1961 NCAA University Division football rankings

Two human polls comprised the 1961 NCAA University Division football rankings. Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the NCAA, does not bestow a national championship, instead that title is bestowed by one or more different polling agencies. There are two main weekly polls that begin in the preseason—the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll.

1961 NCAA University Division football rankings
Season1961
Bowl season1961–62 bowl games
Preseason No. 1
Iowa
End of season championsAlabama

Legend
  Increase in ranking
  Decrease in ranking
  Not ranked previous week
  National champion
(#–#)
   Win–loss record
(Italics)
   Number of first place votes
т
 Tied with team above or below also with this symbol

AP Poll

The final AP Poll was released on December 5,[1] at the end of the 1961 regular season, weeks before the bowls. Starting in the 1961 season and until the 1967 season, The AP Poll ranked only 10 teams.

Preseason
Aug[2]		Week 1
Sep 25[3]		Week 2
Oct 2[4]		Week 3
Oct 9[5]		Week 4
Oct 16[6]		Week 5
Oct 23[7]		Week 6
Oct 30[8]		Week 7
Nov 6[9]		Week 8
Nov 13[10]		Week 9
Nov 20[11]		Week 10
Nov 27[12]		Week 11 (Final)
Dec 5[13]
1.Iowa (22)Iowa (0–0) (19)Iowa (1–0) (24)Ole Miss (3–0) (24)Michigan State (3–0) (16)Michigan State (4–0) (29)Michigan State (5–0) (31)Texas (7–0) (35)Texas (8–0) (41)Alabama (9–0) (39)Alabama (9–0) (26)Alabama (10–0) (26)1.
2.Ohio State (15)Ole Miss (1–0) (12)Ole Miss (2–0) (16)Iowa (2–0) (11)Ole Miss (4–0) (21)Ole Miss (5–0) (11)Ole Miss (6–0) (8)Alabama (7–0) (6)Alabama (8–0) (3)Ohio State (7–0–1) (6)Ohio State (8–0–1) (21)Ohio State (8–0–1) (20)2.
3.Alabama (3)Ohio State (0–0) (7)Georgia Tech (2–0) (7)Alabama (3–0) (4)Texas (4–0) (2)Texas (5–0) (3)Texas (6–0) (6)Ohio State (5–0–1) (7)Ohio State (6–0–1) (2)Minnesota (7–1) (2)LSU (9–1) (1)Texas (9–1)3.
4.Texas (1)Alabama (1–0) (6)Alabama (2–0) (1)Texas (3–0) (3)Iowa (3–0) (2)Alabama (5–0) (4)Alabama (6–0) (2)LSU (6–1)LSU (7–1) (1)LSU (8–1) (1)Texas (9–1)LSU (9–1) (1)4.
5.LSUSyracuse (1–0)Texas (2–0) (2)Michigan State (2–0) (2)Alabama (4–0) (4)Iowa (4–0) (1)Ohio State (4–0–1)Minnesota (5–1)Minnesota (6–1)Texas (8–1)Ole Miss (8–1) (1)Ole Miss (9–1) (1)5.
6.Michigan StateTexas (1–0) (1)Michigan State (1–0) (1)Michigan (2–0) (2)Notre Dame (3–0) (1)Ohio State (3–0–1)LSU (5–1)Michigan State (5–1)Ole Miss (7–1)Ole Miss (8–1) (1)Colorado (8–1)Minnesota (7–2)6.
7.Penn State (1)Rice (0–0) (2)Syracuse (2–0)Ohio State (1–0–1)Ohio State (2–0–1) (1)LSU (4–1)Georgia Tech (5–1)Ole Miss (6–1)Purdue (5–2)Colorado (7–1)Minnesota (7–2)Colorado (9–1)7.
8.Kansas (1)Penn State (1–0) (2)Ohio State (0–0–1)Notre Dame (2–0) (1)Georgia Tech (3–1)Notre Dame (3–1)Colorado (5–0)Colorado (6–0)Colorado (6–1)Michigan State (6–2)Michigan State (7–2)Michigan State (7–2)8.
9.Ole Miss (2)UCLA (1–0)Michigan (1–0)Baylor (2–0)Colorado (3–0)Georgia Tech (4–1)Iowa (4–1)Georgia Tech (6–1)Michigan State (5–2)Arkansas (7–2)Arkansas (8–2)Arkansas (8–2)9.
10.SyracuseMichigan State (0–0)Baylor (1–0)Maryland (3–0)Arkansas (3–1) тColorado (4–0)Missouri (5–0–1)Missouri (5–1–1)Syracuse (6–2)Kansas (6–2–1)Missouri (7–2–1)Utah State (9–0–1)10.
Preseason
Aug[14]		Week 1
Sep 25[15]		Week 2
Oct 2[16]		Week 3
Oct 9[17]		Week 4
Oct 16[18]		Week 5
Oct 23[19]		Week 6
Oct 30[20]		Week 7
Nov 6[21]		Week 8
Nov 13[22]		Week 9
Nov 20[23]		Week 10
Nov 27[24]		Week 11 (Final)
Dec 5[25]
Dropped:
  • Kansas
  • LSU
Dropped:
  • UCLA
  • Penn State
  • Rice
Dropped:
  • Georgia Tech
  • Syracuse
Dropped:
  • Baylor
  • Maryland
  • Michigan
Dropped:
  • Arkansas
Dropped:
  • Notre Dame
Dropped:
  • Iowa
Dropped:
  • Georgia Tech
  • Missouri
Dropped:
  • Purdue
  • Syracuse
Dropped:
  • Kansas
Dropped:
  • Missouri

Final Coaches Poll

The final UPI Coaches Poll was released prior to the bowl games, on December 5.[26]
Alabama received 18 of the 35 first-place votes; Ohio State received fifteen, Ole Miss one, and Colorado one.

Ranking Team Conference Bowl
1 Alabama SEC Won Sugar, 10–3
2 Ohio State Big Ten none
3 LSU SEC Won Orange, 25–7
4 Texas Southwest Won Cotton, 12–7
5 Ole Miss SEC Lost Cotton, 7–12
6 Minnesota Big Ten Won Rose, 21–3
7 Colorado Big Eight Lost Orange, 7–25
8 Arkansas Southwest Lost Sugar, 3–10
9 Michigan State Big Ten none
10 Utah State Skyline Lost Gotham, 9–24
11 Purdue Big Ten none
Missouri Big Eight
13 Georgia Tech SEC Lost Gator, 15–30
14 Duke ACC none
15 Kansas Big Eight Won Bluebonnet, 33–7
16 Syracuse Independent Won Liberty, 15–14
17 Wyoming Skyline none
18 Wisconsin Big Ten
19 Miami (FL) Independent Lost Liberty, 14–15
Penn State Independent Won Gator, 30–15

[26]

  • Prior to the 1975 season, the Big Ten and AAWU (later Pac-8) conferences allowed only one postseason participant each, for the Rose Bowl.
  • The Ivy League has prohibited its members from participating in postseason football since the league was officially formed in 1954.

References
  1. "Bryant says Crimson Tide best team he's ever had". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. December 6, 1961. p. 15.
  2. "1961 Preseason AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  3. "September 25, 1961 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  4. "October 2, 1961 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  5. "October 9, 1961 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  6. "October 16, 1961 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  7. "October 23, 1961 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  8. "October 30, 1961 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  9. "November 6, 1961 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  10. "November 13, 1961 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  11. "November 20, 1961 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  12. "November 27, 1961 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  13. "1961 Final AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  14. "1961 Preseason AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  15. "September 25, 1961 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  16. "October 2, 1961 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  17. "October 9, 1961 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  18. "October 16, 1961 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  19. "October 23, 1961 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  20. "October 30, 1961 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  21. "November 6, 1961 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  22. "November 13, 1961 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  23. "November 20, 1961 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  24. "November 27, 1961 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  25. "1961 Final AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  26. Joyce, Dick (December 5, 1961). "Alabama No. 1 football team in final UPI poll". Bend Bulletin. (Oregon). UPI. p. 3.
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