By Darin The 1927 American football season was characterized by defensive dominance and monumental rule changes that altered the game’s aesthetics. Additionally, there was the rise of powerhouse teams that relied on grit rather than star power.
1927 College Football: Changing the Field and Splitting the Crown
The 1927 college season marked a massive shift in how football looked and was played. There was also a wide-open national championship race.
- Moving the Goalposts: In a major effort to improve player safety and reduce the heavy reliance on the kicking game, football rules committees moved the goalposts from the goal line to the end line of the end zone. Significantly, that is where they remain today in college and professional football.
- The Illinois Illini’s “No-Name” Title: Coached by the legendary Bob Zuppke, the University of Illinois finished 7–0–1, winning the Big Ten and securing the No. 1 spot in the prestigious Dickinson System ratings to claim the national championship. Unlike previous eras, this Illinois team was famous for its lack of superstar names. Instead, they relied on flawless team execution and defense.
- Other Championship Claims: Because a consensus system didn’t exist, several other undefeated or one-loss schools claimed a stake to the 1927 national title. These included an elite Yale squad (7–1), Texas A&M (8–0–1), and Georgia.
- The 1928 Rose Bowl: The postseason saw Pop Warner’s Stanford squad narrowly defeat the Pittsburgh Panthers 7–6. This occurred in a New Year’s Day defensive battle.
1927 Professional Football: The Giants Defend the East
The National Football League continued to evolve in 1927, contracting down to a tighter, more financially stable 12-team league. The season saw the geographic center of professional football shift noticeably from small Midwestern towns toward major Eastern cities.
- The Ironclad Defense of the New York Giants: Under head coach Earl Potteiger, the New York Giants put together one of the greatest defensive seasons in pro football history. They captured the 1927 NFL Championship with an 11–1–1 record. Incredibly, they posted 10 shutouts in 13 games and allowed just 20 points all year.
- Red Grange’s Injury: Superstar Harold “Red” Grange played for the New York Yankees (the NFL team, not the baseball franchise), but a severe knee injury sidelined his explosiveness. Consequently, the Yankees finished in the middle of the pack, cementing the Giants as New York’s premier football team.
- A Dark Milstone: The 1927 season also marked the beginning of a bleak era for the league, as black players were entirely eliminated from NFL rosters. Importantly, this was an unwritten, discriminatory color line that would persist until 1946.
A Deep Dive into 1927 Football History and Highlights
- January 1, 1927 – The Alabama Crimson Tide and the Stanford Indians played to a 7-All stalemate in the 1927 Rose Bowl Game. Trailing by a TD late, Bama blocked a punt and recovered at the Stanford 14-yard line. Jim Johnson punched the ball over the goal line moments later to tie the score.
- February 5, 1927 – The Start of the NFL winter meetings at the Astor Hotel in NYC brought changes to the setup of stronger and weaker team classes. As a result, weaker teams were eliminated as franchises.
- April 23, 1927 – The NFL started its Spring Meetings. Smaller-market teams such as the Oorang Indians, Columbus Panhandles, and Los Angeles Buccaneers lost their franchises as the NFL sought to tighten its bottom line. In addition, the League absorbed one of the original AFL teams, the New York Yankees, headed by C.C. Pyle and Red Grange.
- November 5, 1927 – Undefeated Notre Dame played a game against the unblemished Minnesota Golden Gophers; someone had to lose, right? Not necessarily, the game ended in a 7-7 tie.
- November 12, 1927 – Army defeated previously undefeated Notre Dame, 18-0, at Yankee Stadium.
- November 26, 1927 – Notre Dame beat Southern Cal, 7-6, in front of a crowd that exceeded 100,000 spectators at Chicago’s Soldier Field.
- November 27, 1927 – A game that would decide the NFL title was played at the Polo Grounds. 15,000 fans turned out to watch the Chicago Bears (7–2–1) face the NY Giants (8–1–1). A Bears’ victory would have tied the teams for first place. However, the Giants won, 13–7, subsequently locking up the NFL title. You can learn more about the championship run on our post on the 1927 Giants.