# 1926 Southern Conference football season

The 1926 Southern Conference football season was the college football games played by the member schools of the Southern Conference as part of the 1926 college football season. The season began on September 18.
In the annual Rose Bowl game, the SoCon champion Alabama Crimson Tide tied the PCC champion, and #1 ranked team under the Dickinson System, Stanford 7–7. Alabama and Stanford therefore were amongst those named a national champion. Alabama guard Fred Pickhard was the Rose Bowl game's MVP.
Robert Neyland was hired to coach Tennessee in 1926 by Nathan Dougherty with the explicit goal to "even the score with Vanderbilt."

## Season overview
### Results and team statistics

| Conf. Rank | Team | Head coach | Overall record | Conf. record | PPG | PAG |
| 1 | Alabama | Wallace Wade | 9–0–1 | 8–0 | 24.9 | 2.7 |
| 2 | Vanderbilt | Dan McGugin | 8–1 | 4–1 | 26.8 | 4.7 |
| 3 | Tennessee | Robert Neyland | 8–1 | 5–1 | 16.8 | 3.8 |
| 4 (tie) | South Carolina | Branch Bocock | 5–4 | 4–2 | 15.9 | 6.2 |
| 4 (tie) | Georgia | Kid Woodruff | 4–5 | 2–4 | 15.0 | 12.8 |
| 6 | Virginia | Greasy Neale | 6–2–1 | 4–2–1 | 16.1 | 5.3 |
| 7 (tie) | VPI | Andy Gustafson | 5–3–1 | 3–2–1 | 14.9 | 8.9 |
| 7 (tie) | Washington and Lee | Pat Herron | 4–3–2 | 3–2–1 | 10.3 | 10.4 |
| 9 | Georgia Tech | William Alexander | 4–5 | 4–3 | 9.7 | 9.7 |
| 10 (tie) | LSU | Mike Donahue | 6–3 | 3–3 | 14.2 | 5.0 |
| 10 (tie) | Auburn | Dave Morey | 5–4 | 3–3 | 13.6 | 9.4 |
| 10 (tie) | North Carolina | Chuck Collins | 4–5 | 3–3 | 6.6 | 8.2 |
| 10 (tie) | Ole Miss | Homer Hazel | 5–4 | 2–2 | 12.6 | 12.2 |
| 14 | Mississippi A&M | Bernie Bierman | 5–4 | 2–3 | 14.9 | 10.9 |
| 15 (tie) | VMI | Blandy Clarkson | 5–5 | 2–4 | 8.0 | 9.8 |
| 15 (tie) | Tulane | Clark Shaughnessy | 3–5–1 | 2–4 | 7.9 | 6.7 |
| 17 | Maryland | Curley Byrd | 5–4–1 | 1–3–1 | 16.1 | 9.3 |
| 18 | Clemson | Bud Saunders | 2–7 | 1–3 | 2.2 | 18.8 |
| 19 (tie) | Florida | Tom Sebring | 2–6–2 | 1–4–1 | 9.4 | 13.6 |
| 19 (tie) | Kentucky | Fred Murphy | 2–6–1 | 1–4–1 | 9.3 | 10.1 |
| 20 | NC State | Gus Tebell | 4–6 | 0–4 | 6.6 | 10.2 |
| 21 | Sewanee | M. S. Bennett | 2–6 | 0–5 | 9.1 | 8.4 |
Key
PPG = Average of points scored per game PAG = Average of points allowed per game

### Regular season

* Index to colors and formatting
* Non-conference matchup; SoCon member won
* Non-conference matchup; SoCon member lost
* Non-conference matchup; tie
* Conference matchup
SoCon teams in bold.

#### Week One

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance | Reference |
| September 18 | Erskine | Clemson | Riggs Field • Calhoun, South Carolina | W 7–0 | | |
| September 18 | Wofford | VMI | Alumni Field • Lexington, Virginia | W 20–0 | | |

#### Week Two

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 24 | Millsaps | Alabama | Denny Field • Tuscaloosa, Alabama | W 54–0 | 4,000 |
| September 24 | Elon | NC State | Riddick Stadium • Raleigh, North Carolina | W 13–0 | |
| September 25 | Chattanooga | Auburn | Drake Field • Auburn, Alabama | W 15–6 | |
| September 25 | Florida Southern | Florida | Fleming Field • Gainesville, Florida | W 16–0 | |
| September 25 | Presbyterian | Clemson | Riggs Field • Calhoun, South Carolina | L 14–0 | |
| September 25 | Mercer | Georgia | Sanford Field • Athens, Georgia | W 20–0 | 4,500 |
| September 25 | Oglethorpe | Georgia Tech | Grant Field • Atlanta, Georgia | L 7–6 | 10,000 |
| September 25 | Louisiana Normal | LSU | Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, Louisiana | W 47–0 | |
| September 25 | Washington College | Maryland | Byrd Stadium • College Park, Maryland | W 63–0 | |
| September 25 | Jonesboro A&M | Ole Miss | Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, Mississippi | W 28–0 | |
| September 25 | Mississippi A&M | Birmingham–Southern | Munger Bowl • Birmingham, Alabama | W 19–7 | |
| September 25 | North Carolina | Wake Forest | Gore Athletic Field • Wake Forest, North Carolina | L 6–0 | 8,000 |
| September 25 | Bryson College | Sewanee | Hardee Field • Sewanee, Tennessee | W 15–6 | |
| September 25 | Erskine | South Carolina | Melton Field • Columbia, South Carolina | W 41–0 | |
| September 25 | Carson–Newman | Tennessee | Shields–Watkins Field • Knoxville, Tennessee | W 13–0 | |
| September 25 | Louisiana Tech | Tulane | Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, Louisiana | W 40–0 | 7,000 |
| September 25 | Middle Tennessee State Teachers | Vanderbilt | Dudley Field • Nashville, Tennessee | W 69–0 | |
| September 25 | Hampden–Sydney | Virginia | Lambeth Field • Charlottesville, Virginia | T 0–0 | |
| September 25 | Richmond | VMI | Alumni Field • Lexington, Virginia | W 10–0 | |
| September 25 | Roanoke | VPI | Miles Stadium • Blacksburg, Virginia | W 47–0 | |
| September 25 | Lynchburg | Washington & Lee | Wilson Field • Lexington, Virginia | W 35–0 | |

#### Week Three

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| October 2 | Alabama | Vanderbilt | Dudley Field • Nashville, Tennessee | ALA 19–7 | 16,000 |
| October 2 | Clemson | Auburn | Drake Field • Auburn, Alabama | AUB 47–0 | |
| October 2 | Florida | Chicago | Stagg Field • Chicago, Illinois | L 12–6 | 30,000 |
| October 2 | VMI | Georgia Tech | Grant Field • Atlanta, Georgia | GT 13–0 | |
| October 2 | Maryville (TN) | Kentucky | Stoll Field • Lexington, Kentucky | W 25–0 | |
| October 2 | Southwestern Louisiana | LSU | Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, Louisiana | W 34–0 | |
| October 2 | Ole Miss | Arkansas | The Hill • Fayetteville, Arkansas | L 21–6 | |
| October 2 | Mississippi College | Mississippi A&M | Scott Field • Starkville, Mississippi | W 41–0 | |
| October 2 | Maryland | South Carolina | Melton Field • Columbia, South Carolina | SCAR 12–0 | |
| October 2 | Furman | NC State | Riddick Stadium • Raleigh, North Carolina | L 31–0 | |
| October 2 | Middle Tennessee State Teachers | Sewanee | Hardee Field • Sewanee, Tennessee | W 48–0 | |
| October 2 | North Carolina | Tennessee | Shields–Watkins Field • Knoxville, Tennessee | TENN 34–0 | |
| October 2 | Tulane | Missouri | Memorial Stadium • Columbia, Missouri | T 6–6 | |
| October 2 | Georgia | Virginia | Lambeth Field • Charlottesville, Virginia | UGA 27–7 | |
| October 2 | Hampden–Sydney | VPI | Miles Stadium • Blacksburg, Virginia | W 30–0 | |
| October 2 | Washington & Lee | West Virginia | Laidley Field • Charleston, West Virginia | L 18–0 | |

#### Week Four

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| October 9 | Alabama | Mississippi A&M | Meridian Fairgrounds • Meridian, Mississippi | ALA 26–7 | |
| October 9 | Auburn | Howard (AL) | Rickwood Field • Birmingham, Alabama | W 33–14 | |
| October 9 | NC State | Clemson | Riggs Field • Calhoun, South Carolina | CLEM 7–3 | |
| October 9 | Florida | Ole Miss | Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, Mississippi | MISS 12–7 | |
| October 9 | Georgia | Yale | Yale Bowl • New Haven, Connecticut | L 19–0 | |
| October 9 | Tulane | Georgia Tech | Grant Field • Atlanta, Georgia | GT 9–6 | |
| October 9 | Kentucky | Indiana | Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, Indiana | L 14–6 | |
| October 9 | Tennessee | LSU | Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, Louisiana | TENN 14–7 | |
| October 9 | Maryland | Chicago | Stagg Field • Chicago, Illinois | L 21–0 | 35,000 |
| October 9 | South Carolina | North Carolina | Emerson Field • Chapel Hill, North Carolina | UNC 7–0 | |
| October 9 | Sewanee | Texas A&M | Fair Park Stadium • Dallas, Texas | L 6–3 | |
| October 9 | Bryson College | Vanderbilt | Dudley Field • Nashville, Tennessee | W 48–0 | |
| October 9 | Lynchburg | Virginia | Lambeth Field • Charlottesville, Virginia | W 38–0 | |
| October 9 | VPI | Dartmouth | Memorial Field • Hanover, New Hampshire | L 20–0 | |
| October 9 | Roanoke | VMI | Alumni Field • Lexington, Virginia | L 13–7 | |
| October 9 | Washington & Lee | Princeton | Palmer Stadium • Princeton, New Jersey | T 7–7 | |

#### Week Five

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| October 15 | Wofford | South Carolina | Melton Field • Columbia, South Carolina | W 27–13 | |
| October 15 | Maryville (TN) | Tennessee | Shields–Watkins Field • Knoxville, Tennessee | W 6–0 | |
| October 16 | Alabama | Georgia Tech | Grant Field • Atlanta, Georgia | ALA 21–0 | 20,000 |
| October 16 | LSU | Auburn | Cramton Bowl • Montgomery, Alabama | LSU 10–0 | |
| October 16 | Florida | Mercer | Centennial Stadium • Macon, GA | L 6–3 | 6,000 |
| October 16 | Furman | Georgia | Sanford Field • Athens, Georgia | L 14–7 | |
| October 16 | VPI | Maryland | League Park • Norfolk, Virginia | VPI 24–8 | 12,000 |
| October 16 | Loyola (IL) | Ole Miss | Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, Mississippi | W 13–7 | |
| October 16 | Millsaps | Mississippi A&M | Scott Field • Starkville, Mississippi | W 34–0 | |
| October 16 | Duke | North Carolina | Emerson Field • Chapel Hill, North Carolina | W 6–0 | |
| October 16 | Davidson | NC State | Riddick Stadium • Raleigh, North Carolina | L 3–0 | |
| October 16 | Tulane | NYU | Yankee Stadium • Bronx, New York | L 0–21 | 25,000 |
| October 16 | Vanderbilt | Texas | Fair Park Stadium • Dallas, Texas | W 7–0 | |
| October 16 | Virginia | VMI | Alumni Field • Lexington, Virginia | UVA 14–7 | |
| October 16 | Washington & Lee | Kentucky | Stoll Field • Lexington, Kentucky | W&L 14–13 | |

#### Week Six

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| October 21 | Clemson | South Carolina | State Fairgrounds • Columbia, South Carolina | SCAR 24–0 | 12,000 |
| October 23 | Sewanee | Alabama | Rickwood Field • Birmingham, Alabama | ALA 2–0 | |
| October 23 | Auburn | Tulane | Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, Louisiana | AUB 2–0 | |
| October 23 | Kentucky | Florida | Durkee Field • Jacksonville, Florida | UK 18–13 | |
| October 23 | Washington & Lee | Georgia Tech | Grant Field • Atlanta, Georgia | GT 19–7 | |
| October 23 | Mississippi A&M | LSU | State Fairgrounds • Jackson, Mississippi | MSA&M 7–6 | |
| October 23 | North Carolina | Maryland | Byrd Stadium • College Park, Maryland | MD 14–6 | 3,500 |
| October 23 | Centre | Tennessee | Shields–Watkins Field • Knoxville, Tennessee | W 30–7 | |
| October 23 | Georgia | Vanderbilt | Dudley Field • Nashville, Tennessee | VAN 14–13 | |
| October 23 | NC State | VMI | Tate Field • Richmond, Virginia | VMI 7–0 | |
| October 23 | Virginia | VPI | Miles Stadium • Blacksburg, Virginia | VPI 6–0 | |

#### Week Seven

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| October 28 | South Carolina | The Citadel | County Fairgrounds • Orangeburg, South Carolina | L 12–9 | |
| October 28 | Clemson | Wofford | Snyder Field • Spartanburg, South Carolina | L 3–0 | |
| October 30 | LSU | Alabama | Denny Field • Tuscaloosa, Alabama | ALA 24–0 | |
| October 30 | Sewanee | Auburn | Cramton Bowl • Montgomery, Alabama | AUB 9–0 | |
| October 30 | Florida | Georgia | Sanford Field • Athens, Georgia | UGA 32–9 | |
| October 30 | Georgia Tech | Notre Dame | Cartier Field • South Bend, Indiana | L 12–0 | 11,000 |
| October 30 | Gallaudet | Maryland | Byrd Stadium • College Park, Maryland | W 38–7 | |
| October 30 | Ole Miss | Tulane | Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, Louisiana | TUL 6–0 | |
| October 30 | Tennessee | Mississippi A&M | Scott Field • Starkville, Mississippi | TENN 33–0 | |
| October 30 | NC State | North Carolina | Emerson Field • Chapel Hill, North Carolina | UNC 12–0 | |
| October 30 | VPI | Kentucky | Stoll Field • Lexington, Kentucky | T 13–13 | |
| October 30 | Virginia | South Carolina | Melton Field • Columbia, South Carolina | UVA 6–0 | |
| October 30 | Southwestern (TN) | Vanderbilt | Dudley Field • Nashville, Tennessee | W 50–0 | |
| October 30 | Davidson | VMI | Lynchburg, Virginia | W 12–7 | |

#### Week Eight

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result |
| November 6 | Kentucky | Alabama | Rickwood Field • Birmingham, Alabama | ALA 14–0 |
| November 6 | Auburn | Georgia | McClung Stadium • Columbus, Georgia | UGA 16–6 |
| November 6 | Clemson | Florida | Fleming Field • Gainesville, Florida | FLA 33–0 |
| November 6 | Vanderbilt | Georgia Tech | Grant Field • Atlanta, Georgia | VAN 13–7 |
| November 6 | Arkansas | LSU | State Fair Stadium • Shreveport, Louisiana | W 14–0 |
| November 6 | Maryland | Yale | Yale Bowl • New Haven, Connecticut | W 15–0 |
| November 6 | Ole Miss | Southwestern (TN) | Fargason Field • Memphis, Tennessee | W 32–27 |
| November 6 | Mississippi A&M | Tulane | Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, Louisiana | MSA&M 14–0 |
| November 6 | VMI | North Carolina | Emerson Field • Chapel Hill, North Carolina | UNC 28–0 |
| November 6 | Lenoir–Rhyne | NC State | Riddick Stadium • Raleigh, North Carolina | W 6–0 |
| November 6 | South Carolina | VPI | Tate Field • Richmond, Virginia | SCAR 19–0 |
| November 6 | Sewanee | Tennessee | Shields–Watkins Field • Knoxville, Tennessee | TENN 12–0 |
| November 6 | Washington & Lee | Virginia | Lambeth Field • Charlottesville, Virginia | UVA 30–7 |

#### Week Nine

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result |
| November 11 | Duke | NC State | Riddick Stadium • Raleigh, North Carolina | W 26–19 |
| November 13 | Florida | Alabama | Cramton Bowl • Montgomery, Alabama | ALA 49–0 |
| November 13 | Marquette | Auburn | Rickwood Field • Birmingham, Alabama | L 19–3 |
| November 13 | The Citadel | Clemson | Riggs Field • Calhoun, South Carolina | L 15–6 |
| November 13 | Georgia | Georgia Tech | Grant Field • Atlanta, Georgia | UGA 14–13 |
| November 13 | Kentucky | VMI | Laidley Field • Charleston, West Virginia | VMI 10–9 |
| November 13 | Ole Miss | LSU | Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, Louisiana | LSU 3–0 |
| November 13 | Mississippi A&M | Indiana | Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, Indiana | L 19–6 |
| November 13 | North Carolina | Davidson | Richardson Field • Davidson, North Carolina | L 10–0 |
| November 13 | Furman | South Carolina | Melton Field • Columbia, South Carolina | L 10–7 |
| November 13 | Tennessee | Vanderbilt | Dudley Field • Nashville, Tennessee | VAN 20–3 |
| November 13 | Sewanee | Tulane | Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, Louisiana | TUL 19–7 |
| November 13 | Virginia | Maryland | Byrd Stadium • College Park, Maryland | T 6–6 |
| November 13 | VPI | Washington & Lee | Municipal Stadium • Lynchburg, Virginia | W&L 13–0 |

#### Week Ten

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result |
| November 20 | Centre | Kentucky | Stoll Field • Lexington, Kentucky | L 7–0 |
| November 20 | NC State | South Carolina | Melton Field • Columbia, South Carolina | SCAR 20–14 |
| November 20 | Randolph–Macon | Virginia | Lambeth Field • Charlottesville, Virginia | W 57–0 |
| November 20 | Maryland | Washington & Lee | Wilson Field • Lexington, Virginia | W&L 3–0 |

#### Week Eleven

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| November 23 | North Carolina | Virginia | Lambeth Field • Charlottesville, Virginia | UVA 3–0 | |
| November 25 | Georgia | Alabama | Rickwood Field • Birmingham, Alabama | ALA 33–6 | 17,000 |
| November 25 | Auburn | Georgia Tech | Grant Field • Atlanta, Georgia | GT 20–7 | |
| November 25 | Clemson | Furman | Manly Field • Greenville, South Carolina | L 30–0 | |
| November 25 | LSU | Tulane | Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, Louisiana | LSU 7–0 | |
| November 25 | Washington & Lee | Florida | Durkee Field • Jacksonville, Florida | T 7–7 | |
| November 25 | Maryland | Johns Hopkins | Baltimore Stadium • Baltimore, Maryland | W 17–14 | |
| November 25 | Ole Miss | Mississippi A&M | Scott Field • Starkville, Mississippi | MISS 7–6 | |
| November 25 | Kentucky | Tennessee | Shields–Watkins Field • Knoxville, Tennessee | TENN 6–0 | |
| November 25 | Sewanee | Vanderbilt | Dudley Field • Nashville, Tennessee | TENN 6–0 | |
| November 25 | VMI | VPI | Maher Field • Roanoke, Virginia | VPI 14–7 | |
| November 27 | Wake Forest | NC State | Riddick Stadium • Raleigh, North Carolina | W 7–3 | 11,000 |

### Postseason
#### Bowl games

| Date | Bowl Game | Site | SIAA Team | Opponent | Score |
| January 1, 1927 | Rose Bowl | Rose Bowl • Pasadena, California | Alabama | Stanford | T 7–7 |

## Awards and honors
### All-Americans

* E – Hoyt Winslett, Alabama (AP-1; INS; NEA; CP-2; NYS-2; BE-1; RWJ-2; DW-1; ES-2; BEHR)
* T – Fred Pickhard, Alabama (BE-2; BEHR)
* T – Mack Tharpe, Georgia Tech (BEHR)
* G – John Barnhill, Tennessee (BEHR)
* C – Vernon Sharpe, Vanderbilt (BEHR)
* QB – Bill Spears, Vanderbilt (AP-2; NYS-2; BE-2; RWJ-3 [as hb]; DW-2; BEHR)
* HB – Tolbert "Red" Brown, Alabama (BEHR)
* FB – Ty Rauber, Washington & Lee (AP-3; BEHR)

### All-Southern team

The following is the composite All-Southern team compiled by the Associated Press.
| Position | Name | First-team selectors | Team |
| QB | Bill Spears | AP | Vanderbilt |
| HB | George Morton | AP | Georgia |
| HB | Red Barnes | AP | Alabama |
| FB | Ty Rauber | AP | Washington & Lee |
| E | Hoyt Winslett | AP | Alabama |
| T | Curtis Luckey | AP | Georgia |
| G | Fred Pickhard | AP | Alabama |
| C | Gordon Holmes | AP | Alabama |
| G | Charles Mackall | AP | Virginia |
| T | John Barnhill | AP | Tennessee |
| E | Herschel Caldwell | AP | Alabama |