The team beat Rutgers and its only loss was its only road game, at the Polo Grounds in New York City, to undefeated eastern power Penn State.

Defeating the rival Auburn Tigers secured a sharing of the SIAA title with the Georgia Bulldogs and Vanderbilt Commodores, though "no championship was ever won with less effort or achievement."

Red Barron led the team in scoring and rushed for 1,459 yards during the season, a school record at the time.

[3] Harlan, Barron, brothers John and Al Staton, and Oscar Davis made All-Southern.

In 1921, football used a one-platoon system in which players played offense, defense, and special teams.

Coach William Alexander retained his predecessor John Heisman's scheme, using the pre-snap movement of his jump shift offense.

[7] Also in the backfield was junior halfback Red Barron, who had just recovered from a broken jaw received the previous season in a game against Vanderbilt.

But if I were playing again, I would have one wish – never to see bearing down upon me a more fearsome picture of power than Judy Harlan blocking for Red Barron.

"[9] Junior starting quarterback Jack McDonough missed the final four games last year due to an ankle injury caused by Pitt's fullback Orville Hewitt.

[11] The season opened with a 42–0 shutout of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, who were hold to just one first down.

[8] In the second week of play, Red Barron starred as the Tornado defeated the neighboring Oglethorpe Stormy Petrels 41–0.

[12] Dewey Scarboro scored Tech's first touchdown, and the second came on a 25-yard run by Barron, the star of the contest.

[13] The Tech backfield, led by Barron, defeated Billy Laval's Furman Purple Hurricane, 69–0.

[15] A punt return for a touchdown, with Barron reversing field, was disallowed due to an offside penalty.

[17] On October 29, the Penn State Nittany Lions' undefeated "Mystery Team" defeated Georgia Tech 28–7 at the Polo Grounds.

[24] The game's star play immediately followed: an 85-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Glenn Killinger.

Tech tied with independent Centre, Georgia, and Vanderbilt for claims of the SIAA title.

[29] Sportswriter Fuzzy Woodruff in his History of Southern Football explained Tech was picked as champion "through force of habit";[34] though "no championship was ever won with less effort or achievement.