The Chicago Tribune Fans' Poll was a weekly ranking of the top 20 NCAA college football teams. The poll was published in the Chicago Tribune and tabulated from weekly ballots clipped from the newspaper and mailed in by its readership. The No. 1 team in the final Fans' Poll was the paper's college football national champion and was awarded the silver Tribune Trophy.
National champions
The Chicago Tribune Fans' Poll selected the following college football national champions:
Season Champion Record 1980 Georgia 12–0 1981 Clemson 12–0 1982 Penn State 11–1 1983 Nebraska 12–1 1984 Washington 11–1 1985 Oklahoma 11–1 1986 Penn State 12–0
Tribune Trophy
The No. 1 team in the final Fans' Poll rankings was awarded the Tribune Trophy. The trophy took the form of a silver football mounted on a walnut base.
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