1939 Alabama Crimson Tide football team

1939 Alabama Crimson Tide football
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
Record5–3–1 (2–3–1 SEC)
Head coach
CaptainCarey Cox
Home stadiumDenny Stadium
Legion Field
Seasons
← 1938
1940 →
1939 Southeastern Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 2 Tennessee + 6 0 0 10 1 0
No. 16 Georgia Tech + 6 0 0 8 2 0
No. 5 Tulane + 5 0 0 8 1 1
Mississippi State 3 2 0 8 2 0
Ole Miss 2 2 0 7 2 0
Kentucky 2 2 1 6 2 1
Auburn 3 3 1 5 5 1
Alabama 2 3 1 5 3 1
Georgia 1 3 0 5 6 0
LSU 1 5 0 4 5 0
Vanderbilt 1 6 0 2 7 1
Florida 0 3 1 5 5 1
Sewanee 0 3 0 3 5 0
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1939 Alabama Crimson Tide football team (variously "Alabama", "UA" or "Bama") represented the University of Alabama in the 1939 college football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 46th overall and 7th season as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The team was led by head coach Frank Thomas, in his ninth 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 five wins, three losses and one tie (5–3–1 overall, 2–3–1 in the SEC).

The Crimson Tide opened the season with a victory over Howard before they upset Fordham 7–6 in an intersectional contest at the Polo Grounds in week two. After their victory over Mercer, Alabama was shut out 21–0 by Tennessee, their second consecutive shutout loss against the Volunteers. The Crimson Tide then rebounded with a homecoming victory over Mississippi State. Alabama then went winless over their next three conference games with a tie against Kentucky followed by shutout losses to both Tulane and Georgia Tech. The Crimson Tide rebounded in their final game of the season to defeat Vanderbilt.

Alabama was not ranked in the final AP poll, but it was ranked at No. 17 in the 1939 Williamson System ratings,[1] and at No. 22 in the final Litkenhous Ratings for 1939.[2]

  1. ^ Paul Williamson (December 8, 1941). "Texas Aggies Ranked Nation's Top". The Atlanta Constitution. p. 26 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ E. E. Litkenhous (December 31, 1939). "Vols Second In Final Litkenhous Grid Rankings; Southern California Tenth". Johnson City Sunday Press. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.