By Darin 
November 27 isn’t just Thanksgiving Day; it’s a date permanently etched in football history, spanning from the early 1940s to modern classics. How many other days can claim two Heisman Trophy announcements, a 113-point NFL scoring record that still stands, and the birth of a dynasty? Dig in as we recount the iconic Iron Bowl battles, legendary CFL Grey Cup upsets, and the stunning day Notre Dame’s Angelo Bertelli learned he was a winner—while still in Marine boot camp.
November 27: Heisman Trophies, 113-Point Shootouts, and Bo Over the Top!
November 27, 1937 – Our banner today features the program cover for the Pitt Panthers vs. Duke. The 10-0 victory by the top-ranked Pittsburgh Panthers over #18 Duke finalized Pitt’s 9–0–1 record for the season, securing their claim to the consensus 1937 college football national championship.
November 27, 1940 – Tom Harmon becomes the first Michigan player ever to win the Heisman Trophy Award. The running back of the Wolverines was the 6th player to win the trophy named in honor of the legendary coach John Heisman.
November 27, 1943 – U.S. Marine Boot Camp – Angelo Bertelli is handed a telegram at boot camp on Parris Island, South Carolina, informing him that he had just won the 1943 Heisman Trophy. Bertelli had just finished playing football as Notre Dame’s QB. He was the first Notre Dame player to win the coveted award, per the Irish Legends web page.
November 27, 1943 – Varsity Stadium, Toronto – In the CFL Grey Cup Game, the Hamilton Flying Wildcats defeated the Winnipeg RCAF Bombers, 23-14. (source)
November 27, 1948 – Varsity Stadium, Toronto – During this CFL Grey Cup contest, the Calgary Stampeders won their first Championship as they knocked off the Ottawa Rough Riders, 12-7.
November 27, 1954 – Varsity Stadium, Toronto – The Edmonton Eskimos won their first of 3 straight Championships in the 42nd Grey Cup game as they squeaked by the Montreal Alouettes, 26-25.
November 27, 1954 – Birmingham, Alabama – In the 19th Iron Bowl, it was those Auburn Tigers who came out on top over the Crimson Tide of Alabama 28-0.
November 27, 1956 – The 1957 NFL Draft took place, and Notre Dame’s Paul Hornung was the first pick by the Green Bay Packers.
November 27, 1960: New AFL teams in the heat of battle as the Buffalo Bills tie the Denver Broncos, 38-38. The Democrat and Chronicle fills us in on the details, that the Bills found a way to blow a 31-point third-quarter lead and were fortunate to hold on for a 38-38 tie when the defense stopped the Broncos’ last drive, and Denver settled for Gene Mingo’s 19-yard tying field goal with four seconds remaining. Bills coach Buster Ramsey was quoted as saying, “For the first three quarters, I watched the greatest display of defensive football I’ve seen in the league this year. Every man executed almost every play perfectly. Then, for reasons that I cannot put a finger on, the whole thing collapsed.”
November 27, 1965 – CNE Stadium, Toronto – The Wind Bowl: Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, 22-16; strong winds meant all scoring occurred when the team was going with the wind. One of our friend Os Davis’ favoriteGrey Cup games ever. As a matter of fact, you can hear Os present this game on the podcast at the top of this page!
November 27, 1965 – 1966 NFL Draft was held on this day, and the number one pick was Tommy Nobis from the University of Texas, whom the Atlanta Falcons picked. The franchise was founded on June 30 of the same year, per ESPN.com.
November 27, 1965 – Birmingham – Alabama outplays Auburn 30-3 in the 30th Iron Bowl.
November 27, 1966 – D.C. Stadium, Washington – In the highest-scoring NFL game, with the teams combining for 113 points, the Washington Redskins out-raced the New York Giants in a track-meet game, 72-41, per a Washington Post story on the event. The Washington club scored 10 touchdowns in the contest and picked off 5 Giants passes to help the team get over the 70-point threshold.
November 27, 1971 – Birmingham – The 36th Iron Bowl was a one-sided affair as the Tide washed out the Tigers 31-7.
November 27, 1976 – Birmingham – Alabama dominated Auburn 38-7 in the 41st edition of the Iron Bowl Game.
November 27, 1977 – Olympic Stadium, Montreal – Montreal Alouettes beat Edmonton Eskimos, 41-6; record Grey Cup crowd 68,318; game referred to as the ‘Ice Bowl’; Dan Sweet records 23 points for Edmonton in the victory.
November 27, 1982 – Legion Field, Birmingham – “Bo Over the Top” The 47th Iron Bowl was one that maybe best defines the Auburn/Alabama rivalry. Bleacher Report put together a nice article on the game that has all the details, but here are the highlights, according to their story. The setting before the game is that Alabama had basically owned the series for about 25 seasons with Bear Bryant at the helm of the Tide. The Crimson squad seemed poised to chalk up another “W” for their seasoned coach as they outgained the Tigers 507 to 257 total yards in Bryant’s final Iron Bowl before his untimely passing in the upcoming offseason. The stats don’t tell the whole story, though, unless you look at a young Tigers halfback named Bo Jackson, who racked up 144 yards and a TD near the end to seal a 23-22 Auburn victory over their rivals. This was Auburn’s first win in the Iron Bowl in 10 years! Bo knows how to break streaks!
November 27, 1983, CFL Grey Cup, BC Place, Vancouver: Toronto Argonauts defeat BC Lions, 18-17; Argos’ first Grey Cup victory in 31 years
November 27, 1985 – South Bend, Indiana – The University of Notre Dame named Lou Holtz as its 25th coach, per the Irish Legends web page. Holtz had a great run as the head coach of the Irish from 1986 through the 1996 season, leading them to a 100-32-2 record and coaching more ND football games than anyone in history. His win total was second only to the great Knute Rockne. Under his guidance, the Golden Domers played in 9 New Year’s Day bowl games, finished in the top 6 of the AP rankings five times, and went undefeated and claimed the National Championship, plus earned the Coach of the Year Award from more than a few sources.
November 27, 1987 – Legion Field, Birmingham – In their annual SEC matchup, it was the Auburn Tigers who blanked the Crimson Tide of Alabama 10-0 in the 52nd Iron Bowl.
November 27, 1988, CFL Grey Cup, Landsdowne Park, Ottawa: Winnipeg Blue Bombers edge BC Lions, 22-21; first Grey Cup game won by a team with only a .500 season
November 27, 1994, CFL Grey Cup, BC Place, Vancouver: BC Lions beat Baltimore FC, 26-23; first-ever championship in pro football history featuring a US vs. Canada matchup; Lions win on last-second Lui Passaglia field-goal.
November 27, 1994 – The Miami Dolphons pulled off one of the most memorable trick plays ever, as Dan Marino faked a spike and instead threw a TD pass to defeat the New York Jets.
November 27, 1997 – The Silverdome, Detroit, Michigan – After falling behind 17-3, the Detroit Lions scored a Motor City Thanksgiving Day record 55 points against the Bears, according to the undefeated.com. The Lions really roared to life in the second half when they erupted for 38 points to help lead them to a 55-20 victory over their opponents from the Windy City. Lions’ Barry Sanders on the day rushed 19 times for 167 yards and 3 scores as he forgot about the turkey and feasted on the Bears’ defense on the national day of thanks!
November 27, 2005, CFL Grey Cup, BC Place, Vancouver: Edmonton Eskimos beat Montreal Alouettes, 38-35; first time in 44 years Grey Cup goes into overtime
November 27, 2009 – Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn, Alabama – The version number 74 of the Iron Bowl kept fans on the edge of their seats. According to ESPN.com, the second-ranked Tide took the lead with 1:24 left in the contest and thwarted a late Tigers charge to escape with a 26-21 come-from-behind victory.
November 27, 2011, CFL Grey Cup, BC Place, Vancouver: BC Lions beat Winnipeg Blue Bombers, 34-23, for their 6th Championship
November 27, 2016 – BMO Field, Toronto – The 104th edition of the CFL Grey Cup saw the Ottawa Redblacks upset the heavily favoured Calgary Stampeders 39–33 in overtime to win a championship in just their 3rd season of existence!
November 27 Football Hall of Fame Birthdays
- Dexter Very
- John “Blood” McNally
- Ken O’Brien
- Frank Sheptock
- Larry Allen
Conclusion
From the gridirons of Michigan, where Tom Harmon started the Heisman tradition, to the frozen fields of Toronto and the heated rivalries of the Iron Bowl, November 27th is a day defined by football drama. Whether it was the Wind Bowl, the Ice Bowl, or Bo Jackson’s game-sealing run over the mighty Crimson Tide, this date proves that the biggest moments often occur as the regular season reaches its thrilling climax. It’s a day for champions, record-breakers, and history’s most unforgettable upsets.