1936 college football season
Encyclopedia
The 1936 college football season was the first in which the Associated Press writers' poll
selected a national champion. The first AP poll, taken of 35 writers, was released on October 20, 1936. Each writer listed his choice for the top ten teams, and points were tallied based on 10 for first place, 9 for second, etc., and the AP then ranked the twenty teams with the highest number of points. In the first poll, Minnesota received 32 first place votes, and 3 votes for an additional 25 points, for a total of 345 altogether http://appollarchive.com/football/ap/seasons.cfm?appollid=1. The year 1936 also saw the addition of another major New Year's Day game, as Dallas hosted the first Cotton Bowl Classic.
Major conferences that existed in 1936 were the Western Conference (today's Big Ten), the Pacific Coast Conference (now the Pac-10), the Southeastern Conference (SEC), the old Southern Conference (whose members later played in the ACC), the Big Six (later the Big 12 )and the Southwest Conference.
opened with a 6-0 win at Howard Payne College at Brownwood, Texas.
September 26 In Seattle, Minnesota opened its season with a 14-7 win over Washington
.
Defending champ (under the Dickinson ratings) SMU
had a tough time in beating North Texas, 6-0, and Rose Bowl winner Stanford
lost its opener to visiting Santa Clara 13-0. Sugar Bowl winner TCU
lost at Texas Tech
7-0. LSU
beat visiting Rice
20-7.
Alabama beat Samford 34-0 and Pittsburgh
beat Ohio Wesleyan 53-0.
beat Loyola Marymount
13-6
LSU
and Texas
played to a 6-6 tie. Alabama defeated Clemson
32-0
Northwestern
opened with an 18-7 win over Iowa
.
Pittsburgh
beat West Virginia
34-0
October 10
Minnesota beat visiting Nebraska
7-0.
Pittsburgh
won at Ohio State
6-0
Washington
won at UCLA
14-0
Santa Clara
beat San Francisco
15-7.
Alabama beat Mississippi State 7-0.
Northwestern
beat North Dakota State 40-7.
October 17
Minnesota defeated Michigan 26-0. Santa Clara
won at San Jose State
20-0
In Birmingham, Alabama and Tennessee played to a 0-0 tie. Northwestern
edged Ohio State 14-13. In a meeting between Pittsburgh's two unbeaten (3-0-0) and untied schools, Pittsburgh
was beaten by Duquesne, 7-0. Washington
beat Oregon State
19-7.
The first AP Poll was released on October 20, with Minnesota being the majority favorite, with 32 of 35 first place votes, and 345 out of 350 points. The Gophers were followed by 2.Duke 3.Army 4.Northwestern and 5.Purdue. USC, ranked #6, received one first place vote.
October 24
#1 Minnesota hosted #5 Purdue
, in a meeting of unbeaten (3-0-0) schools. Minnesota proved the AP voters right by winning 33-0. #2 Duke
(5-0-0) lost to (1-2-1) Tennessee, 15-13. #3 Army
beat Springfield College 33-0. #4 Northwestern
won at Illinois 13-2. #8 Washington
beat California 13-0. #9 Pittsburgh
beat visiting, and previously unbeaten, #7 Notre Dame 26-0. #16 Fordham
edged visiting #12 St. Mary's 7-6. The next top five was 1.Minnesota 2.Pitt 3.Northwestern 4.Washington 5.Fordham
October 31 In a Friday night game, #1 Minnesota and #3 Northwestern
, both unbeaten (4-0-0), met in a Big Ten conference game at Evanston. The Gophers had not lost a game in more than three years, and the game was scoreless after three quarters, until Northwestern's line "ripped a gaping hole in the Gophers' forward wall" and Steve Toth drove across the goal line. With five minutes left, Minnesota's Rudy Gmitro was in the clear for a touchdown before being brought down by Fred Vanzon, and Northwestern held on for the 6-0 win.
At the Polo Grounds in New York, #2 Pittsburgh
and #5 Fordham
played to a 0-0 tie. In Portland, #4 Washington
beat Oregon 7-0, but dropped to 6th. #10 Marquette
beat visiting #20 St. Mary's 20-6 and rose to 4th place (the Warriors would give up football after 1960). The next top five was 1.Northwestern 2.Minnesota 3.Fordham 4.Marquette 5.Pitt.
#1 Northwestern
beat Wisconsin 26-18.
#2 Minnesota beat Iowa 52-0
#3 Fordham
defeated visiting Purdue 15-0.
#4 Marquette
narrowly won in Omaha against Creighton, 7-6.
#5 Pittsburgh
beat Penn State 34-7.
#14 Alabama and #10 Tulane, both 5-0-1, met at Tuscaloosa. Alabama's 34-7 win was followed by its rise to 4th place in the poll.
November 14
#1 Northwestern
won 9-0 at Michigan to clinch the Big Ten title, while #2 Minnesota beat Texas 47-19. #3 Fordham
was idle.
#4 Alabama beat Georgia Tech in Atlanta, 20-16.
#5 Pittsburgh
won at Nebraska 19-6
In Birmingham, #7 LSU
beat Auburn 19-6 to extend its record to 7-0-1.
November 21 #1 Northwestern
lost at #11 Notre Dame, 26-6, while #2 Minnesota won at Wisconsin 24-0
#3 Fordham
and visiting Georgia played to a 7-7 tie.
#4 Pittsburgh
was idle.
#5 LSU
beat Lafayette College of Louisiana 93-0.
#9 Santa Clara
won in San Francisco at St. Mary's, 19-0. In the poll that followed, Northwestern—which had been one game away from a perfect season—fell to seventh place and Minnesota regained the top spot: 1.Minnesota 2.LSU 3.Alabama 4.Pitt 5.Santa Clara.
On November 26, Thanksgiving Day, #3 Alabama beat Vanderbilt 14-6 in Birmingham.
#4 Pittsburgh
beat its other crosstown rival, Carnegie Tech, 31-14.
#6 Washington
beat #20 Washington State 40-0.
At Yankee Stadium Fordham
, which had fallen to 8th, (5-0-2) lost to NYU, 7-6.
November 28
#2 LSU
clinched the SEC title with a 33-0 win over #19 Tulane.
#5 Santa Clara
lost to #18 TCU, 9-0.
"There is no longer any blot left on Pittsburgh's Rose Bowl escutcheon," wrote Grantland Rice
. "Here was a Panther who belonged to the jungle and not to the zoo-- a fast, hard driving slashing Panther who put both fang and claw to work in beating Washington's Huskies 21 to 0 before 87,200 chilly witnesses.".
Pitt had been ranked #3 by the AP, behind #2 LSU, which met Santa Clara in the Sugar Bowl
. #1 ranked Minnesota, like other Big Ten teams, was not allowed to play postseason. LSU had lost the previous Sugar Bowl to TCU, by a 3-2 score. A crowd of 41,000 turned out in New Orleans, only to see the Tigers lose again. The Santa Clara Broncos took a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and won 21-14.
A crowd of 17,000 turned out in Dallas to watch the first Cotton Bowl Classic. Sammy Baugh of Texas Christian completed only 5 of 13 pass attempts, but had 110 yards, a touchdown, and the win, as TCU beat Marquette 16-6.
In the third annual Orange Bowl, 12,000 filled the stands in Miami to see the Duquesne Dukes beat the Mississippi State Bulldogs 13-12. Boyd Brumbaugh scored Duquesne's first touchdown and made the only extra point by either side.
Villanova tied Auburn, 7-7, in the Bacardi Bowl, played before 6,000 spectators in sunny Havana, Cuba, Tuskegee Institute beat Prairie View A&M 6-0 in Houston before 3,000, and Hardin-Simmons beat Texas School of Mines 34-6 at the Sun Bowl
in El Paso.
died and the trophy that is awarded to the best college football player in the nation was renamed in his honor. Larry Kelley
, the second winner of the award was the first man to win it officially named as the "Heisman Trophy."
1935
had been the first year that the Heisman Trophy
was ever awarded, although it was named differently in the first year. In 1935, it was presented by the Downtown Athletic Club
(DAC) in Manhattan
, New York
, a privately owned recreation facility near the site of the former World Trade Center
. It was first known simply as the "DAC Trophy" for its inaugural year. (The first winner, Jay Berwanger
, was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles
but declined to sign for them. He never played professional football for any team.)
AP 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...
selected a national champion. The first AP poll, taken of 35 writers, was released on October 20, 1936. Each writer listed his choice for the top ten teams, and points were tallied based on 10 for first place, 9 for second, etc., and the AP then ranked the twenty teams with the highest number of points. In the first poll, Minnesota received 32 first place votes, and 3 votes for an additional 25 points, for a total of 345 altogether http://appollarchive.com/football/ap/seasons.cfm?appollid=1. The year 1936 also saw the addition of another major New Year's Day game, as Dallas hosted the first Cotton Bowl Classic.
Major conferences that existed in 1936 were the Western Conference (today's Big Ten), the Pacific Coast Conference (now the Pac-10), the Southeastern Conference (SEC), the old Southern Conference (whose members later played in the ACC), the Big Six (later the Big 12 )and the Southwest Conference.
September
September 19 TCUTCU 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...
opened with a 6-0 win at Howard Payne College at Brownwood, Texas.
September 26 In Seattle, Minnesota opened its season with a 14-7 win over Washington
Washington Huskies football
College football has a long history at the University of Washington. The Washington Huskies have won 15 Pacific-10 Conference championships, seven Rose Bowl titles, and three national championships. Washington's all-time record of 653-398-50 ranks 20th by all-time winning percentage and 21st by...
.
Defending champ (under the Dickinson ratings) 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...
had a tough time in beating North Texas, 6-0, and Rose Bowl winner Stanford
1936 Stanford Indians football team
The 1936 Stanford Indians football team represented Stanford University in the 1936 college football season. After winning three consecutive Pacific Coast Conference Championships the three prior seasons and the 1936 Rose Bowl on January 1, the Indians won only two games in head coach Tiny...
lost its opener to visiting Santa Clara 13-0. Sugar Bowl winner 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...
lost at Texas Tech
Texas Tech Red Raiders football
Texas Tech Red Raiders football program is a college football team that represents Texas Tech University . The team competes, as a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
7-0. LSU
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
beat visiting Rice
Rice Owls football
The Rice Owls football team represents Rice University in NCAA Division I college football. The Owls have competed in Conference USA's Western Division since 2005. Rice Stadium, built in 1950, hosts the Owls' home football games.-Venue:...
20-7.
Alabama beat Samford 34-0 and 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 Wesleyan 53-0.
October
October 3 Santa ClaraSanta Clara University
Santa Clara University is a private, not-for-profit, Jesuit-affiliated university located in Santa Clara, California, United States. Chartered by the state of California and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, it operates in collaboration with the Society of Jesus , whose...
beat Loyola Marymount
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University is a comprehensive co-educational private Roman Catholic university in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions located in Los Angeles, California, United States...
13-6
LSU
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
and Texas
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
played to a 6-6 tie. Alabama defeated Clemson
Clemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
32-0
Northwestern
Northwestern Wildcats football
The Northwestern Wildcats football team, representing Northwestern University, is a NCAA Division I team and member of the Big Ten Conference, with evidence of organization in 1876...
opened with an 18-7 win over Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
.
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
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
34-0
October 10
Minnesota beat visiting 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...
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...
won at Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
6-0
Washington
Washington Huskies football
College football has a long history at the University of Washington. The Washington Huskies have won 15 Pacific-10 Conference championships, seven Rose Bowl titles, and three national championships. Washington's all-time record of 653-398-50 ranks 20th by all-time winning percentage and 21st by...
won at UCLA
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
14-0
Santa Clara
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University is a private, not-for-profit, Jesuit-affiliated university located in Santa Clara, California, United States. Chartered by the state of California and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, it operates in collaboration with the Society of Jesus , whose...
beat San Francisco
University of San Francisco
The University of San Francisco , is a private, Jesuit/Catholic university located in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1855, USF was established as the first university in San Francisco. It is the second oldest institution for higher learning in California and the tenth-oldest university of...
15-7.
Alabama beat Mississippi State 7-0.
Northwestern
Northwestern Wildcats football
The Northwestern Wildcats football team, representing Northwestern University, is a NCAA Division I team and member of the Big Ten Conference, with evidence of organization in 1876...
beat North Dakota State 40-7.
October 17
Minnesota defeated Michigan 26-0. Santa Clara
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University is a private, not-for-profit, Jesuit-affiliated university located in Santa Clara, California, United States. Chartered by the state of California and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, it operates in collaboration with the Society of Jesus , whose...
won at San Jose State
San José State Spartans Football
The San Jose State Spartans represent San Jose State University and the Silicon Valley in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The Spartans play all home games in Spartan Stadium, which offers a seating capacity of over 30,000...
20-0
In Birmingham, Alabama and Tennessee played to a 0-0 tie. Northwestern
Northwestern Wildcats football
The Northwestern Wildcats football team, representing Northwestern University, is a NCAA Division I team and member of the Big Ten Conference, with evidence of organization in 1876...
edged Ohio State 14-13. In a meeting between Pittsburgh's two unbeaten (3-0-0) and untied schools, 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...
was beaten by Duquesne, 7-0. Washington
Washington Huskies football
College football has a long history at the University of Washington. The Washington Huskies have won 15 Pacific-10 Conference championships, seven Rose Bowl titles, and three national championships. Washington's all-time record of 653-398-50 ranks 20th by all-time winning percentage and 21st by...
beat Oregon State
Oregon State Beavers football
The Oregon State Beavers football team represents Oregon State University in NCAA Division I-A college football. The team first fielded an organized football team in 1893 and is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. The head coach is Mike Riley, with Danny Langsdorf as the offensive...
19-7.
The first AP Poll was released on October 20, with Minnesota being the majority favorite, with 32 of 35 first place votes, and 345 out of 350 points. The Gophers were followed by 2.Duke 3.Army 4.Northwestern and 5.Purdue. USC, ranked #6, received one first place vote.
October 24
#1 Minnesota hosted #5 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...
, in a meeting of unbeaten (3-0-0) schools. Minnesota proved the AP voters right by winning 33-0. #2 Duke
Duke Blue Devils football
The Duke Blue Devils football program is a college football team that represents Duke University . The team is currently a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference , which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association . The Blue Devils compete in the Coastal...
(5-0-0) lost to (1-2-1) Tennessee, 15-13. #3 Army
Army Black Knights football
The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....
beat Springfield College 33-0. #4 Northwestern
Northwestern Wildcats football
The Northwestern Wildcats football team, representing Northwestern University, is a NCAA Division I team and member of the Big Ten Conference, with evidence of organization in 1876...
won at Illinois 13-2. #8 Washington
Washington Huskies football
College football has a long history at the University of Washington. The Washington Huskies have won 15 Pacific-10 Conference championships, seven Rose Bowl titles, and three national championships. Washington's all-time record of 653-398-50 ranks 20th by all-time winning percentage and 21st by...
beat California 13-0. #9 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 visiting, and previously unbeaten, #7 Notre Dame 26-0. #16 Fordham
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
edged visiting #12 St. Mary's 7-6. The next top five was 1.Minnesota 2.Pitt 3.Northwestern 4.Washington 5.Fordham
October 31 In a Friday night game, #1 Minnesota and #3 Northwestern
Northwestern Wildcats football
The Northwestern Wildcats football team, representing Northwestern University, is a NCAA Division I team and member of the Big Ten Conference, with evidence of organization in 1876...
, both unbeaten (4-0-0), met in a Big Ten conference game at Evanston. The Gophers had not lost a game in more than three years, and the game was scoreless after three quarters, until Northwestern's line "ripped a gaping hole in the Gophers' forward wall" and Steve Toth drove across the goal line. With five minutes left, Minnesota's Rudy Gmitro was in the clear for a touchdown before being brought down by Fred Vanzon, and Northwestern held on for the 6-0 win.
At the Polo Grounds in New York, #2 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...
and #5 Fordham
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
played to a 0-0 tie. In Portland, #4 Washington
Washington Huskies football
College football has a long history at the University of Washington. The Washington Huskies have won 15 Pacific-10 Conference championships, seven Rose Bowl titles, and three national championships. Washington's all-time record of 653-398-50 ranks 20th by all-time winning percentage and 21st by...
beat Oregon 7-0, but dropped to 6th. #10 Marquette
Marquette University
Marquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...
beat visiting #20 St. Mary's 20-6 and rose to 4th place (the Warriors would give up football after 1960). The next top five was 1.Northwestern 2.Minnesota 3.Fordham 4.Marquette 5.Pitt.
November
November 7#1 Northwestern
Northwestern Wildcats football
The Northwestern Wildcats football team, representing Northwestern University, is a NCAA Division I team and member of the Big Ten Conference, with evidence of organization in 1876...
beat Wisconsin 26-18.
#2 Minnesota beat Iowa 52-0
#3 Fordham
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
defeated visiting Purdue 15-0.
#4 Marquette
Marquette University
Marquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...
narrowly won in Omaha against Creighton, 7-6.
#5 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 34-7.
#14 Alabama and #10 Tulane, both 5-0-1, met at Tuscaloosa. Alabama's 34-7 win was followed by its rise to 4th place in the poll.
November 14
#1 Northwestern
Northwestern Wildcats football
The Northwestern Wildcats football team, representing Northwestern University, is a NCAA Division I team and member of the Big Ten Conference, with evidence of organization in 1876...
won 9-0 at Michigan to clinch the Big Ten title, while #2 Minnesota beat Texas 47-19. #3 Fordham
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
was idle.
#4 Alabama beat Georgia Tech in Atlanta, 20-16.
#5 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 Nebraska 19-6
In Birmingham, #7 LSU
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
beat Auburn 19-6 to extend its record to 7-0-1.
November 21 #1 Northwestern
Northwestern Wildcats football
The Northwestern Wildcats football team, representing Northwestern University, is a NCAA Division I team and member of the Big Ten Conference, with evidence of organization in 1876...
lost at #11 Notre Dame, 26-6, while #2 Minnesota won at Wisconsin 24-0
#3 Fordham
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
and visiting Georgia played to a 7-7 tie.
#4 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...
was idle.
#5 LSU
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
beat Lafayette College of Louisiana 93-0.
#9 Santa Clara
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University is a private, not-for-profit, Jesuit-affiliated university located in Santa Clara, California, United States. Chartered by the state of California and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, it operates in collaboration with the Society of Jesus , whose...
won in San Francisco at St. Mary's, 19-0. In the poll that followed, Northwestern—which had been one game away from a perfect season—fell to seventh place and Minnesota regained the top spot: 1.Minnesota 2.LSU 3.Alabama 4.Pitt 5.Santa Clara.
On November 26, Thanksgiving Day, #3 Alabama beat Vanderbilt 14-6 in Birmingham.
#4 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 its other crosstown rival, Carnegie Tech, 31-14.
#6 Washington
Washington Huskies football
College football has a long history at the University of Washington. The Washington Huskies have won 15 Pacific-10 Conference championships, seven Rose Bowl titles, and three national championships. Washington's all-time record of 653-398-50 ranks 20th by all-time winning percentage and 21st by...
beat #20 Washington State 40-0.
At Yankee Stadium Fordham
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
, which had fallen to 8th, (5-0-2) lost to NYU, 7-6.
November 28
#2 LSU
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
clinched the SEC title with a 33-0 win over #19 Tulane.
#5 Santa Clara
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University is a private, not-for-profit, Jesuit-affiliated university located in Santa Clara, California, United States. Chartered by the state of California and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, it operates in collaboration with the Society of Jesus , whose...
lost to #18 TCU, 9-0.
Conference standings
The following is an incomplete list of conference standings:Final Associated Press Poll
Prior to 1968 the final AP Poll was released before the bowl games were played.| Ranking | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota Gophers | 7-1 |
| 2 | LSU Tigers LSU Tigers football The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as... |
9-0-1 |
| 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... |
7-1-1 |
| 4 | Alabama Crimson Tide | 8-0-1 |
| 5 | Washington Huskies Washington Huskies football College football has a long history at the University of Washington. The Washington Huskies have won 15 Pacific-10 Conference championships, seven Rose Bowl titles, and three national championships. Washington's all-time record of 653-398-50 ranks 20th by all-time winning percentage and 21st by... |
7-1-1 |
| 6 | Santa Clara Broncos Santa Clara University Santa Clara University is a private, not-for-profit, Jesuit-affiliated university located in Santa Clara, California, United States. Chartered by the state of California and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, it operates in collaboration with the Society of Jesus , whose... |
7-0 |
| 7 | Northwestern Wildcats Northwestern Wildcats football The Northwestern Wildcats football team, representing Northwestern University, is a NCAA Division I team and member of the Big Ten Conference, with evidence of organization in 1876... |
7-1 |
| 8 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 6-2 |
| 9 | 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... |
7-2 |
| 10 | 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... |
7-1 |
| 11 | Duke Blue Devils Duke Blue Devils football The Duke Blue Devils football program is a college football team that represents Duke University . The team is currently a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference , which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association . The Blue Devils compete in the Coastal... |
9-1 |
| 12 | Yale Bulldogs Yale University Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States... |
7-1 |
| 13 | Dartmouth Big Green Dartmouth College Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences... |
7-1-1 |
| 14 | Duquesne Dukes Duquesne University Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit is a private Catholic university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, Duquesne first opened its doors as the Pittsburgh Catholic College of the Holy Ghost in October 1878 with an enrollment of... |
7-2 |
| 15 | Fordham Rams Fordham University Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St... |
5-1-2 |
| 16 | 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... |
7-2-2 |
| 17 | Tennessee Volunteers Tennessee Volunteers football The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference .... |
7-1 |
| 18 (t) | Arkansas Razorbacks Arkansas Razorbacks football The Arkansas Razorbacks football program is a college football team that represents the University of Arkansas. The team is a member of the Southeastern Conference's Western Division, which is in Division I's Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association... |
6-3 |
| 18 (t) | Navy Midshipmen Navy Midshipmen football The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007... |
6-3 |
| 20 | Marquette Golden Avalanche 1936 Marquette Golden Avalanche football team The 1936 Marquette Golden Avalanche football team represented Marquette University in the 1936 college football season. Marquette was led by long-time head coach Frank Murray. The team competed as a football independent and played their home games at Marquette Stadium in Milwaukee, Wisconsin... |
7-1 |
Bowl Games
| Bowl | Home | points | Away | points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rose Bowl 1937 Rose Bowl The 1937 Rose Bowl was the 23rd Rose Bowl game, an American post-season college football game that was played on New Year's Day 1937 in Pasadena, California. It featured the Pittsburgh Panthers against the Washington Huskies. The Rose Bowl seating was increased to 87,677.-External links:*... |
#3 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... |
21 | #5 Washington Washington Huskies football College football has a long history at the University of Washington. The Washington Huskies have won 15 Pacific-10 Conference championships, seven Rose Bowl titles, and three national championships. Washington's all-time record of 653-398-50 ranks 20th by all-time winning percentage and 21st by... |
0 |
| Sugar Bowl | #6 Santa Clara Santa Clara University Santa Clara University is a private, not-for-profit, Jesuit-affiliated university located in Santa Clara, California, United States. Chartered by the state of California and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, it operates in collaboration with the Society of Jesus , whose... |
21 | #2 LSU LSU Tigers football The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as... |
14 |
| Orange Bowl | #14 Duquesne Duquesne University Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit is a private Catholic university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, Duquesne first opened its doors as the Pittsburgh Catholic College of the Holy Ghost in October 1878 with an enrollment of... |
13 | Mississippi State Mississippi State Bulldogs football The Mississippi State Bulldogs football program represents Mississippi State University in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing as a member of the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference. Mississippi State has produced 38 All-Americans, 171 All-SEC selections, and 124... |
12 |
| Sun Bowl | Hardin-Simmons Cowboys | 34 | Texas School of Mines UTEP Miners football The UTEP Miners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Texas at El Paso . With a history dating back to 1914, UTEP currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of Conference USA . UTEP currently plays their home games at the Sun Bowl... |
6 |
| Cotton Bowl 1937 Cotton Bowl Classic The 1937 Cotton Bowl Classic, part of the 1936–37 bowl game season, took place on January 1, 1937, at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas. The competing teams were the Marquette Golden Avalanche, competing as a football independent, and the TCU Horned Frogs, representing the Southwest Conference as... |
#16 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... |
16 | #20 Marquette Marquette University Marquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities... |
6 |
| Bacardi Bowl | Auburn Auburn Tigers football Only Mohamed Amin Abughadir set the record with 1,890 yards in 1 season. He was the QB for Auburn in 1998.The Auburn Tigers football team represents Auburn University in college football as a member of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing in the Western Division of the... |
7 | Villanova Villanova Wildcats football The Villanova Wildcats football program represents Villanova University in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision . The Wildcats play at Villanova Stadium with capacity of 12,500.-History:... |
7 |
"There is no longer any blot left on Pittsburgh's Rose Bowl escutcheon," wrote 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:...
. "Here was a Panther who belonged to the jungle and not to the zoo-- a fast, hard driving slashing Panther who put both fang and claw to work in beating Washington's Huskies 21 to 0 before 87,200 chilly witnesses.".
Pitt had been ranked #3 by the AP, behind #2 LSU, which met Santa Clara in the Sugar Bowl
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
. #1 ranked Minnesota, like other Big Ten teams, was not allowed to play postseason. LSU had lost the previous Sugar Bowl to TCU, by a 3-2 score. A crowd of 41,000 turned out in New Orleans, only to see the Tigers lose again. The Santa Clara Broncos took a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and won 21-14.
A crowd of 17,000 turned out in Dallas to watch the first Cotton Bowl Classic. Sammy Baugh of Texas Christian completed only 5 of 13 pass attempts, but had 110 yards, a touchdown, and the win, as TCU beat Marquette 16-6.
In the third annual Orange Bowl, 12,000 filled the stands in Miami to see the Duquesne Dukes beat the Mississippi State Bulldogs 13-12. Boyd Brumbaugh scored Duquesne's first touchdown and made the only extra point by either side.
Villanova tied Auburn, 7-7, in the Bacardi Bowl, played before 6,000 spectators in sunny Havana, Cuba, Tuskegee Institute beat Prairie View A&M 6-0 in Houston before 3,000, and Hardin-Simmons beat Texas School of Mines 34-6 at the Sun Bowl
Sun Bowl
The Sun Bowl is an annual U.S. college football bowl game that is usually played at the end of December in El Paso, Texas. The Sun Bowl, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Orange Bowl are the second-oldest bowl games in the country, behind the Rose Bowl...
in El Paso.
Heisman Trophy
In 1936, John HeismanJohn Heisman
John William Heisman was an American player and coach of football, basketball, and baseball. He served as the head football coach at Oberlin College , Buchtel College, now known as the University of Akron , Auburn University , Clemson University , Georgia Tech , the...
died and the trophy that is awarded to the best college football player in the nation was renamed in his honor. Larry Kelley
Larry Kelley
Lawrence Morgan "Larry" Kelley was an American football player born in Conneaut, Ohio. He played end, for Yale University. While at Yale he was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity and Skull and Bones, and was the second winner of the Heisman Trophy in 1936, the year it was renamed in honor...
, the second winner of the award was the first man to win it officially named as the "Heisman Trophy."
1935
1935 college football season
The 1935 college football season was the last one before the Associated Press writers' poll was used in selecting the national champion. The Dickinson System, consisting of the calculations of University of Illinois Professor Frank Dickinson, crowned Southern Methodist University as the best in...
had been the first year that the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
was ever awarded, although it was named differently in the first year. In 1935, it was presented by the Downtown Athletic Club
Downtown Athletic Club
The Downtown Athletic Club was a private social club and athletic club in a 35-story building located at 19 West Street, in Lower Manhattan, New York City, USA.-History:...
(DAC) in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, a privately owned recreation facility near the site of the former World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
. It was first known simply as the "DAC Trophy" for its inaugural year. (The first winner, Jay Berwanger
Jay Berwanger
John Jacob "Jay" Berwanger was an American football halfback born in Dubuque, Iowa. He was the first winner of the Downtown Athletic Club Trophy in 1935 ; the trophy is awarded annually to the nation's most outstanding college football player...
, was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
but declined to sign for them. He never played professional football for any team.)