1917 college football season

The 1917 college football season had no clear-cut champion, with the Official NCAA Division I Football Records Book listing Georgia Tech as national champions, the South's first.[1] Pittsburgh, Ohio State, Texas A&M, Williams, and Washington State were also undefeated, and one-loss Navy was strong.

1917 college football season
Georgia Tech's backfield
Number of bowls1
Champion(s)Georgia Tech
football seasons

Tech coach John Heisman challenged Pitt coach Pop Warner to a postseason contest to determine a national champion, but as such a match did not occur until the next season, Tech was named national champion. The Golden Tornado was invited to play a 4–3 Oregon team in the Rose Bowl, but by then many players had joined the war effort.

In the second week of play, Georgia Tech beat Penn 41–0. Bernie McCarty called it "Strupper's finest hour, coming through against powerful Penn in the contest that shocked the East." By comparison, Pitt defeated Penn 14–6.[2]

Conference and program changes

Conference changes
  • One conference changed its name for the 1917 season:
    • Michigan rejoined the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives (commonly known as the Big Nine Conference) after a nine-year absence. As such, the league was first unofficially coined the Big Ten, the name it possesses today.

Membership changes
School1916 Conference1917 Conference
Michigan WolverinesIndependentBig Ten (was Big Nine)
Montana Agricultural BobcatsIndependentRocky Mountain
Oglethorpe Stormy PetrelsProgram EstablishedIndependent
Southwestern (TX) PiratesSouthwestIndependent
Toledo Blue and GoldProgram EstablishedIndependent

September

September 29 In a doubleheader, Georgia Tech beat Furman and then Wake Forest; 25–0 and 33–0 respectively. Navy beat Davidson 27–6. Pitt beat West Virginia 14–9.

October

October 6 Georgia Tech beat Penn at home 41 to 0. Centre beat KMI 104–0. West Virginia beat Navy 6–0. Williams beat Cornell 14–10.

October 7 Georgia Tech beat Cumberland at home 222-0. http://www.espn.com/blog/statsinfo/post/_/id/124864/100-years-ago-georgia-techs-222-0-victory

October 13 Georgia Tech beat Davidson 32–10, its closest game all season. DePauw beat Centre 6–0. Syracuse beat Rutgers 14–10. Wisconsin tied Notre Dame 0–0.

October 20 Georgia Tech beat Washington & Lee 63–0. Auburn beat Clemson 7–0. Pittsburgh beat Syracuse 28–0. Nebraska beat Notre Dame 7–0. Washington State beat Oregon 26–3.

October 27 Undefeated Pittsburgh beat Penn on the road 14 to 6. Auburn beat Mississippi A&M 13–6.

November

November 3 Georgia Tech gave Vanderbilt its worst ever beating, 83–0.[3] Auburn crushed Florida 68–0. Centre beat Kentucky 3–0. Texas A&M beat Tulane 35–0. Wisconsin beat Minnesota 10–7. Illinois tied Chicago 0–0. Rutgers tied West Virginia 3–3.

November 10 A freshman Buck Flowers at Davidson upset Auburn 21–7. All of Georgia Tech's backs rushed for 100 yards in a 48–0 defeat of Tulane.[4] Texas A&M beat Baylor 7–0. Ohio State beat Wisconsin 16–3. Navy beat Georgetown 28–7.

November 17 Georgia Tech beat Carlisle 98–0. Penn beat Michigan 16–0. Ohio State beat Illinois 13–0.

November 24 Auburn fought undefeated Ohio State to a scoreless tie. Coach Heisman of Georgia Tech(who previously coached at Auburn) and his players were at the game, rooting for the Tigers. Minnesota beat Illinois 27–6.

November 29 Georgia Tech beat Auburn 68 to 7. Davidson beat Clemson 21–9. Mississippi A&M beat Haskell 7–6.

Rose Bowl

The Mare Island Marines defeated Camp Lewis, 19–7, in the 1918 Rose Bowl.

Conference standings

Major conference standings
1917 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Ohio State $ 4 –0 –0  8 –0 –1
Minnesota 3 –1 –0  4 –1 –0
Northwestern 3 –2 –0  5 –2 –0
Wisconsin 3 –2 –0  4 –2 –1
Illinois 2 –2 –1  5 –2 –1
Chicago 2 –2 –1  3 –2 –1
Indiana 1 –2 –0  5 –2 –0
Michigan 0 –1 –0  8 –2 –0
Iowa 0 –2 –0  3 –5 –0
Purdue 0 –4 –0  3 –4 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1917 Missouri Valley football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Nebraska $ 2 –0 –0  5 –2 –0
Kansas 3 –1 –0  6 –2 –0
Iowa State 3 –1 –0  5 –2 –0
Kansas State 2 –2 –0  6 –2 –0
Missouri 2 –4 –0  3 –5 –0
Washington University 1 –2 –0  4 –3 –0
Drake 0 –3 –0  0 –5 –2
  • $ – Conference champion
1917 Pacific Coast Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Washington State $ 3 –0 –0  6 –0 –0†
California 2 –1 –0  5 –5 –1
Oregon Agricultural 1 –2 –1  4 –2 –1
Oregon 1 –2 –0  4 –3 –0
Washington 0 –2 –1  1 –2 –1
  • $ – Conference champion
  • †1 tie game recognized by WSU, but not Pac-12
1917 Rocky Mountain Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Denver $ 6 –0 –0  9 –0 –0
Utah Agricultural 4 –0 –0  7 –0 –1
Colorado 4 –2 –0  6 –2 –0
Colorado Mines 2 –3 –0  5 –3 –0
Colorado College 2 –3 –0  3 –3 –0
Utah 2 –3 –0  2 –4 –0
Wyoming 1 –4 –0  3 –4 –0
Montana State 0 –1 –2  0 –2 –2
Colorado Agricultural 0 –7 –1  0 –7 –1
  • $ – Conference champion
1917 South Atlantic Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Georgetown $ 2 –0 –0  8 –1 –0
Richmond 2 –1 –0  4 –2 –1
Washington and Lee 2 –1 –0  4 –3 –0
North Carolina A&M 2 –1 –1  6 –2 –1
VPI 2 –1 –1  6 –2 –1
Maryland State 2 –1 –1  4 –3 –1
Davidson 1 –2 –0  6 –4 –0
VMI 1 –3 –1  4 –4 –1
St. John's (MD) 0 –1 –0  0 –1 –0
Johns Hopkins 0 –1 –0  0 –3 –0
William & Mary 0 –3 –0  3 –5 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1917 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Georgia Tech $ 4 –0 –0  9 –0 –0
Auburn 5 –1 –0  6 –2 –1
Clemson 5 –1 –0  6 –2 –0
Centre 1 –0 –0  7 –1 –0
Mississippi A&M 3 –1 –0  6 –1 –0
Alabama 3 –1 –1  5 –2 –1
Sewanee 4 –2 –1  5 –2 –1
Tulane 2 –1 –0  5 –3 –0
Vanderbilt 3 –2 –0  5 –3 –0
LSU 2 –3 –0  3 –5 –0
South Carolina 2 –3 –0  3 –5 –0
Wofford 1 –2 –0  5 –4 –0
Furman 1 –3 –0  3 –5 –0
Florida 1 –3 –0  2 –4 –0
Ole Miss 1 –4 –0  1 –4 –1
The Citadel 0 –2 –0  3 –3 –0
Howard 0 –3 –0  0 –3 –0
Mississippi College 0 –4 –0  0 –4 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • There were several SIAA schools that did not field a team due to World War I.
1917 Southwest Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Texas A&M $ 3 –0 –0  8 –0 –0
Baylor 3 –1 –0  9 –1 –0
Rice 1 –1 –0  7 –1 –0
Oklahoma 1 –1 –1  6 –3 –1
Texas 2 –3 –0  4 –4 –0
Oklahoma A&M 1 –2 –0  4 –4 –0
Arkansas 0 –1 –1  5 –1 –1
  • $ – Conference champion

Independents
1917 military service football records
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Mare Island Marines   –    8 –0 –0
Mineola Aviation Station   –    3 –0 –0
Camp Dix   –    2 –0 –0
Camp Jackson   –    2 –0 –1
Allentown Ambulance Corps   –    5 –1 –0
Camp Custer   –    5 –1 –0
Camp Gordon   –    5 –1 –0
Charlestown Navy Yard   –    3 –1 –0
Camp Funston   –    7 –3 –0
Camp Lewis   –    5 –2 –1
Newport Naval Reserves   –    5 –2 –1
Camp Grant   –    3 –1 –0
Camp Taylor   –    2 –1 –0
Great Lakes Navy   –    4 –3 –0
Camp Devens   –    1 –2 –2
Camp Meade   –    1 –2 –0
League Island Marines   –    1 –3 –0
Camp Upton   –    0 –1 –0
1917 Eastern college football independents records
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Pittsburgh   –    10 –0 –0
Williams   –    7 –0 –1
Yale   –    3 –0 –0
Princeton   –    2 –0 –0
Syracuse   –    8 –1 –1
Army   –    7 –1 –0
Rutgers   –    7 –1 –1
Penn   –    9 –2 –0
Brown   –    8 –2 –0
Fordham   –    7 –2 –0
Lehigh   –    7 –2 –0
Boston College   –    6 –2 –0
Wash. & Jeff.   –    7 –3 –0
Colgate   –    4 –2 –0
Harvard   –    3 –1 –3
New Hampshire   –    3 –2 –2
Dartmouth   –    5 –3 –0
Geneva   –    5 –3 –1
Penn State   –    5 –4 –0
NYU   –    2 –2 –3
Tufts   –    3 –3 –0
Carnegie Tech   –    2 –3 –1
Lafayette   –    3 –5 –0
Rhode Island State   –    2 –4 –2
Carlisle   –    3 –6 –0
Columbia   –    2 –4 –0
Cornell   –    3 –6 –0
Franklin & Marshall   –    2 –6 –0
Villanova   –    0 –3 –2
Temple   –    0 –6 –1
1917 Midwestern college football independents records
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Marquette   –    8 –0 –1
Detroit   –    8 –1 –0
Notre Dame   –    6 –1 –1
Heidelberg   –    5 –1 –1
St. Mary's (OH)   –    7 –2 –0
St. Xavier   –    4 –1 –2
North Dakota Agricultural   –    4 –2 –0
Akron   –    5 –3 –0
Haskell   –    6 –5 –0
Western State (MI)   –    4 –3 –0
Fairmount   –    3 –3 –2
Michigan State Normal   –    3 –4 –0
Iowa State Teachers   –    2 –3 –0
South Dakota   –    2 –3 –0
Central Michigan   –    1 –2 –0
Lake Forest   –    2 –5 –0
Wabash   –    1 –6 –1
Toledo   –    0 –3 –0
Michigan Agricultural   –    0 –9 –0
1917 Southern college football independents records
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Middle Tennessee   –    7 –0 –0
Presbyterian   –    8 –1 –0
Navy   –    7 –1 –0
Spring Hill   –    4 –2 –0
West Virginia   –    6 –3 –1
Southwest Texas   –    5 –3 –0
Kentucky   –    3 –5 –1
Oglethorpe   –    1 –2 –0
Delaware   –    2 –5 –0
Wake Forest   –    1 –6 –1
1917 Western college football independents records
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Saint Mary's   –    8 –1 –1
Hawaii   –    4 –0 –1
USC   –    4 –2 –1
New Mexico A&M   –    4 –2 –0
Arizona   –    3 –2 –0
Idaho   –    2 –3 –0
New Mexico   –    1 –2 –0
University Farm   –    1 –2 –0
Nevada   –    1 –3 –0
Montana   –    1 –4 –0

Minor conferences
Conference Champion(s) Record
Central Intercollegiate Athletics Association Virginia Union 2–0
Inter-Normal Athletic Conference of Wisconsin La Crosse Normal 3–0
Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Kansas State Normal
Kansas State Normal–Fort Hays		 5–0–1
5–0
Louisiana Intercollegiate Athletic Association Southwestern Louisiana Industrial 5–0
Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Alma 4–0
Nebraska Intercollegiate Conference Unknown —
Ohio Athletic Conference Miami (OH) 5–0–1
Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference No champion —
Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Pomona–Pitzer 4–0
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tuskegee —

Minor conference standings
1917 Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Southern Illinois   –  –   3 –2 –3
1917 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Hays Normal $ 6 –0 –0  7 –0 –0
Kansas State Normal 5 –0 –1  5 –3 –1
College of Emporia 6 –2 –0  6 –2 –0
Southwestern (KS) 6 –3 –0  6 –4 –0
St. Mary's (KS) 4 –2 –0  6 –3 –0
Pittsburg Normal 3 –2 –1  4 –3 –2
Fairmount 3 –3 –2  3 –3 –2
Friends 3 –3 –1  3 –5 –1
Baker 3 –4 –1  3 –5 –1
Ottawa 2 –4 –1  2 –5 –1
Washburn 2 –5 –2  2 –6 –2
Cooper 2 –5 –1  2 –5 –1
Bethany (KS) 3 –6 –0  3 –7 –0
Midland 0 –4 –0  4 –5 –0
Kansas Wesleyan 0 –6 –0  1 –8 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1917 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Miami (OH) $ 5 –0 –1  6 –0 –2
Wooster 5 –0 –3  6 –0 –3
Wittenberg 4 –1 –0  5 –2 –0
Oberlin 4 –1 –0  5 –2 –1
Akron 3 –1 –0  5 –3 –0
Denison 2 –2 –0  5 –3 –0
Ohio Wesleyan 3 –3 –1  4 –3 –1
Western Reserve 3 –3 –1  3 –5 –1
Ohio 3 –3 –0  3 –5 –0
Case 3 –4 –1  3 –6 –1
Kenyon 2 –3 –1  3 –3 –1
Mount Union 1 –5 –0  2 –6 –0
Ohio Northern 0 –4 –0  3 –4 –0
Baldwin–Wallace 0 –7 –0  1 –8 –0
Cincinnati 0 –4 –0  0 –6 –0
Ohio State * 3 –0 –0  8 –0 –1
  • $ – Conference champion
  • * – did not complete for championship

Awards and honors

All-Americans
Main article: 1917 College Football All-America Team

The consensus All-America team included:

Position Name Height Weight (lbs.) Class Hometown Team
QB Benny Boynton 5'9" 163 So. Waco, Texas Williams
HB Elmer Oliphant 5'7" 180 Sr. Bloomfield, Indiana Army
HB Everett Strupper 5'7" 148 Sr. Columbus, Georgia Georgia Tech
FB Chic Harley 5'11" 171 Jr. Chicago, Illinois Ohio State
E Charles Bolen Sr. Marion, Indiana Ohio State
E Heinie Miller 5'10" 185 Jr. Williamsport, Pennsylvania Penn
T George Hauser Sr. Council Bluffs, Iowa Minnesota
G Dale Sies 6'1" 203 Sr. Ames, Iowa Pittsburgh
G Jock Sutherland Sr. Coupar Angus, Scotland Pittsburgh
C Frank Rydzewski 6'1" 220 Sr. Chicago, Illinois Notre Dame
G Eugene Neeley Sr. Dallas, Texas Dartmouth
T Alf Cobb 5'11" 210 Sr. Athol, Massachusetts Syracuse
E Paul Robeson 6'3" 219 Jr. Princeton, New Jersey Rutgers

Statistical leaders
  • Team scoring most points: Georgia Tech, 491
  • Player scoring most points: Bill Ingram, Navy, 162
  • Player scoring most touchdowns: Albert Hill, Georgia Tech, 23
  • Player scoring most goals after touchdown: Bill Fincher, Georgia Tech, 49
  • Rushing yards leader: Everett Strupper, Georgia Tech, 1150
  • Rushing avg. leader: Everett Strupper, 10.1
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References
  1. Official 2009 NCAA Division I Football Records Book (PDF). Indianapolis, IN: The National Collegiate Athletic Association. August 2009. pp. 76–77. Retrieved 2009-10-16.
  2. "1917 Pittsburgh Panthers". databaseFootball.com. Archived from the original on 2015-11-30.
  3. Edwin Pope. Football's Greatest Coaches. p. 344.
  4. "Tech Swamps Tulane" (PDF). The Technique. November 13, 1917. p. 4.
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