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1921 college football season
American college football season
American college football season
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| year | 1921 |
| image | BoMcMillin.jpg |
| image_caption | Bo McMillin scoring against Harvard |
| image_size | 250 |
| preseason_ap | |
| regular_season | |
| number_of_bowls | 3 |
| bowl_start | December 26, 1921 |
| bowl_end | January 2, 1922 |
| champion | [California](1921-california-golden-bears-football-team) |
| [Cornell](1921-cornell-big-red-football-team) | |
| [Iowa](1921-iowa-hawkeyes-football-team) | |
| [Lafayette](1921-lafayette-football-team) | |
| [Washington & Jefferson](1921-washington-jefferson-presidents-football-team) | |
| heisman | Not awarded until [1935](1935-college-football-season) |
Cornell Iowa Lafayette Washington & Jefferson The 1921 college football season had no clear-cut champion, with the Official NCAA Division I Football Records Book listing California Golden Bears, Cornell Big Red, Iowa Hawkeyes, Lafayette Leopards, Washington & Jefferson Presidents, and Vanderbilt Commodores as champions. Only California, Cornell, Iowa, and Lafayette claim national championships for the 1921 season.
Andy Smith's Pacific Coast Conference champion "Wonder Team" at California continued on its streak since 1920. Eastern power Cornell was coached by Gil Dobie and led by one of the sport's great backfields with George Pfann, Eddie Kaw, Floyd Ramsey, and Charles E. Cassidy. Jock Sutherland's Lafayette Maroons were led on the line by Frank Schwab.
Big Ten champion Iowa upset Notre Dame 10–7. Grantland Rice noted that the 1921 Notre Dame team "was the first team we know of to build its attack around a forward passing game, rather than use a forward passing game as a mere aid to the running game."
1921 was the last season for the old Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association. Vanderbilt tied co-champion Georgia on an onside kick. On October 29, Centre upset Harvard 6–0 in what is widely considered one of the greatest upsets in college football history. Overjoyed students painted the "impossible formula" C6H0 (Centre 6, Harvard 0) on everything in sight. Georgia Tech also claimed a conference title.
The 1922 Rose Bowl was fought to a scoreless tie, between California and Washington & Jefferson, in the last Rose Bowl to be played at Tournament Park. Washington & Jefferson is the smallest school to ever play in a Rose Bowl.
Conference and program changes
Conference establishments
- Two conferences began play in 1921:
- Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference – an active NCAA Division III conference
- Southwestern Athletic Conference – an active NCAA Division I FCS conference
Membership changes
| School | 1920 Conference | 1921 Conference |
|---|---|---|
| Fresno State Bulldogs | *Program Established* | Independent |
| Nebraska Cornhuskers | Independent | MVIAA |
| Oglethorpe Stormy Petrels | Independent | SIAA |
| Phillips Haymakers | Southwest | Independent |
| San Diego State Professors | *Program Established* | Independent |
First radio broadcast
A historical highlight of the regular season was the 1921 West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh football game, the first college football game to be broadcast live on radio. Today, college football on radio is common for nearly every game in every division.
C6H0
Main article: 1921 Centre vs. Harvard football game
On October 29, Centre College beat Harvard 6 to 0 in what is widely considered one of the greatest upsets in college football history. Overjoyed students painted the "impossible formula" C6H0 (Centre 6, Harvard 0) on everything in sight.
Bowl games
In the 1922 Rose Bowl, heavily favored California played [[1921 Washington & Jefferson Presidents football team|Washington & Jefferson]] to a scoreless tie. The game holds several distinctions including being the only scoreless contest and the first tie in a Rose Bowl. Charles Fremont West of Washington & Jefferson was the first African-American quarterback to play in the Rose Bowl, and Herb Kopf, also of Washington and Jefferson, was the first freshman to play in a Rose Bowl. The 1922 Rose Bowl was the last played at Tournament Park. Washington & Jefferson College, with only 450 students at the time, was the smallest school to ever play in a Rose Bowl.
Other bowls
- 1922 Dixie Classic
- San Diego Christmas Classic
Conference standings
Major conference standings
Independents
Minor conferences
| Conference | Champion(s) | Record |
|---|---|---|
| Central Intercollegiate Athletics Association | Virginia Union | 3–0 |
| Inter-Normal Athletic Conference of Wisconsin | Stout Normal | 3–0 |
| Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference | Kansas State Teachers | |
| Kansas State Teachers–Fort Hays | 6–0–1 | |
| 6–0 | ||
| Louisiana Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Louisiana Polytechnic | 3–0 |
| Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association | *No champion* | – |
| Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Hamline | 5–0 |
| Nebraska Intercollegiate Conference | *Unknown* | — |
| Ohio Athletic Conference | Miami (OH) | 7–0 |
| Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference | *Unknown* | — |
| Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Pomona | 5–0 |
| Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Morehouse | — |
| Southwestern Athletic Conference | Wiley | — |
Minor conference standings
Awards and honors
All-Americans
Main article: 1921 College Football All-America Team
The consensus All-America team included:
| Position | Name | Height | Weight (lbs.) | Class | Hometown | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | Aubrey Devine | 5'9" | 170 | Sr. | Des Moines, Iowa | **[Iowa](1921-iowa-hawkeyes-football-team)** |
| QB | Bo McMillin | 5'9" | 165 | Sr. | Fort Worth, Texas | **[Centre](1921-centre-praying-colonels-football-team)** |
| HB | Glenn Killinger | 5'9" | 163 | Sr. | Harrisburg, Pennsylvania | **[Penn State](1921-penn-state-nittany-lions-football-team)** |
| HB | Mal Aldrich | 5'11" | 165 | Sr. | Fall River, Massachusetts | **[Yale](1921-yale-bulldogs-football-team)** |
| FB | Eddie Kaw | 5'10" | 168 | Jr. | Houston, Texas | **[Cornell](1921-cornell-big-red-football-team)** |
| E | Harold Muller | 6'0" | 180 | Jr. | Dunsmuir, California | **[California](1922-california-golden-bears-football-team)** |
| T | Dan McMillan | 6'1" | 225 | Sr. | Los Angeles, California | **[California](1921-california-golden-bears-football-team)** |
| G | Fiske Brown | Sr. | Plymouth, Massachusetts | **[Harvard](1921-harvard-crimson-football-team)** | ||
| G | Stan Keck | 5'11" | 206 | Sr. | Greensburg, Pennsylvania | **[Princeton](1921-princeton-tigers-football-team)** |
| C | Herb Stein | 6'1" | 186 | Sr. | Warren, Ohio | **[Pittsburgh](1921-pittsburgh-panthers-football-team)** |
| G | Frank Schwab | 5'11" | 195 | Sr. | Saltsburg, Pennsylvania | **[Lafayette](1921-lafayette-football-team)** |
| G | Iolas Huffman | 5'11" | 228 | Sr. | Chandlersville, Ohio | **[Ohio State](1921-ohio-state-buckeyes-football-team)** |
| E | Eddie Anderson | Sr. | Mason City, Iowa | **[Notre Dame](1921-notre-dame-fighting-irish-football-team)** |
Statistical leaders
- Total offense leader: Aubrey Devine, Iowa, 2211
- Receptions leader: Eddie Anderson, Notre Dame, 26
- Receiving yards leader: Eddie Anderson, 394
References
References
- "Official 2013 Football Bowl Subdivision Records Book". The National Collegiate Athletic Association.
- Grantland Rice. (December 3, 1921). "Where The West Got The Jump: In Addition To Developing Strong Defense and Good Running Game, Has Built Up Forward Pass". American Golfer.
- (1991). "1991 Pitt Football: University of Pittsburgh Football Media Guide". University of Pittsburgh Sports Information Office.
- Campbell, Jim. (August 2006). "The 1922 Rose Bowl: David v. Goliath". [[LA84 Foundation]].
- "Washington and Jefferson College".
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