1933 Columbia Lions football
National champion (self-claimed)
Rose Bowl champion
Rose Bowl, W 7–0 vs. Stanford
ConferenceIndependent
Record8–1
Head coach
Offensive schemeSingle wing
CaptainCliff Montgomery
Home stadiumBaker Field
Seasons
← 1932
1934 →
1933 Eastern college football independents records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 7 Princeton   –   9 – 0 – 0
Duquesne   –   10 – 1 – 0
No. 9 Army   –   9 – 1 – 0
Boston College   –   8 – 1 – 0
Columbia   –   8 – 1 – 0
Pittsburgh   –   8 – 1 – 0
Colgate   –   6 – 1 – 1
Bucknell   –   7 – 2 – 0
Fordham   –   6 – 2 – 0
Tufts   –   6 – 2 – 0
Villanova   –   7 – 2 – 1
Harvard   –   5 – 2 – 1
Drexel   –   5 – 3 – 0
Massachusetts State   –   5 – 3 – 0
Temple   –   5 – 3 – 0
Manhattan   –   5 – 3 – 1
Cornell   –   4 – 3 – 0
Carnegie Tech   –   4 – 3 – 2
La Salle   –   3 – 3 – 2
Syracuse   –   4 – 4 – 0
Yale   –   4 – 4 – 0
Penn State   –   3 – 3 – 1
Brown   –   3 – 5 – 0
Vermont   –   3 – 5 – 0
Franklin & Marshall   –   4 – 5 – 0
NYU   –   2 – 4 – 1
Penn   –   2 – 4 – 1
Northeastern   –   1 – 3 – 1
Boston University   –   2 – 5 – 0
Washington & Jefferson   –   2 – 7 – 1
CCNY   –   1 – 5 – 1
Rankings from Dickinson System

The 1933 Columbia Lions football team was an American football team that represented Columbia University as an independent during the 1933 college football season. In their fourth season under head coach Lou Little, the Lions compiled an 8–1 record and outscored opponents 179 to 45, with four shutouts.

The Lions' lone setback was a 20–0 loss to Fritz Crisler's undefeated national champion Princeton Tigers. The Lions concluded the 1933 season on New Year's Day in California with a 7–0 victory over Stanford in the mud in the Rose Bowl.[1][2][3][4] The school claims a national championship for the season.[5] This Rose Bowl, held 90 years ago, remains the most recent postseason game for any member of today's Ivy League, which began league play in 1956.

Team captain and quarterback Cliff Montgomery was later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
October 7Lehigh
W 39–016,000[6]
October 14Virginia
  • Baker Field
  • New York, NY
W 15–610,000[7]
October 21at Princeton
L 0–2040,000[8]
October 28Penn State
  • Baker Field
  • New York, NY
W 33–0
November 4at Cornell
W 9–6
November 11Navy
  • Baker Field
  • New York, NY
W 14–7
November 18Lafayette
  • Baker Field
  • New York, NY
W 46–6
November 25Syracuse
  • Baker Field
  • New York, NY
W 16–030,000
January 1, 1934vs. Stanford
W 7–035,000

References

  1. ^ "Gallant Columbia 'Sea' Lions vanquish Stanford in mud, 7 to 0". Milwaukee Journal. January 2, 1934. p. 6, part 2.
  2. ^ Bell, Brian (January 2, 1934). "Columbia amazes sport world with Stanford win, 7-0". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. p. 6.
  3. ^ "Columbia Yearly Results (1930–1934)". College Football Data Warehouse. David DeLassus. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  4. ^ "1933 Columbia LionsSchedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  5. ^ "Columbia Football 2018 Record Book" (PDF). Columbia University Athletics. p. 208. Retrieved January 23, 2019. Columbia has claimed two mythical national championships: in 1875 and 1933
  6. ^ Daley, Arthur J. (October 8, 1933). "Columbia Crushes Lehigh by 39 to 0". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. S1.
  7. ^ "Lions top Cavaliers, 15–6". Brooklyn Times Union. October 15, 1933. Retrieved December 17, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Jimmy Powers (October 22, 1933). "Princeton Overwhelms Lion, 20-0; Montgomery In Fight". New York Daily News. p. 80 – via Newspapers.com.
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