By Darin The 1931 American football season was a year marked by heavy hearts, historic streaks coming to an end, and scheduling controversies that would forever change how champions were crowned in both the college and professional ranks.
1931 College Football: The Rise of USC and the Loss of a Legend
The college football community entered the 1931 season mourning the tragic death of Notre Dame head coach Knute Rockne, who was killed in a plane crash in March of that year. On the field, the season was defined by a shift in national power.
- USC’s National Championship: Under head coach Howard Jones, the USC Trojans (“The Thundering Herd”) dominated the season. They finished 10–1 and secured the definitive national championship under the mathematical Dickinson System.
- Ending the Fighting Irish Streak: On November 21, USC traveled to South Bend and shocked Notre Dame 16–14 on a last-minute 33-yard field goal by Johnny Baker. The legendary victory snapped Notre Dame’s 26-game unbeaten streak.
- The 1932 Rose Bowl: In a true #1 vs. #2 matchup, USC faced the undefeated Tulane Green Wave (11–0) on New Year’s Day. USC solidified its national title with a convincing 21–12 victory.(Note: While USC was the clear consensus champion, retroactive math by selector Parke H. Davis later awarded co-titles to Pittsburgh and Purdue).
1931 Professional Football: A Controversial Packers Three-Peat
The National Football League operated with 10 teams in 1931, playing an unbalanced schedule where champions were decided strictly by regular-season winning percentage.
- Green Bay’s Historic Hat Trick: The Green Bay Packers, coached by Curly Lambeau, finished the season with a 12–2 record to capture their third consecutive NFL Championship—an unprecedented feat at the time.
- The Portsmouth Scheduling Controversy: The Packers’ title was clouded by major controversy. The second-place Portsmouth Spartans finished right behind them at 11–3. Because the league did not mandate a uniform schedule, Green Bay and Portsmouth never faced each other on the field. The Packers ultimately secured the top spot by choosing not to play a season-ending exhibition with the Spartans to protect their percentage lead.
- Catalyst for Change: The public outcry over the 1931 title race, combined with another tie in 1932, directly forced the NFL to institute mandatory scheduling rules and create the first official NFL Playoff Game in 1933.
A Deep Dive into 1931 Football History and Highlights
- January 1, 1931 – The 17th Rose Bowl featured two undefeated teams, Alabama and Washington State. Bama took control in the second quarter with three scores to carry the Tide to a 24-0 victory.
- February 28, 1931 – Canadian Rugby Union adopts the forward pass.
- November 21, 1931 – In one of the greatest comebacks in Trojan football history, USC rallies from a 14-0 deficit with six minutes to play against Notre Dame. In the final minute, John Baker kicked a 23-yard field goal to beat the Irish 16-14.
- December 5, 1931 – Molson Stadium, Montreal – At the 19th Grey Cup, it was the Montreal AAA Winged Wheelers blanking the Regina Roughriders, 22-0, to take home their first Grey Cup Championship.
- December 13, 1931 – The last game of the 1931 NFL season also marked the last year in which the League Champion was simply the team with the best record. The Green Bay Packers were National Football League Champions with a 12-2-0 record, earning their third consecutive NFL title.