEC team has claimed the top ranking.

Ohio State finished second with 11 first place votes and 75 points behind Georgia, and Texas claimed the No. 3 spot with two first place votes.

The poll is administered by the FWAA (Football Writers Association) and the National Football Foundation, and features a geographical mix 56 FWAA writers and College Football Hall of Famers. CollegeFootballPoll.com's Dave Congrove has been a member of the panel since since week 4 of the 2017 season.

Oregon's No. 4 ranking marks the highest ranking for the Ducks since being ranked No. 3 on Nov. 14, 2021.

No. 5 Alabama maintains its streak as the only team to appear in the poll each week dating back to 2014, a span of 135 weeks.

Ole Miss landed at No. 6, marking the highest ranking for the Rebels since claiming the No. 3 spot on Sept. 27, 2015.

Defending national champion Michigan will start the season at No. 10, the lowest for the Wolverines since claiming the No. 10 ranking on Oct. 31, 2021.

The SEC is represented in the poll by eight teams, which is a record for appearances in a single week. The Big Ten had four teams in the poll, followed by the ACC with two, the Big 12 and FBS Independents with one each.

The eventual national champion has been ranked in the top six of the preseason poll eight times since 2015. Alabama in 2017 is the only national champion to start the season ranked No. 1 in the preseason poll.

(SEE: Scores and Picks, Last Week's Poll)

Congrove Ballot

(1) Texas, (2) Florida State, (3) Ole Miss, (4) Ohio State, (5) Georgia, (6) Oregon, (7) Utah, (8) Auburn, (9) Alabama, (10) LSU, (11) Notre Dame, (12) Penn State, (13) NC State, (14) Virginia Tech, (15) Missouri, (16) Kansas State.

FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll

The "LW" column in the ranking of each team for the previous poll published, which in this case was the season-ending pre-bowl poll in 2023.

Rank Team Pts. 1st LW
1. Georgia 835 38 6
2. Ohio State 760 11 7
3. Texas 734 2 3
4. Oregon 685 1 8
5. Alabama 601   4
6. Ole Miss 486   11
7. Penn State 460   10
8. Notre Dame 450   16
9. Florida State 428   5
10. Michigan 422 2 1
11. Missouri 262   9
12. LSU 247   13
13. Utah 234   --
14. Tennessee 160   --
15. Clemson 154   --
16. Oklahoma 117   12

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Miami, FL (56), Oklahoma State (45), Washington (40), Kansas State (38), Texas A&M (32), Arizona (14), Iowa (13), USC (12), NC State (9), Auburn (9), Florida (8), Rutgers (7), Iowa State (7), Houston (6), Louisville (3), Virginia Tech (3), Tulane (2), Wisconsin (2), Nebraska (1), Boise State (1), Mississippi State (1).

ABOUT THE FWAA-NFF SUPER 16 POLL: The poll was established at the conclusion of the 2013 season by two long-time partners, the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and the National Football Foundation (NFF). Voters rank the top 16 teams in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, and the results will be released every Sunday of the 2023 season. The individual votes of all members will also be made public. The first regular season poll will be released on Tuesday, Sept. 3 (to account for Labor Day games), and the final poll will be released Sunday, Dec. 8. The poll utilizes a computer program designed by Sports Systems to compile the rankings and the Cody Kellner Points Index to publish the individual votes.

ABOUT THE FWAA: Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of journalists, broadcasters, publicists, photographers and key executives in all areas of college football. The FWAA works to govern media access and gameday operations while presenting awards and honors, including an annual All-America team.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION & COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME: Founded in 1947 with early leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl "Red" Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame is a non-profit educational organization that runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.