1929 college football season
Encyclopedia
The 1929 college football season saw a number of unbeaten and untied teams. Purdue, Tulane, Notre Dame and Pittsburgh all finished the regular season with wins over all their opponents; Notre Dame was recognized as national champion under the Dickinson system. Pitt and USC met in the Rose Bowl, at that time the only postseason college football game and an unofficial title game between the best teams of east and west, but Pitt's claims for a national title were demolished by the Trojans, 47–14. A major change in the rules for 1929 was that a fumbled ball was dead as soon as it struck the ground. Previously, a defending player could run with a recovered fumble, as in the case of Roy Riegels in the 1929 Rose Bowl.
Major conferences that existed in 1929 were the Western Conference (today's Big Ten), the Pacific Coast Conference (now the Pacific-10), the Big Six (forerunner of the Big 12), the Southwest Conference, and the Southern Conference (whose members later formed the SEC and the ACC). At season's end, the Rissler Cup was awarded to the team that finished first in the "Dickinson ratings", which considered strength of schedule, in that a win, loss or tie against a "strong" opponent was worth more than one against a lesser team, and the results were averaged.
) opened its season with a 13-3 win over North Texas State.
September 28
SMU
and Howard Payne College played to a 13-13 tie, and TCU
rolled over visiting Daniel Baker College, 61-0.
In Los Angeles, USC opened its season against crosstown rival UCLA, rolling over the Bruins 76-0.
Pittsburgh
beat Waynesburg State, 53-0
California
beat Santa Clara 27-6
Pennsylvania
beat Franklin & Marshall 14-7
Tulane
opened with a win over Northwestern State, 40-6
SMU
and Nebraska
played to a 0-0 tie in Nebraska.
Notre Dame opened its season with a 14-0 win at Indiana
TCU
beat hardin Simmons, 20-0
Illinois beat Kansas 25-0, and Purdue
beat Kansas State, 26-14
Pittsburgh
won at Duke, 52-7
USC beat Oregon State 21-7
Pennsylvania
defeated Swarthmore 20-6
California
and St. Mary's played to a 0-0 tie.
Tulane
beat Texas A&M, 13-10
October 12
In Baltimore, Notre Dame defeated Navy, 14-7.
SMU
beat Austin College, 16-0
In Shreveport, TCU
registered another shutout, beating Centenary College 28-0
Nebraska
won at Syracuse, 13-6
USC won at Washington, 48-0, and California
beat visiting Washington State, 14-0.
Purdue
beat Michigan 30-16 and Illinois beat Bradley 45-0
Pittsburgh
beat West Virginia 27-7
Pennsylvania
beat Virginia Tech, 14-8
Tulane
beat Mississippi State, 34-0
October 19
Pittsburgh
handed Nebraska
its first loss, 12-7;
TCU
surrendered its first points, but beat Texas A&M, 13-7. Illinois and Iowa played to a 7-7 tie.
Purdue
beat DePauw 26-7
Tulane
beat Lafayette College of Louisiana, 60-0
USC scored big again, with a 64-0 win over Occidental. At 4-0-0, the Trojans had outscored their opponents 209-7. In Chicago, Notre Dame defeated Wisconsin 19-0
In Philadelphia, (1-0-1) California
and (3-0) Pennsylvania
played, with California winning 12-7
October 26 During the weekend between October 24 and October 29, 1929 (see Wall Street Crash of 1929
), SMU
beat visiting Ole Miss, 52-0 and TCU
, with a 131-7 aggregate lead over its opponents, won its fifth straight, a 22-0 win over Texas Tech. In Pittsburgh, the Pitt Panthers
beat Allegheny 40-0 and Notre Dame defeated Carnegie Tech 7-0. Illinois beat visiting Michigan 14-0, and Purdue
won at Chicago 26-0
The USC offense was held to single digits at Stanford, winning 7-0. California
defeated the non-college Olympic Club, 21-19. Pennsylvania
beat Lehigh 10-7 and in New Orleans, Tulane
beat Georgia Tech, 20-14. Nebraska
and Missouri played to a 7-7 tie.
In Los Angeles, USC (5-0-0) hosted California
(4-0-1). California handed the Trojans their first loss, 15-7
In Dallas, unbeaten (3-0-2) SMU
and unbeaten and untied Texas (5-0-0) both stayed unbeaten, playing to 0-0 tie.
Notre Dame beat visiting Georgia Tech 26-6
In Columbus, Georgia, Tulane
beat Georgia, 21-15
TCU
beat North Texas State, 25-0
Nebraska
beat Kansas, 12-6
Purdue
won at Wisconsin 13-0, but Illinois lost at Northwestern, 7-0,
Pittsburgh
beat Ohio State, 18-2
Pennsylvania
defeated Navy, 7-2
November 9
SMU
won at Texas A&M 12-7 and TCU
beat Rice, 24-0
Illinois beat Army, 17-7 and Purdue
beat Ole Miss 27-7
Pittsburgh
beat Washington & Jefferson 21-0
Notre Dame defeated Drake University
Tulane
beat Auburn, 52-0
USC beat visiting Nevada, 66-0 and California
beat Montana 53-18
At Philadelphia, (5-1-0) Penn State defeated (5-1-0) Pennsylvania
, 19-7
November 16
In Chicago, a record crowd of 123,000 turned out at Soldier Field to watch Notre Dame (6-0-0) and USC (6-1-0). Knute Rockne, who had been hospitalized with an infected leg, guided his team from a cot set behind the Notre Dame bench. In the third quarter, the Irish took a 13-6 lead, on—Savoldi's plunge and Frank Carideo's extra point. On the ensuing kickoff, -- Saunders ran the ball back 95 yards for a touchdown, but the point after failed, and Notre Dame held on to win 13-12.
Nebraska
and visiting Oklahoma played to a 13-13 draw; at (2-1-3), the Cornhuskers had tied more games than they had won or lost. SMU
beat Baylor, 25-6.
TCU
was (7-0-0) and had outscored its opposition 193-7; Texas (5-0-2) had an aggregate 120-0 lead on its opponents, though its last two games had been scoreless ties. When they met at Austin, Texas scored first, but Cy Leland returned the kickoff 90 yards for a TCU score. At halftime, TCU led 13-12 on the only extra point scored that day, and finished 15-12
Illinois defeated Chicago 20-6 and Purdue
beat Iowa 7-0
Pittsburgh
beat Carnegie Tech, 34-13
Pennsylvania
visited Columbia and won 20-0
California
beat Washington 7-0
Tulane
defeated Sewanee 18-0
November 23
Nebraska
won at Kansas State, 10-6
SMU
beat Rice, 34-0
TCU
beat Baylor, 34-7
Illinois beat Ohio State, 27-0, and Purdue
won at Indiana 32-0 to finish its season unbeaten. Notre Dame won at Northwestern 26-6.
USC beat visiting Idaho, 72-0
Stanford (7-2-0) and California
met in Palo Alto, with Stanford winning 21-6.
November 28, Thanksgiving Day;
Pittsburgh
beat Penn State 20-7
Pennsylvania
beat Cornell 17-7
Nebraska
closed its season with a 31-12 win over Iowa State, to finish at 4-1-3.
November 30
In a season-ending matchup of the Southwest Conference's two best teams at Fort Worth,
Texas Christian (9-0-0) hosted Southern Methodist (6-0-3). Although SMU
took a 7-0 lead in the third quarter, and held the Frogs once at the goal line, TCU reached the one on its next possession, and scored on third down. Hawks Green's kick staved off an upset, tied the Mustangs 7-7, and gave TCU
the conference title.
Notre Dame (8-0-0) closed its season at Yankee Stadium in New York, where it faced Army (6-2-1). The Fighting Irish won 7-0.
USC beat Washington State, 27-7
Tulane
closed its season with a 21-0 win at LSU, to finish unbeaten at 9-0-0
On December 14, USC defeated Carnegie Tech, 45-13.
would not begin continuously until 1936. (although, the first time was a one instance publishing in 1934) Frank G. Dickinson, an economics professor at the University of Illinois, had invented the Dickinson System
to rank colleges based upon their records and the strength of their opposition. Notre Dame and Pittsburgh, both with nine wins, and no losses or ties (9-0-0) were ranked first and second by Dickinson, with the Irish getting the higher rating based on the their opposition. As Grantland Rice
noted in his column, "There is no questioning the fact that among the unbeaten teams who were not even tied, Notre Dame fought its way through the hardest field. But when it comes to saying that Notre Dame could beat Pittsburgh or the Notre Dame could beat Purdue or that Pittsburgh could beat Purdue -- that is something else again,"
The system was originally designed to rank teams in the Big Nine (later the Big Ten) conference. Chicago clothing manufacturer Jack Rissman then persuaded Dickinson to rank the nation's teams under the system, and awarded the Rissman Trophy to the winning university.
The system awarded 30 points for a win over a "strong team", and 20 for a win over a "weak team". Losses were awarded points (15 for loss to a strong team, 10 for loss to a weak team). Ties were treated as half a win and half a loss (22.5 for a tie with a strong team, 15 for a tie with a weak team). An average was then derived by dividing the points by games played.
.
Major conferences that existed in 1929 were the Western Conference (today's Big Ten), the Pacific Coast Conference (now the Pacific-10), the Big Six (forerunner of the Big 12), the Southwest Conference, and the Southern Conference (whose members later formed the SEC and the ACC). At season's end, the Rissler Cup was awarded to the team that finished first in the "Dickinson ratings", which considered strength of schedule, in that a win, loss or tie against a "strong" opponent was worth more than one against a lesser team, and the results were averaged.
September
September 21 In Dallas, Southern Methodist University (SMUSMU Mustangs football
The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team that represents Southern Methodist University . The team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member Conference USA...
) opened its season with a 13-3 win over North Texas State.
September 28
SMU
SMU Mustangs football
The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team that represents Southern Methodist University . The team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member Conference USA...
and Howard Payne College played to a 13-13 tie, and TCU
TCU Horned Frogs football
The TCU Horned Frogs football team is the intercollegiate football team of Texas Christian University. TCU competes as a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, but will move to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012 season. TCU began playing football...
rolled over visiting Daniel Baker College, 61-0.
In Los Angeles, USC opened its season against crosstown rival UCLA, rolling over the Bruins 76-0.
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
beat Waynesburg State, 53-0
California
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
beat Santa Clara 27-6
Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
beat Franklin & Marshall 14-7
Tulane
Tulane Green Wave
Green Wave, the nickname of the sports teams of Tulane University, was adopted during the 1920 season, after a song titled The Rolling Green Wave was published in Tulane's student newspaper in 1920. From 1893 to 1919, the athletic teams of Tulane were known as the Olive and Blue for the official...
opened with a win over Northwestern State, 40-6
October
October 5SMU
SMU Mustangs football
The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team that represents Southern Methodist University . The team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member Conference USA...
and Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
played to a 0-0 tie in Nebraska.
Notre Dame opened its season with a 14-0 win at Indiana
TCU
TCU Horned Frogs football
The TCU Horned Frogs football team is the intercollegiate football team of Texas Christian University. TCU competes as a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, but will move to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012 season. TCU began playing football...
beat hardin Simmons, 20-0
Illinois beat Kansas 25-0, and Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
beat Kansas State, 26-14
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
won at Duke, 52-7
USC beat Oregon State 21-7
Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
defeated Swarthmore 20-6
California
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
and St. Mary's played to a 0-0 tie.
Tulane
Tulane Green Wave
Green Wave, the nickname of the sports teams of Tulane University, was adopted during the 1920 season, after a song titled The Rolling Green Wave was published in Tulane's student newspaper in 1920. From 1893 to 1919, the athletic teams of Tulane were known as the Olive and Blue for the official...
beat Texas A&M, 13-10
October 12
In Baltimore, Notre Dame defeated Navy, 14-7.
SMU
SMU Mustangs football
The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team that represents Southern Methodist University . The team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member Conference USA...
beat Austin College, 16-0
In Shreveport, TCU
TCU Horned Frogs football
The TCU Horned Frogs football team is the intercollegiate football team of Texas Christian University. TCU competes as a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, but will move to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012 season. TCU began playing football...
registered another shutout, beating Centenary College 28-0
Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
won at Syracuse, 13-6
USC won at Washington, 48-0, and California
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
beat visiting Washington State, 14-0.
Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
beat Michigan 30-16 and Illinois beat Bradley 45-0
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
beat West Virginia 27-7
Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
beat Virginia Tech, 14-8
Tulane
Tulane Green Wave
Green Wave, the nickname of the sports teams of Tulane University, was adopted during the 1920 season, after a song titled The Rolling Green Wave was published in Tulane's student newspaper in 1920. From 1893 to 1919, the athletic teams of Tulane were known as the Olive and Blue for the official...
beat Mississippi State, 34-0
October 19
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
handed Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
its first loss, 12-7;
TCU
TCU Horned Frogs football
The TCU Horned Frogs football team is the intercollegiate football team of Texas Christian University. TCU competes as a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, but will move to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012 season. TCU began playing football...
surrendered its first points, but beat Texas A&M, 13-7. Illinois and Iowa played to a 7-7 tie.
Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
beat DePauw 26-7
Tulane
Tulane Green Wave
Green Wave, the nickname of the sports teams of Tulane University, was adopted during the 1920 season, after a song titled The Rolling Green Wave was published in Tulane's student newspaper in 1920. From 1893 to 1919, the athletic teams of Tulane were known as the Olive and Blue for the official...
beat Lafayette College of Louisiana, 60-0
USC scored big again, with a 64-0 win over Occidental. At 4-0-0, the Trojans had outscored their opponents 209-7. In Chicago, Notre Dame defeated Wisconsin 19-0
In Philadelphia, (1-0-1) California
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
and (3-0) Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
played, with California winning 12-7
October 26 During the weekend between October 24 and October 29, 1929 (see Wall Street Crash of 1929
Wall Street Crash of 1929
The Wall Street Crash of 1929 , also known as the Great Crash, and the Stock Market Crash of 1929, was the most devastating stock market crash in the history of the United States, taking into consideration the full extent and duration of its fallout...
), SMU
SMU Mustangs football
The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team that represents Southern Methodist University . The team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member Conference USA...
beat visiting Ole Miss, 52-0 and TCU
TCU Horned Frogs football
The TCU Horned Frogs football team is the intercollegiate football team of Texas Christian University. TCU competes as a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, but will move to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012 season. TCU began playing football...
, with a 131-7 aggregate lead over its opponents, won its fifth straight, a 22-0 win over Texas Tech. In Pittsburgh, the Pitt Panthers
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
beat Allegheny 40-0 and Notre Dame defeated Carnegie Tech 7-0. Illinois beat visiting Michigan 14-0, and Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
won at Chicago 26-0
The USC offense was held to single digits at Stanford, winning 7-0. California
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
defeated the non-college Olympic Club, 21-19. Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
beat Lehigh 10-7 and in New Orleans, Tulane
Tulane Green Wave
Green Wave, the nickname of the sports teams of Tulane University, was adopted during the 1920 season, after a song titled The Rolling Green Wave was published in Tulane's student newspaper in 1920. From 1893 to 1919, the athletic teams of Tulane were known as the Olive and Blue for the official...
beat Georgia Tech, 20-14. Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
and Missouri played to a 7-7 tie.
November
November 2In Los Angeles, USC (5-0-0) hosted California
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
(4-0-1). California handed the Trojans their first loss, 15-7
In Dallas, unbeaten (3-0-2) SMU
SMU Mustangs football
The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team that represents Southern Methodist University . The team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member Conference USA...
and unbeaten and untied Texas (5-0-0) both stayed unbeaten, playing to 0-0 tie.
Notre Dame beat visiting Georgia Tech 26-6
In Columbus, Georgia, Tulane
Tulane Green Wave
Green Wave, the nickname of the sports teams of Tulane University, was adopted during the 1920 season, after a song titled The Rolling Green Wave was published in Tulane's student newspaper in 1920. From 1893 to 1919, the athletic teams of Tulane were known as the Olive and Blue for the official...
beat Georgia, 21-15
TCU
TCU Horned Frogs football
The TCU Horned Frogs football team is the intercollegiate football team of Texas Christian University. TCU competes as a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, but will move to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012 season. TCU began playing football...
beat North Texas State, 25-0
Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
beat Kansas, 12-6
Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
won at Wisconsin 13-0, but Illinois lost at Northwestern, 7-0,
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
beat Ohio State, 18-2
Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
defeated Navy, 7-2
November 9
SMU
SMU Mustangs football
The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team that represents Southern Methodist University . The team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member Conference USA...
won at Texas A&M 12-7 and TCU
TCU Horned Frogs football
The TCU Horned Frogs football team is the intercollegiate football team of Texas Christian University. TCU competes as a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, but will move to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012 season. TCU began playing football...
beat Rice, 24-0
Illinois beat Army, 17-7 and Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
beat Ole Miss 27-7
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
beat Washington & Jefferson 21-0
Notre Dame defeated Drake University
Tulane
Tulane Green Wave
Green Wave, the nickname of the sports teams of Tulane University, was adopted during the 1920 season, after a song titled The Rolling Green Wave was published in Tulane's student newspaper in 1920. From 1893 to 1919, the athletic teams of Tulane were known as the Olive and Blue for the official...
beat Auburn, 52-0
USC beat visiting Nevada, 66-0 and California
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
beat Montana 53-18
At Philadelphia, (5-1-0) Penn State defeated (5-1-0) Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, 19-7
November 16
In Chicago, a record crowd of 123,000 turned out at Soldier Field to watch Notre Dame (6-0-0) and USC (6-1-0). Knute Rockne, who had been hospitalized with an infected leg, guided his team from a cot set behind the Notre Dame bench. In the third quarter, the Irish took a 13-6 lead, on—Savoldi's plunge and Frank Carideo's extra point. On the ensuing kickoff, -- Saunders ran the ball back 95 yards for a touchdown, but the point after failed, and Notre Dame held on to win 13-12.
Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
and visiting Oklahoma played to a 13-13 draw; at (2-1-3), the Cornhuskers had tied more games than they had won or lost. SMU
SMU Mustangs football
The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team that represents Southern Methodist University . The team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member Conference USA...
beat Baylor, 25-6.
TCU
TCU Horned Frogs football
The TCU Horned Frogs football team is the intercollegiate football team of Texas Christian University. TCU competes as a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, but will move to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012 season. TCU began playing football...
was (7-0-0) and had outscored its opposition 193-7; Texas (5-0-2) had an aggregate 120-0 lead on its opponents, though its last two games had been scoreless ties. When they met at Austin, Texas scored first, but Cy Leland returned the kickoff 90 yards for a TCU score. At halftime, TCU led 13-12 on the only extra point scored that day, and finished 15-12
Illinois defeated Chicago 20-6 and Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
beat Iowa 7-0
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
beat Carnegie Tech, 34-13
Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
visited Columbia and won 20-0
California
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
beat Washington 7-0
Tulane
Tulane Green Wave
Green Wave, the nickname of the sports teams of Tulane University, was adopted during the 1920 season, after a song titled The Rolling Green Wave was published in Tulane's student newspaper in 1920. From 1893 to 1919, the athletic teams of Tulane were known as the Olive and Blue for the official...
defeated Sewanee 18-0
November 23
Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
won at Kansas State, 10-6
SMU
SMU Mustangs football
The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team that represents Southern Methodist University . The team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member Conference USA...
beat Rice, 34-0
TCU
TCU Horned Frogs football
The TCU Horned Frogs football team is the intercollegiate football team of Texas Christian University. TCU competes as a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, but will move to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012 season. TCU began playing football...
beat Baylor, 34-7
Illinois beat Ohio State, 27-0, and Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
won at Indiana 32-0 to finish its season unbeaten. Notre Dame won at Northwestern 26-6.
USC beat visiting Idaho, 72-0
Stanford (7-2-0) and California
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
met in Palo Alto, with Stanford winning 21-6.
November 28, Thanksgiving Day;
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
beat Penn State 20-7
Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
beat Cornell 17-7
Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
closed its season with a 31-12 win over Iowa State, to finish at 4-1-3.
November 30
In a season-ending matchup of the Southwest Conference's two best teams at Fort Worth,
Texas Christian (9-0-0) hosted Southern Methodist (6-0-3). Although SMU
SMU Mustangs football
The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team that represents Southern Methodist University . The team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member Conference USA...
took a 7-0 lead in the third quarter, and held the Frogs once at the goal line, TCU reached the one on its next possession, and scored on third down. Hawks Green's kick staved off an upset, tied the Mustangs 7-7, and gave TCU
TCU Horned Frogs football
The TCU Horned Frogs football team is the intercollegiate football team of Texas Christian University. TCU competes as a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, but will move to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012 season. TCU began playing football...
the conference title.
Notre Dame (8-0-0) closed its season at Yankee Stadium in New York, where it faced Army (6-2-1). The Fighting Irish won 7-0.
USC beat Washington State, 27-7
Tulane
Tulane Green Wave
Green Wave, the nickname of the sports teams of Tulane University, was adopted during the 1920 season, after a song titled The Rolling Green Wave was published in Tulane's student newspaper in 1920. From 1893 to 1919, the athletic teams of Tulane were known as the Olive and Blue for the official...
closed its season with a 21-0 win at LSU, to finish unbeaten at 9-0-0
On December 14, USC defeated Carnegie Tech, 45-13.
Conference standings
The following is an incomplete list of conference standings:Conference leaders
| Conference | Champion | Conf. record | Overall record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific Coast | USC | (6-1-0) | (9-2-0) |
| Independent | Notre Dame Notre Dame Fighting Irish football Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an... / Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Panthers football Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football... |
(9-0-0) | (9-0-0) |
| Western | Purdue Purdue Boilermakers football The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of... |
(5-0-0) | (8-0-0) |
| Southern | Tulane Tulane Green Wave Green Wave, the nickname of the sports teams of Tulane University, was adopted during the 1920 season, after a song titled The Rolling Green Wave was published in Tulane's student newspaper in 1920. From 1893 to 1919, the athletic teams of Tulane were known as the Olive and Blue for the official... |
(6-0-0) | (9-0-0) |
| Big Six | Nebraska Nebraska Cornhuskers football The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A... |
(3-0-2) | (4-1-3) |
| Southwestern | TCU TCU Horned Frogs football The TCU Horned Frogs football team is the intercollegiate football team of Texas Christian University. TCU competes as a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, but will move to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012 season. TCU began playing football... |
(4-0-1) | (9-0-1) |
Dickinson System
The AP sportswriters' pollAP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
would not begin continuously until 1936. (although, the first time was a one instance publishing in 1934) Frank G. Dickinson, an economics professor at the University of Illinois, had invented the Dickinson System
Dickinson System
The Dickinson System was a mathematical point formula that awarded national championships in college football. Devised by University of Illinois economics professor Frank G...
to rank colleges based upon their records and the strength of their opposition. Notre Dame and Pittsburgh, both with nine wins, and no losses or ties (9-0-0) were ranked first and second by Dickinson, with the Irish getting the higher rating based on the their opposition. As Grantland Rice
Grantland Rice
Grantland Rice was an early 20th century American sportswriter known for his elegant prose. His writing was published in newspapers around the country and broadcast on the radio.-Biography:...
noted in his column, "There is no questioning the fact that among the unbeaten teams who were not even tied, Notre Dame fought its way through the hardest field. But when it comes to saying that Notre Dame could beat Pittsburgh or the Notre Dame could beat Purdue or that Pittsburgh could beat Purdue -- that is something else again,"
The system was originally designed to rank teams in the Big Nine (later the Big Ten) conference. Chicago clothing manufacturer Jack Rissman then persuaded Dickinson to rank the nation's teams under the system, and awarded the Rissman Trophy to the winning university.
The system awarded 30 points for a win over a "strong team", and 20 for a win over a "weak team". Losses were awarded points (15 for loss to a strong team, 10 for loss to a weak team). Ties were treated as half a win and half a loss (22.5 for a tie with a strong team, 15 for a tie with a weak team). An average was then derived by dividing the points by games played.
.
Final Dickinson rankings
| Rank | Team | Record | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 9-0-0 | 25.00 |
| 2 | Purdue Boilermakers Purdue Boilermakers football The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of... |
8-0-0 | 23.60 |
| 3 | Pittsburgh Panthers Pittsburgh Panthers football Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football... |
9-0-0 | 22.00 |
| 4 | California Golden Bears California Golden Bears football The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to... |
7-1-1 | 20.00 |
| 5 | Illinois Fighting Illini Illinois Fighting Illini football The Illinois Fighting Illini are a major college football program, representing the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. They compete in NCAA Division I-A and the Big Ten Conference.-Current staff:-All-time win/loss/tie record:*563-513-51... |
6-1-1 | 18.70 |
| 6 | USC Trojans | 9-2-0 | 17.75 |
| 7 | Nebraska Cornhuskers Nebraska Cornhuskers football The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A... |
4-1-3 | 16.82 |
| 8 | TCU Horned Frogs TCU Horned Frogs football The TCU Horned Frogs football team is the intercollegiate football team of Texas Christian University. TCU competes as a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, but will move to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012 season. TCU began playing football... |
9-0-1 | 16.51 |
| 9 | SMU Mustangs SMU Mustangs football The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team that represents Southern Methodist University . The team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member Conference USA... |
6-0-4 | 16.31 |
| 10 | Tulane Green Wave Tulane Green Wave Green Wave, the nickname of the sports teams of Tulane University, was adopted during the 1920 season, after a song titled The Rolling Green Wave was published in Tulane's student newspaper in 1920. From 1893 to 1919, the athletic teams of Tulane were known as the Olive and Blue for the official... |
9-0-0 | 16.22 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania Quakers University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution... |
7-2-0 | 15.00 |