1933 Alabama Crimson Tide football team The 1933 Alabama Crimson Tide football team ( variously " Alabama " , " UA " or " Bama " ) represented the University of Alabama in the 1933 college football season . It was the Crimson Tide ' s 40th overall and 1st season as a member of the Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) . The team was led by head coach Frank Thomas , in his third year , and played their home games at Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa and Legion Field in Birmingham , Alabama . They finished the season with a record of seven wins , one loss and one tie ( 7 – 1 – 1 overall , 5 – 0 – 1 in the SEC ) , and as the first SEC champions . After opening the season with victory over , Alabama played to a scoreless tie in their first ever SEC matchup . One week later , the Crimson Tide defeated for their first ever SEC victory and followed that with their first ever SEC road victory with their win over Tennessee at Shields - Watkins Field . From Knoxville , Alabama traveled to New York City where they lost their only game of the season against in an intersectional matchup . Alabama rebounded with four consecutive victories to close the season as conference champions with wins over , ( Virginia Tech ) on homecoming , and . Before the season . In December 1932 , after the conclusion of the 1932 season , Alabama withdrew from the Southern Conference to become a charter member of the SEC . The Crimson Tide was joined by Auburn , Florida , Georgia , Georgia Tech , Kentucky , LSU , Mississippi , Mississippi State , , Tennessee , Tulane and Vanderbilt . Effective the start of the 1933 season , the SEC was formed in an effort to create a smaller , geographically closer conference . Game notes . Oglethorpe . Although they played most of the game in a heavy rainstorm , Alabama opened the 1933 season with a 34 – 0 victory over Oglethorpe at Denny Stadium . The Crimson Tide took a 14 – 0 first quarter lead on a 12 - yard Frank Moseley touchdown pass to Dixie Howell and a two - yard James McDanal touchdown run . With the lead , Alabama pulled their starters and played their second string for the second quarter . In the second , they took a 21 – 0 lead on a 21 - yard Howard Chappell touchdown run . In the second half , the Crimson Tide closed the game with a touchdown in each of the final two quarters . McDanal scored first on a short run followed by a 12 - yard Chappell run for the 34 – 0 win . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against Oglethorpe to 2 – 0 . Ole Miss . In what was the first SEC game ever played by the Crimson Tide , Alabama and the rival Ole Miss Rebels battled to a 0 – 0 tie at Legion Field . Although Alabama outgained the Rebels in total offense 179 to 33 yards , seven fumble s kept the Crimson Tide out of the end zone . The tie brought Alabama ' s all - time record against Ole Miss 16 – 2 – 2 . Mississippi State . Against their long - time rival , the Mississippi State Maroons , Alabama won their first all - time SEC game 18 – 0 at Denny Stadium . In the game , Frank Moseley scored on a pair of touchdown runs with Dixie Howell scoring the other in the third quarter on a seven - yard run in the victory . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against Mississippi State 16 – 4 – 2 . Tennessee . Against rival Tennessee , Alabama defeated the Volunteers , 12 – 6 at Shields - Watkins Field . After a scoreless first quarter , the Volunteers took a 6 – 0 lead in the second when Beattie Feathers scored on a touchdown run . Down six at the half , a pair of second half touchdowns gave the Crimson Tide the 12 – 6 victory . Erskine Walker scored in the third on a 34 - yard run and Dixie Howell scored the game - winning touchdown in the fourth on a four yard run . The loss was the first at home for Tennessee in the Robert Neyland era . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against Tennessee 10 – 5 – 1 . Fordham . Before 60 , 000 fans at the Polo Grounds in New York City , Alabama was defeated the Fordham Rams , 2 – 0 . The only points scored in the game came in the first quarter when Amerino Sarno blocked a Dixie Howell punt that Howell recovered in the endzone for a Fordham safety . The loss was Alabama ' s first intersectional loss since their 15 – 0 defeat against Wisconsin in 1928 , and brought Alabama ' s all - time record against Fordham 0 – 1 . Kentucky . A week after their first loss of the season , Alabama defeated the Kentucky Wildcats 20 – 0 at Legion Field . After a scoreless first quarter , the Crimson Tide took a 6 – 0 in the second after Dixie Howell scored on a 55 - yard touchdown run . Alabama then closed the game with a five - yard Howell touchdown run in the third and a short Joe Demyanovich touchdown run in the fourth for the 20 – 0 win . In the first quarter , Howell punted the football 89 - yards , which still stands as the Alabama record for longest punt . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against Kentucky 12 – 1 . VPI . Against the Fighting Gobblers of VPI ( now known as the Virginia Tech Hokies ) , Alabama won 27 – 0 on homecoming at Denny Field . The Crimson Tide took a 6 – 0 first quarter lead after Riley Smith scored on a five - yard touchdown run . They extended their lead to 18 – 0 at halftime on touchdown runs of one - yard by Joe Demyanovich and ten - yards by James Angelich in the second quarter . Alabama then closed the game with a 16 - yard Dixie Howell touchdown run and a tackle of the Gobblers ' Ray Mills for a safety in the third for the 27 – 0 win . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against VPI 2 – 0 . Georgia Tech . Against the Georgia Tech Golden Tornado , Alabama won 12 – 9 at Grant Field . The Crimson Tide took a 6 – 0 lead in the first quarter on a Dixie Howell touchdown run . After a Howell fumble resulted in a safety in the second , Tech took a 9 – 6 lead in the third quarter when W . A . Davis scored on a one - yard touchdown run . Howell then scored the game - winning touchdown in the fourth quarter on a short run . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against Georgia Tech to 7 – 10 – 2 . Vanderbilt . In the season finale at Vanderbilt , Alabama defeated the Commodores 7 – 0 to capture the first SEC championship . The only points of the game came on a short Dixie Howell touchdown run in the second quarter . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against Vanderbilt to 6 – 8 . References . General Specific