The 1940 Rose Bowl, played on January 1, 1940, was an American college football bowl game. It was the 26th Rose Bowl Game. The USC Trojans defeated the Tennessee Volunteers 14–0. Ambrose Schindler, the USC quarterback, was named the Rose Bowl Player Of The Game when the award was created in 1953 and selections were made retroactively. USC ended a 23-game Tennessee winning streak and the Trojans scored the first points against the Volunteers all season.