1931 college football season

American college football season From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 1931 college football season saw the USC Trojans win the Knute Rockne Memorial Trophy as national champion under the Dickinson System, as well as the No. 1 position from each of the other three contemporary major selectors (Boand, Dunkel, and Houlgate Systems).[1] Rockne, who had coached Notre Dame to a championship in 1930, had been killed in a plane crash on March 31, 1931. For the first time, the champion under the Dickinson System also played in a postseason game. The 1932 Rose Bowl, promoted as a national championship game between the best teams of East and West,[2] matched USC and Tulane, No. 1 and No. 2 in the Dickinson ratings. USC won, 21–12, and was awarded the Albert Russel Erskine Trophy.[2]

Number of bowls1
BowlgamesJanuary 1, 1932
Champion(s)USC[a]
Pittsburgh[b]
Purdue (not claimed)[c]
Quick facts Number of bowls, Bowl games ...
1931 college football season
The Pitt Panther mascot in 1931
Number of bowls1
Bowl gamesJanuary 1, 1932
Champion(s)USC[a]
Pittsburgh[b]
Purdue (not claimed)[c]
← 1930 Â·
football seasons
· 1932 â†’
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Two years later, historian Parke H. Davis selected Pittsburgh and Purdue (No. 9 and No. 10 in the Dickinson ratings) as "National Champion Foot Ball Teams" for 1931; he was the only NCAA-designated "major selector" to choose either team.[3] Davis’ work has been criticized for having a heavy Eastern bias, with little regard for the South and the West Coast.[4] Pittsburgh claims a 1931 national championship on this basis, while Purdue does not.[5]

Conference and program changes

New conferences

Membership changes

More information School, 1930 Conference ...
School1930 Conference1931 Conference
Arizona WildcatsIndependentBorder
Arizona State Teachers'–Flagstaff LumberjacksIndependentBorder
Arizona State Teachers'–Tempe Sun DevilsIndependentBorder
Birmingham–Southern PanthersSIAASIAA/Dixie
Centre Praying ColonelsSIAASIAA/Dixie
Chattanooga MocsSIAASIAA/Dixie
Howard BulldogsSIAASIAA/Dixie
Loyola RamblersIndependentDropped Program
Mercer BearsSIAASIAA/Dixie
New Mexico LobosIndependentBorder
New Mexico A&M AggiesIndependentBorder
Southwestern LynxSIAASIAA/Dixie
Spring Hill BadgersSIAASIAA/Dixie
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Program changes

September

September 26 The season started with an upset. St. Mary's College, a relatively small school in San Francisco, defeated USC 13–7. Tulane beat Ole Miss, 31–0 and Tennessee beat Maryville 33–0, while Pittsburgh beat Miami University, 61–0.

October

October 3 St. Mary's won again, at California, 14–0, and USC won its first game of the season, beating Oregon State 30–0. Tennessee beat Clemson 44–0 and Tulane defeated Texas A&M 7–0. Northwestern beat Nebraska 19–7. Purdue opened its season for the home crowd with a doubleheader, beating Ohio's Western Reserve 28–0, followed by a 19–0 win over Iowa's Coe College [6]

Pittsburgh won at Iowa, 20–0 Georgia beat Virginia Tech 40–0 Harvard defeated Bates College, 28–0 and Yale beat Maine, 19–0 Notre Dame won at Indiana 25–0

October 10 In Chicago, a crowd of 75,000 turned out at Soldier Field to watch Northwestern and Notre Dame played to a 0–0 tie in a driving rain.[7] Tennessee defeated Ole Miss 38–0. USC beat Washington State 38–6. Harvard beat New Hampshire, 39–0. In New Haven, the Georgia Bulldogs handed the Yale Bulldogs their first defeat, 26–7. Purdue beat Illinois 7–0 Pittsburgh beat West Virginia 34–0. Tulane defeated Spring Hill College 40–0 and St. Mary's beat the West Coast Army team, 21–7

October 17 Tulane and Vanderbilt, both 3–0–0, met at Nashville, with Tulane winning 19–0 Tennessee and Alabama, both 3–0–0, met at Knoxville, with UT winning 25–0. USC defeated visiting Oregon 53–0. Northwestern beat visiting UCLA 19–0 Georgia won at North Carolina, 32–7. Yale beat Chicago 27–0 and Harvard got past Army 14–13. Purdue lost at Wisconsin 21–14. Pittsburgh defeated Western Reserve, 32–0. Notre Dame defeated Drake 63–0. St. Mary's beat the University of San Francisco, 14–6. Neither SMC or USF play college football anymore.

October 24 Notre Dame (3–0–0) and Pittsburgh (4–0–0) met at South Bend, with Notre Dame winning 25–12. Tulane beat Georgia Tech 33–0; Tulane had outscored its five opponents 130–0. Tennessee won at North Carolina, 7–0; it had outscored its five foes 147–0. Georgia beat Vanderbilt 9–0. Harvard beat visiting Texas, 35–7 and Yale and Army played to a 6–6 tie, while in Pittsburgh, Purdue defeated Carnegie Tech 13–6. Northwestern defeated Ohio State in Columbus, 10–0. St. Mary's beat visiting Gonzaga University, 13–7. USC won at California 6–0

October 31 Tulane beat Mississippi State, but not without surrendering its first points, in a 59–7 win; likewise, Tennessee beat Duke, but was scored upon for the first time, in its 25–2 win Georgia won at Florida, 33–6. Northwestern beat visiting Illinois 32–6 and Purdue won at Chicago 14–6. Harvard beat Virginia 19–0 and Yale and Dartmouth played to a 33–33 tie. Pittsburgh won at Penn State, 41–6 Notre Dame defeated Carnegie Tech 19–0. Surprising St. Mary's extended its record to 6–0–0 with a 21–14 win over Santa Clara.

November

November 7 USC (4–1–0) and Stanford (5–0–1) met at Los Angeles, and USC won 19–0. In Montgomery, Alabama, Tulane shut out Auburn 27–0. Tennessee beat visiting Carson-Newman, 31–0. Northwestern beat Minnesota, 32–14. Purdue beat Centenary College 49–6. Before a crowd of 65,000 at Yankee Stadium, Georgia stayed unbeaten as it defeated New York University 7–6, with the aid of a 97–yard kickoff return by Buster Mott in the third quarter.[8] Harvard beat Dartmouth 7–6 and Yale beat St. John's College of Maryland, 52–0. Pittsburgh beat Carnegie Tech 14–6. Notre Dame beat Pennsylvania 49–0. St. Mary's suffered its first defeat, to the visiting Olympic Club, 10–0

November 11 In an Armistice Day game at Los Angeles, UCLA handed St. Mary's its second straight loss, 12–0

November 14 Tulane (7–0–0) and Georgia (6–0–0) faced off in Athens before a crowd of 36,000 for the rights to best in the South. The Green Wave rolled over Georgia's Bulldogs 20–7. Tennessee defeated Vanderbilt 21–7. USC beat visiting Montana 69–0. Harvard defeated Holy Cross 7–0. Purdue defeated Iowa 22–0 and Northwestern edged Indiana 7–6. Pittsburgh beat visiting Army 26–0. In Baltimore, Notre Dame beat Navy 20–0

November 21 Notre Dame (6–0–1) had not lost a football game in almost three years, its last defeat having been to the USC Trojans on 27–14 on December 1, 1928. A crowd of 52,000 turned out as (5–1–0) USC came to the Notre Dame campus in South Bend for the first time ever. The Trojans trailed 14–0 going into the fourth quarter, and was trailing 14–13 in the final minutes after Johnny Baker's extra point attempt had been blocked. In the final minute, Baker kicked a 34–yard field goal for a 16–14 win, Notre Dame's first loss in 27 starts.[9] Tulane beat Sewanee 40–0. Northwestern won at Iowa 9–0, and Purdue won at Indiana, 19–0. In Columbus, Ga., Georgia beat Auburn 12–6. Yale (3–1–2) hosted Harvard (7–0–0) and won 3–0

November 26 On Thanksgiving Day, Pitt and Nebraska, both 7–1–0, met in Pittsburgh, with the home team winning 40–0. Tennessee and Kentucky played to a 6–6 tie in Lexington. St. Mary's defeated Oregon 16–0.

November 28 In Yankee Stadium, a crowd of 80,000 turned out in spite of a snowstorm, and watched as Notre Dame was beaten by Army, 12–0, for its second consecutive defeat after 26 games without a loss.[10] Meanwhile, 40,000 watched in Chicago as Northwestern (7–0–1) and Purdue (8–1–0) met in a "post-season charity game" on a frozen field in Chicago, with the Boilermakers handing the Wildcats their first defeat, 7–0.[11]

Yale beat Princeton 51–14. Tulane defeated LSU 34–7 and Georgia defeated Georgia Tech 35–6

December

December 5 Tulane beat Washington State 28–14 to close at 11–0–0, unbeaten and untied, while Tennessee played NYU at Yankee Stadium, winning 13–0 to finish at 8–0–1. USC defeated Washington 44–7. St. Mary's closed its season with a 7–2 win over Southern Methodist (SMU).

December 12 USC and Georgia, both 8–1–0, met in Los Angeles, and the visiting Bulldogs were crushed 60–0

1932 Rose Bowl

Main article: 1932 Rose Bowl

For the first time, the Rose Bowl matchup included the No. 1 ranked team under the Dickinson ratings. That team, USC, was matched against No. 2 ranked Tulane. A crowd of 83,000 turned out in Pasadena, a Rose Bowl record. Though Tulane had outgained USC in total yards (378 vs. 233) and first downs (18 vs. 11), the USC Trojans made the most of their three scoring opportunities. In the third quarter, Erny Pinckert ran 28 yards for a touchdown, then, after the Trojans recovered a Tulane fumble, scored again. USC went up 21–0 before Tulane fought back with two touchdowns, and only a tough Trojan defense held the Green Wave from scoring more. The final result was USC 21, Tulane 12.[12]

Conference standings

Major conference standings

More information Conf., Overall ...
1931 Big Six Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Nebraska $5–0–08–2–0
Iowa State3–1–05–3–0
Kansas State3–2–08–2–0
Kansas1–3–05–5–0
Missouri1–4–02–8–0
Oklahoma1–4–04–7–1
  • $ – Conference champion
1931 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 10 Purdue +5–1–09–1–0
Michigan +5–1–08–1–1
No. 4 Northwestern +5–1–07–1–1
Ohio State4–2–06–3–0
Minnesota3–2–07–3–0
Wisconsin3–3–05–4–1
Indiana1–4–12–5–1
Chicago1–4–02–6–1
Iowa0–3–11–6–1
Illinois0–6–02–6–0
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from Dickinson System
1931 Border Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Arizona State $3–0–06–2–0
New Mexico1–1–13–3–1
Arizona1–1–13–5–1
New Mexico A&M1–2–06–4–0
Arizona State–Flagstaff1–3–03–5–0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • Arizona State and Arizona State–Flagstaff played twice, but only the first meeting counted in the conference standings.
1931 Pacific Coast Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 1 USC $7–0–010–1–0
California4–1–08–2–0
Oregon3–1–16–2–2
Washington State4–3–06–4–0
Washington3–3–15–3–1
Stanford2–2–17–2–2
Oregon State1–3–16–3–1
Idaho1–4–03–4–0
UCLA0–3–03–4–1
Montana0–5–01–6–0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from Dickinson System
1931 Rocky Mountain Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Utah $6–0–07–2–0
Utah State5–2–06–2–0
Colorado Agricultural5–2–05–4–0
Colorado3–2–05–3–0
Wyoming3–2–06–4–0
Colorado College4–3–04–4–0
BYU2–3–04–4–0
Denver3–5–04–6–0
Colorado Teachers2–4–12–4–1
Western State (CO)1–5–01–6–0
Montana State0–2–01–5–1
Colorado Mines0–4–11–5–1
  • $ – Conference champion
1931 Southern Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 2 Tulane $8–0–011–1–0
No. 3 Tennessee6–0–19–0–1
Alabama7–1–09–1–0
No. 6 Georgia6–1–08–2–0
Maryland4–1–18–1–1
Kentucky4–2–25–2–2
LSU3–2–05–4–0
South Carolina3–3–15–4–1
Duke3–3–15–3–2
Auburn3–3–05–3–0
Sewanee3–3–06–3–1
Vanderbilt3–4–05–4–0
North Carolina2–3–34–3–3
Washington and Lee2–3–04–5–1
Florida2–4–22–6–2
Georgia Tech2–4–12–7–1
VMI2–4–03–6–1
NC State2–4–03–6–0
VPI1–4–13–4–2
Clemson1–4–01–6–2
Ole Miss1–5–02–6–1
Virginia0–5–12–6–1
Mississippi A&M0–5–02–6–0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from Dickinson System
1931 Southwest Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
SMU $5–0–19–1–1
TCU4–1–18–2–1
Texas A&M3–2–07–3–0
Rice3–3–06–4–0
Texas2–3–06–4–0
Baylor1–5–03–6–0
Arkansas0–4–03–5–1
  • $ – Conference champion
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Independents

More information Conf., Overall ...
1931 Eastern college football independents records
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Bucknell â€“ 6–0–3
Colgate â€“ 8–1–0
No. 9 Pittsburgh â€“ 8–1–0
Cornell â€“ 7–1–0
Drexel â€“ 7–1–0
No. 7 Harvard â€“ 7–1–0
Temple â€“ 8–1–1
Columbia â€“ 7–1–1
Massachusetts State â€“ 7–1–1
Syracuse â€“ 7–1–1
Fordham â€“ 6–1–2
No. 8 Yale â€“ 5–1–2
Army â€“ 8–2–1
Franklin & Marshall â€“ 6–2–0
Manhattan â€“ 4–2–1
Brown â€“ 7–3–0
Providence â€“ 7–3–0
Penn â€“ 6–3–0
NYU â€“ 6–3–1
Boston College â€“ 6–4–0
Washington & Jefferson â€“ 6–4–0
Tufts â€“ 3–2–2
Villanova â€“ 4–3–2
La Salle â€“ 4–4–0
Duquesne â€“ 3–5–3
Carnegie Tech â€“ 3–5–1
St. John's â€“ 3–5–1
CCNY â€“ 2–5–1
Boston University â€“ 2–7–0
Penn State â€“ 2–8–0
Princeton â€“ 1–7–0
Vermont â€“ 1–8–0
Rankings from Dickinson System
1931 Midwestern college football independents records
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Wilberforce â€“ 8–0–0
Marquette â€“ 8–1–0
Saint Louis â€“ 8–1–0
Detroit â€“ 7–2–1
Western State Teachers â€“ 5–2–0
No. 11 Notre Dame â€“ 6–2–1
DePaul â€“ 6–3–0
Michigan State â€“ 5–3–1
Haskell â€“ 6–4–0
Michigan Tech â€“ 3–2–0
Michigan State Normal â€“ 3–2–1
Central State (MI) â€“ 4–3–0
John Carroll â€“ 4–4–2
Wittenberg â€“ 3–3–3
Kent State â€“ 3–4–0
Rankings from Dickinson System
1931 Southern college football independents records
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Catholic University â€“ 8–1–0
Texas Mines â€“ 7–1–0
Delaware â€“ 5–1–2
William & Mary Norfolk â€“ 1–0–1
Furman â€“ 5–2–2
George Washington â€“ 5–2–2
Texas Tech â€“ 6–3–0
Troy State â€“ 6–3–0
Middle Tennessee State Teachers â€“ 6–4–0
Navy â€“ 5–5–1
Wake Forest â€“ 4–4–0
Western Carolina â€“ 4–4–0
Davidson â€“ 4–4–2
Western Maryland â€“ 4–4–2
Delaware State â€“ 2–2–1
Georgetown â€“ 4–5–1
Richmond â€“ 4–5–0
Tennessee State â€“ 2–3–0
West Virginia â€“ 4–6–0
Oglethorpe â€“ 3–6–0
South Georgia Teachers â€“ 2–6–0
Jefferson (TX) â€“ 1–7–1
Jacksonville State â€“ 0–7–1
1931 Western college football independents records
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Mount St. Charles â€“ 6–0–0
No. 5 Saint Mary's â€“ 8–2–0
Loyola (CA) â€“ 7–2–1
San Diego Marines â€“ 6–4–0
Hawaii â€“ 3–2–1
Santa Clara â€“ 5–4–1
San Francisco â€“ 4–4–2
San Francisco State â€“ 2–3–3
Gonzaga â€“ 3–4–0
Humboldt State â€“ 1–2–1
Columbia (OR) â€“ 2–5–0
Rankings from Dickinson System
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Minor conferences

More information Conference, Champion(s) ...
Conference Champion(s) Record
Big Four Conference Oklahoma City 3–0
Central Intercollegiate Athletics Association Hampton Institute 8–0–1
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Washburn
Wichita		 5–1
Far Western Conference No champion —
Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Simpson 6–0
Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Kansas Wesleyan 2–0–2
Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Hillsdale 3–0–2
Michigan-Ontario Collegiate Conference Adrian 4–0
Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference Carleton
Monmouth (IL)
Ripon		 2–0
2–0
3–0
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Concordia–Moorhead 4–1
Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association Northwest Missouri State Teacher 4–0
Nebraska College Athletic Conference Nebraska Wesleyan —
Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Association State Normal and Teachers (NE) —
North Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference North Dakota 3–0–2
3–0–1
North Dakota College Athletic Conference Minot State Teachers
State Normal and Industrial (ND)		 4–0
Ohio Athletic Conference Muskingum 4–0
Oklahoma Collegiate Athletic Conference Central State Teachers 4–0–1
Pacific Northwest Conference Whitman 3–1
South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference Northern Normal and Industrial 3–0–1
Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference California Tech 5–1
Southwestern Athletic Conference Prairie View A&M 5–0
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tuskegee 7–1
Texas Collegiate Athletic Conference Hardin–Simmons
Howard Payne		 4–1
Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association North Texas State Teachers 4–0
Tri-Normal League Unknown —
Wisconsin State Teachers College Conference Milwaukee State Teachers 4–0
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Minor conference standings

More information Conf., Overall ...
1931 Big Four Conference (Oklahoma) football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Oklahoma City $3–0–012–0–0
Tulsa2–1–08–3–0
Oklahoma Baptist1–2–03–6–0
Phillips0–3–01–5–0
  • $ – Conference champion
1931 Big Four Conference (Wisconsin) football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Ripon $3–0–04–3–0
Beloit2–1–04–2–1
Lawrence1–2–02–4–0
Carroll (WI)0–3–01–4–1
  • $ – Conference champion
1931 Buckeye Athletic Association football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Ohio $4–0–07–1–0
Wittenberg1–0–08–0–1
Ohio Wesleyan2–1–05–3–0
Cincinnati2–1–05–4–0
Miami (OH)1–4–04–5–0
Denison0–4–00–6–2
  • $ – Conference champion
1931 Central Intercollegiate Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Washburn +5–1–07–3–0
Wichita +5–1–07–3–0
Emporia Teachers4–2–04–4–0
Pittsburg State3–3–04–5–0
Hays Teachers1–4–13–5–1
Southwestern (KS)1–4–13–5–1
College of Emporia1–5–02–6–0
  • $ – Conference champion
1931 Colored Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Hampton $6–0–17–0–1
Virginia State6–1–18–1–1
Morgan4–2–05–2–0
Lincoln (PA)5–2–05–4–0
North Carolina College5–3–05–3–1
Howard2–5–02–5–0
North Carolina A&T3–5–03–5–0
Saint Paul's (VA)3–5–03–5–0
Shaw2–2–23–2–3
Virginia Union3–3–14–4–1
Livingstone0–3–20–5–3
Johnson C. Smith0–6–00–6–0
Virginia Seminary1–5–11–5–1
  • $ – Conference champion
1931 Dixie Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Chattanooga $4–0–09–2–0
Southwestern (TN)2–0–14–2–3
Howard (AL)3–1–18–2–2
Centre1–1–08–2–1
Mississippi College1–1–05–4–0
Birmingham–Southern2–3–05–4–0
Mercer1–2–07–2–1
Millsaps0–3–03–5–0
Spring Hill0–3–03–6–0
  • $ – Conference champion
1931 Eastern Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Ursinus $3–0–16–2–1
Franklin & Marshall3–1–06–2–0
Gettysburg1–1–22–4–2
Dickinson1–2–14–2–2
Muhlenberg0–4–02–8–0
  • $ – Conference champion
1931 Far Western Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Pacific (CA)2–1–25–2–2
Cal Aggies2–1–24–2–2
Chico State2–1–13–4–1
Nevada2–1–12–5–2
Fresno State3–2–04–6–0
San Jose State0–5–01–8–0
  • No champion was named for the 1931 season.
1931 Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Monmouth (IL) $5–0–19–0–1
Millikin4–1–06–3–0
Bradley4–1–05–3–0
Augustana (IL)3–1–25–2–2
St. Viator5–2–05–2–0
Southern Illinois4–2–07–2–0
North Central4–2–05–2–0
Northern Illinois State4–2–05–3–0
Carthage3–3–14–4–1
Elmhurst3–3–04–4–0
Knox (IL)2–2–13–5–1
Illinois Wesleyan3–3–03–5–0
McKendree2–3–14–4–1
Eastern Illinois2–3–03–4–0
Mount Morris1–2–14–4–1
Eureka2–4–13–4–1
Shurtleff2–4–13–4–1
Western Illinois2–4–02–6–0
Illinois College1–4–22–5–2
Illinois State Normal1–6–11–6–1
Lake Forest0–2–20–2–4
Wheaton (IL)0–3–03–5–0
  • $ – Conference champion
1931 Indiana Intercollegiate Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Valparaiso +4–0–08–1–0
DePauw +4–0–07–1–0
Franklin (IN)7–1–07–1–0
Rose Poly5–2–06–2–0
Manchester2–1–04–4–0
Butler2–1–03–5–0
Indiana State3–2–04–3–0
Evansville3–3–03–5–0
Wabash3–3–03–5–1
Oakland City2–3–03–3–0
Central Normal2–4–02–4–0
Earlham2–4–02–5–0
Ball State2–5–02–6–0
Hanover0–6–11–7–1
Indiana Central0–6–10–6–1
  • + – Conference co-champions
1931 Iowa Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Simpson (IA) $6–0–07–4–0
St. Ambrose6–1–09–1–0
Iowa Wesleyan3–1–17–1–1
Central (IA)3–1–25–1–2
Luther5–2–05–4–0
Upper Iowa3–2–04–2–0
Columbia (IA)3–3–04–3–1
Iowa State Teachers2–2–03–5–0
Morningside1–1–02–6–0
Penn (IA)3–5–03–5–0
Western Union0–3–01–6–0
Dubuque0–4–00–7–0
Parsons0–5–10–7–1
Buena Vista0–5–01–7–1
  • $ – Conference champion
1931 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Kansas Wesleyan $2–0–26–0–2
Ottawa2–2–05–3–0
Bethany (KS)1–1–22–4–3
Baker1–2–12–5–2
McPherson1–2–12–6–1
  • $ – Conference champion
1931 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Hillsdale $3–0–26–0–2
Alma3–1–13–3–1
Olivet2–2–05–3–0
Kalamazoo2–3–05–4–0
Hope1–3–13–4–1
Albion1–3–03–4–0
  • $ – Conference champion
1931 Michigan-Ontario Collegiate Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Adrian $4–0–05–4–0
Detroit Tech2–1–13–3–1
General Motors Tech2–2–02–5–2
Assumption (ON)1–2–1?–?–?
St. Mary's (MI)0–4–01–6–0
  • $ – Conference champion
1931 Midwest Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Ripon +3–0–04–3–0
Monmouth (IL) +3–0–08–0–1
Carleton +2–0–05–2–0
Cornell (IA)2–2–02–7–0
Beloit1–2–04–2–1
Knox1–3–03–5–1
Coe1–3–01–8–0
Lawrence0–3–02–4–0
  • + – Conference co-champions
1931 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Concordia (MN) $4–1–05–2–1
St. Olaf3–1–06–2–0
St. Thomas (MN)3–1–04–3–1
Saint John's (MN)3–2–04–2–1
Macalester2–2–14–2–1
Gustavus Adolphus2–3–02–5–0
Hamline1–3–12–5–1
Augsburg0–5–00–5–0
  • $ – Conference champion
1931 Missouri College Athletic Union football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Westminster (MO) $4–0–18–0–1
Missouri Mines2–0–05–3–0
Missouri Valley2–1–15–3–1
Central (MO)3–3–14–4–1
Tarkio0–1–32–3–3
William Jewell0–1–32–3–4
Culver–Stockton0–1–12–5–1
Drury0–4–21–5–2
  • $ – Conference champion
1931 Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Maryville (MO) $4–0–09–0–0
Kirksville2–1–16–1–1
Springfield (MO)2–1–15–2–1
Warrensburg1–3–03–8–0
Cape Girardeau0–4–02–8–0
  • $ – Conference champion
1931 Middle Three Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Lafayette $2–0–07–2–0
Rutgers1–1–04–3–1
Lehigh0–2–03–7–0
  • $ – Conference champion
1931 Missouri Valley Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Drake $3–0–05–6–0
Oklahoma A&M1–0–08–2–1
Creighton2–2–04–5–0
Grinnell1–2–05–3–0
Washington University0–3–02–7–0
  • $ – Conference champion
1931 Nebraska College Athletic Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Nebraska Wesleyan $4–0–14–3–1
Hastings1–0–32–2–4
York (NE)2–1–23–3–2
Cotner2–3–03–4–0
Midland1–2–21–5–2
Doane0–4–01–6–1
  • $ – Conference champion
1931 Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Wayne State $3–0–17–0–1
Omaha1–1–16–1–1
Kearney State2–2–05–5–0
Peru State2–2–04–4–1
Chadron State0–3–03–4–0
  • $ – Conference champion
1931 New England Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
New Hampshire +2–0–07–2–0
Rhode Island State +2–0–04–4–0
Maine1–2–04–3–0
Connecticut0–3–02–3–3
  • + – Conference co-champions
1931 North Central Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
North Dakota $4–0–08–1–2
South Dakota State2–2–06–3–0
North Dakota Agricultural2–2–05–5–0
South Dakota1–3–02–5–0
Morningside1–3–02–6–0
  • $ – Conference champion
1931 North State Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Appalachian State $3–0–09–2–2
Catawba2–1–07–3–1
Guilford2–1–05–6–0
Elon2–1–03–5–0
Lenoir–Rhyne1–4–03–7–0
High Point1–4–02–7–0
  • $ – Conference champion
1931 Northwest Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Whitman $3–1–04–5–0
Willamette3–2–05–4–0
Pacific (OR)3–2–05–2–0
College of Idaho2–2–02–5–0
Puget Sound2–3–06–3–0
Linfield0–3–00–6–1
  • $ – Conference champion
1931 Northwest Ohio League football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Defiance $2–0–16–0–1
Bluffton1–0–22–2–3
Bowling Green0–1–23–1–4
Findlay0–2–13–3–1
  • $ – Conference champion
1931 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Muskingum $4–0–08–0–0
Western Reserve3–0–03–5–1
Baldwin–Wallace4–0–15–0–3
Otterbein5–1–05–3–0
Mount Union4–1–07–2–1
Ohio Northern3–1–06–2–0
Case4–1–14–3–1
Xavier1–0–14–3–1
Heidelberg2–1–03–4–0
Dayton0–0–15–3–2
Kenyon3–3–04–3–0
Oberlin2–3–03–4–1
Wooster2–4–04–5–0
Ashland2–6–02–6–0
Capital1–4–01–5–1
Marietta1–4–01–7–0
Akron0–6–01–7–0
Hiram0–6–00–8–0
  • $ – Conference champion
1931 Oklahoma Collegiate Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Central State Teachers $4–0–16–2–1
SE Oklahoma State4–1–05–2–1
East Central2–2–16–3–1
SW Oklahoma State1–2–24–2–2
NW Oklahoma State1–2–23–2–3
Northeastern State0–5–02–9–0
  • $ – Conference champion
1931 Smoky Mountain Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Maryville (TN) $2–0–15–2–3
Carson–Newman3–1–16–2–1
Tusculum2–1–16–1–1
King1–2–12–7–1
Lincoln Memorial1–3–14–7–1
Milligan0–1–32–2–4
East Tennessee State Teachers0–1–21–4–2
  • $ – Conference champion
1931 South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Northern Normal $3–0–14–2–2
Yankton3–1–24–2–3
Southern Normal5–2–05–4–0
Sioux Falls2–2–13–3–1
Huron1–1–41–2–4
Augustana (SD)2–2–02–5–0
South Dakota Mines2–3–02–5–0
Dakota Wesleyan2–3–12–6–1
Spearfish0–3–01–5–0
Eastern Normal0–3–10–3–1
  • $ – Conference champion
1931 Southern California Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Caltech $5–1–06–2–1
Whittier4–1–06–3–0
Occidental3–2–03–4–1
Redlands3–3–14–3–1
San Diego State2–2–15–3–2
Pomona2–3–02–6–0
La Verne1–3–04–3–1
Santa Barbara State0–5–01–5–1
  • $ – Conference champion
1931 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Chattanooga $8–0–09–2–0
Louisiana Tech6–0–07–0–0
Centenary3–0–05–5–0
Western Kentucky State Teachers7–1–08–4–0
Centre5–1–08–2–1
The Citadel4–1–05–4–1
Howard (AL)3–1–18–2–2
Mercer6–2–07–2–1
Southwestern (TN)3–1–14–2–3
Loyola (LA)2–1–05–4–0
Georgetown (KY)3–2–04–5–0
Birmingham–Southern4–3–05–4–0
Mississippi College4–3–05–4–0
Murray State2–2–05–3–1
Union (TN)4–4–05–4–0
Wofford3–4–04–5–0
Miami (FL)2–3–04–8–0
Spring Hill2–3–03–6–0
Louisiana Normal2–4–05–4–0
Millsaps2–4–03–5–0
Eastern Kentucky State Teachers1–2–02–5–1
Mississippi State Teachers2–4–02–5–0
Middle Tennessee State Teachers1–3–06–4–0
Presbyterian1–4–12–5–2
Transylvania1–4–02–7–0
SW Louisiana1–4–01–6–1
Stetson1–5–03–5–0
Erskine1–5–12–6–3
Louisiana College1–6–02–6–0
Rollins0–1–06–1–0
Newberry0–3–02–6–0
Louisville0–5–00–8–0
  • $ – Conference champion
1931 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Tuskegee $6–1–010–2–0
Clark (GA)5–1–09–1–0
Alabama State4–1–08–3–0
Knoxville3–2–04–3–1
Morris Brown3–4–06–4–0
Fisk1–2–02–6–0
Talladega1–3–03–4–0
Morehouse1–5–02–6–1
Edward Waters0–1–06–2–1
Lane0–1–03–3–0
Miles0–1–0?–?–?
Florida A&M0–2–03–4–0
  • $ – Conference champion
1931 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Prairie View $4–0–09–1–1
Wiley3–1–06–3–1
Bishop2–2–0?–?–?
Samuel Huston0–3–1?–?–?
Texas College0–3–1?–?–?
  • $ – Conference champion
1931 Texas Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Howard Payne +4–1–06–2–0
Simmons (TX) +4–1–06–5–0
Austin3–2–03–5–1
Southwestern (TX)2–3–04–6–0
St. Edward's1–3–11–5–1
Trinity (TX)0–4–12–6–1
  • + – Conference co-champions
1931 Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Eastern Division
North Texas State Teachers x$4–0–08–3–0
Texas A&I4–0–08–1–0
Sam Houston State3–2–04–5–0
Southwest Texas State2–3–04–4–0
East Texas State1–4–03–6–0
Stephen F. Austin0–5–01–7–0
Western Division
Daniel Baker x3–2–04–5–0
Abilene Christian3–2–04–5–0
West Texas State2–2–06–3–0
McMurry2–2–02–6–0
Sul Ross1–3–03–5–0
Championship: North Texas State Teachers 32, Daniel Baker 13
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
1931 Tri-State Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Geneva $3–0–06–2–2
Waynesburg2–1–03–3–2
Thiel2–1–04–5–0
Bethany (WV)0–2–01–6–0
Westminster (PA)0–3–03–6–0
  • $ – Conference champion
1931 Virginia Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Randolph–Macon $5–1–07–1–1
William & Mary4–1–05–2–2
Richmond3–2–04–5–0
Roanoke2–3–05–4–0
Emory and Henry2–3–06–5–0
Lynchburg2–3–04–6–0
Hampden–Sydney2–3–03–6–0
Bridgewater0–4–00–5–0
  • $ – Conference champion
1931 West Virginia Athletic Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Marshall $4–1–06–3–0
Glenville State3–1–14–1–1
Morris Harvey4–5–05–5–0
Salem2–3–02–6–0
Fairmont State1–5–01–7–0
Concord0–5–00–7–0
West Virginia Wesleyan *3–0–06–3–1
West Liberty State *2–0–17–1–1
Davis & Elkins *2–0–010–1–0
New River State *1–0–05–2–1
Morehead State *1–1–04–2–1
Shepherd *1–1–04–3–1
Bethany (WV) *1–2–01–6–0
Potomac State *1–2–01–4–0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • * – Did not qualify for conference standings
    Ties did not count in conference standings.
1931 Wisconsin State Teachers College Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Milwaukee State $4–0–05–2–0
Superior State3–0–07–0–0
River Falls State3–1–03–4–1
Whitewater State3–1–06–1–0
La Crosse State4–2–05–2–1
Oshkosh State2–3–13–4–1
Platteville State1–2–14–2–1
Eau Claire State1–3–11–5–1
Stevens Point State0–5–11–6–1
Stout Institute0–4–02–6–0
  • $ – Conference champion
Close

Rankings

Main article: 1931 college football rankings

All major rankings (both contemporary and retroactive) have identified the University of Southern California as the season's champions, with exception of Parke H. Davis's retroactive ranking for Spalding's Official Foot Ball Guide (which identified Pittsburgh and Purdue as co-champions).[13]

Although Tulane was unbeaten and untied (11–0), they were second to 9–1 USC in the final Dickinson System mathematical ratings.[14] The teams were set to face off in the 1932 Rose Bowl on New Year's Day. The Trojans requested that presentation of the Knute Rockne Memorial Trophy be delayed until after the game.[15] During the delay, it was decided that the Dickinson System trophy would go to the winner of the Rose Bowl game.[16] USC ultimately won the game.

Statistical leaders

See also

Notes

References

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