Chicago Tribune Fans' Poll

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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. [1]

Contents

National champions

The Chicago Tribune Fans' Poll selected the following college football national champions:

SeasonChampionRecord
1980 [1] Georgia 12–0
1981 [2] [3] Clemson 12–0
1982 [4] [5] Penn State 11–1
1983 [6] [7] Nebraska 12–1
1984 [8] Washington 11–1
1985 [9] Oklahoma 11–1
1986 [10] Penn State 12–0

Tribune Trophy

The No. 1 team in the final Fans' Poll rankings was awarded the Tribune Trophy. [1] [4] The trophy took the form of a silver football mounted on a walnut base. [1] [5] [7]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Georgia fans' pick, but not unanimously". Chicago Tribune. January 9, 1981. Retrieved April 9, 2023. Georgia's unbeaten Bulldogs [...] have been named the Fans' National Champion by the voters in The Tribune's College Football Poll. Georgia [...] will receive an engraved silver football mounted on a walnut base. The 15-inch-high trophy will be presented by The Tribune to mark the Bulldogs' selection as the first Fans' Champion.
  2. Lorenz, Rich (January 10, 1982). "Fans agree Clemson is national champion". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  3. Clemson 1981 National Champions — Chicago Tribune Fans' Poll trophy (Trophy). Clemson University 1982 Football Media Guide. 1982. Retrieved April 10, 2023.{{cite sign}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  4. 1 2 "Penn St. rates with fans". Chicago Tribune. January 7, 1983. Retrieved April 9, 2023. The Tribune Trophy for the No. 1 football team in the nation
  5. 1 2 Chicago Tribune College Football Poll — Fans' National Champion — 1982 Penn State (Trophy). Penn State All-Sports Museum. February 1, 2023. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  6. Conklin, Mike (January 8, 1984). "To fans, Nebraska's the 1 — Cornhuskers finish on top in final Tribune poll". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  7. 1 2 Chicago Tribune College Football Poll — Fan's[sic] National Champion — 1983 University of Nebraska (Trophy). University of Nebraska. April 21, 2009. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  8. "Washington named No. 1 by the fans". Chicago Tribune. January 13, 1985. Retrieved April 9, 2023. Instead of following the lead of the wire services and selecting Brigham Young as their national champion, the voters in The Tribune poll have selected Washington as their No. 1 team.
  9. "Fan right all along—Oklahoma's No. 1". Chicago Tribune. January 12, 1986. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  10. "Penn State's 1st with fans". Chicago Tribune. January 11, 1987. Retrieved April 9, 2023.