🏈 The 1961 college football season
The champion and its path, the poll race week by week, the honours, the best games and every conference table.
Jump to any season1869–2026
1961 national champion
Named by the selectors, with the road it took.
The path, Alabama11-0
- Sep 23atGeorgiaW32-6
- Sep 30vsTulaneW9-0
- Oct 7atVanderbiltW35-6
- Oct 14vsNorth Carolina StateW26-7
- Oct 21vsTennesseeW34-3
- Oct 28atHoustonW17-0
- Nov 4vsMississippi StateW24-0
- Nov 11vsRichmondW66-0
- Nov 18vsGeorgia TechW10-0
- Dec 2atAuburnW34-0
- Jan 1vs#9ArkansasW10-3Sugar Bowl
The 1961 major bowls
No title game this year. The big bowls of the season, by date.
The 1961 poll race
Rank by poll week, 1 at the top, or Elo by week. A poll line breaks where a team was unranked.
How this is measured
Tap or drag on the chart to read a team's rank in any week.
AP rank, team by week
| Team | Sep10 | 25 | Oct2 | 9 | 16 | 23 | 30 | Nov6 | 13 | 20 | 27 | Dec4final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Ohio State | 2 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Texas | 4 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| LSU | 5 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | |||
| Mississippi | 9 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 |
| Minnesota | 5 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 6 | |||||||
| Colorado | 9 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 7 | ||||
| Michigan State | 6 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Arkansas | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | ||||||||
| Utah State | 10 | |||||||||||
| Missouri | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | ||||||||
| Purdue | 7 | 12 | ||||||||||
| Georgia Tech | 3 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 13 | ||||||
| Syracuse | 10 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 14 | |||||||
| Rutgers | 15 | |||||||||||
| UCLA | 9 | 16 | ||||||||||
| Penn State | 7 | 8 | 17 | |||||||||
| Rice | 7 | 17 | ||||||||||
| Arizona | 17 | |||||||||||
| Duke | 20 | |||||||||||
| Kansas | 8 | 10 | ||||||||||
| Iowa | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 9 | |||||
| Notre Dame | 8 | 6 | 8 | |||||||||
| Michigan | 9 | 6 | ||||||||||
| Baylor | 10 | 9 | ||||||||||
| Maryland | 10 |
Tap a rank to read it and highlight that team on the chart above.
Movers
AP rank on Sep 10 against the final AP rank. NR is not ranked.
Risers
- MinnesotaNR → #6
- ColoradoNR → #7
- ArkansasNR → #9
- Utah StateNR → #10
- MissouriNR → #11
Fallers
- Iowa#1 → NR
- Kansas#8 → NR
- Penn State#7 → #17
- Syracuse#10 → #14
- Michigan State#6 → #8
1961 final polls
The last ranking of the season in each poll.
1961 final pollsAP, Coaches, Elo
AP and Coaches
Dec 4 final| AP | Team | C | Rec |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AlabamaAPC | 1 | 10-0 |
| 2 | 2 | 8-0-1 | |
| 3 | 4 | 9-1 | |
| 4 | 3 | 9-1 | |
| 5 | 5 | 9-1 | |
| 6 | 6 | 7-2 | |
| 7 | 7 | 9-1 | |
| 8 | 9 | 7-2 | |
| 9 | 8 | 8-2 | |
| 10 | 10 | 9-0-1 | |
| 11 | 11 | 7-2-1 | |
| 12 | 11 | 6-3 | |
| 13 | 13 | 7-3 | |
| 14 | 16 | 7-3 | |
| 15 | 9-0 | ||
| 16 | 7-3 | ||
| 17 | 8-1-1 | ||
| 17 | 19 | 7-3 | |
| 17 | 7-3 | ||
| 20 | 14 | 7-3 | |
| Coaches only | |||
| 15 | |||
| 17 | |||
| 18 | |||
| 19 | |||
Elo top 25
rating, z
APAP championCCoaches champion
The 1961 honours
The Heisman vote and the major awards side by side, then the All-Americans.
The 1961 honoursHeisman: Ernie Davis
Heisman Trophy voting
Major awards
Consensus All-Americans
A star marks a unanimous selection.
- Alex KrollRutgers
- Sandy StephensMinnesota
- Bob Ferguson★ unanimousOhio State
- Ernie Davis★ unanimousSyracuse
- Jimmy Saxton★ unanimousTexas
- Gary CollinsMaryland
- Bill MillerMiami (FL)
Show all 5 positions
- Billy Neighbors★ unanimousAlabama
- Merlin OlsenUtah State
- Alex KrollRutgers
- Sandy StephensMinnesota
- Bob Ferguson★ unanimousOhio State
- Ernie Davis★ unanimousSyracuse
- Jimmy Saxton★ unanimousTexas
- Gary CollinsMaryland
- Bill MillerMiami (FL)
- Billy Neighbors★ unanimousAlabama
- Merlin OlsenUtah State
The best games of 1961
The ten best games of the season by Game Score. Switch to the Elo score for a second opinion.
How this is measured
The best games of 196110 games
Upsets of 1961
The results the ratings gave the winner the least chance of, lowest first.
How this is measured
Upsets of 196110 upsets
1961 standings by conference
Every conference at once: conference and overall record, and the final AP rank. A star marks the conference champion.
1961 standings by conference12 groups
AAWU
5 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UCLA★ conference champion | 3-1 | 7-4 | #16 |
| 2 | Washington | 2-1-1 | 5-4-1 | |
| 3 | USC | 2-1-1 | 4-5-1 | |
| 4 | Stanford | 1-3 | 4-6 | |
| 5 | California | 1-3 | 1-8-1 |
Atlantic Coast
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Duke★ conference champion | 5-1 | 7-3 | #20 |
| 2 | North Carolina | 4-3 | 5-5 | |
| 3 | Maryland | 3-3 | 7-3 | |
| 4 | Clemson | 3-3 | 5-5 | |
| 5 | North Carolina State | 3-4 | 4-6 | |
| 6 | South Carolina | 3-4 | 4-6 | |
| 7 | Wake Forest | 3-4 | 4-6 | |
| 8 | Virginia | 2-4 | 4-6 |
Big Eight
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colorado★ conference champion | 7-0 | 9-2 | #7 |
| 2 | Missouri | 5-2 | 7-2-1 | #11 |
| 3 | Kansas | 5-2 | 7-3-1 | |
| 4 | Oklahoma | 4-3 | 5-5 | |
| 5 | Iowa State | 3-4 | 5-5 | |
| 6 | Oklahoma State | 2-5 | 4-6 | |
| 7 | Nebraska | 2-5 | 3-6-1 | |
| 8 | Kansas State | 0-7 | 2-8 |
Big Ten
10 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State★ conference champion | 6-0 | 8-0-1 | #2 |
| 2 | Minnesota | 6-1 | 8-2 | #6 |
| 3 | Michigan State | 5-2 | 7-2 | #8 |
| 4 | Purdue | 4-2 | 6-3 | #12 |
| 5 | Wisconsin | 4-3 | 6-3 | |
| 6 | Michigan | 3-3 | 6-3 | |
| 7 | Iowa | 2-4 | 5-4 | |
| 8 | Northwestern | 2-4 | 4-5 | |
| 9 | Indiana | 0-6 | 2-7 | |
| 10 | Illinois | 0-7 | 0-9 |
Border
5 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona State★ conference champion | 3-0 | 7-3 | |
| 2 | West Texas State | 3-1 | 6-4 | |
| 3 | New Mexico State | 2-1 | 5-4-1 | |
| 4 | Texas Western | 1-3 | 3-7 | |
| 5 | Hardin-Simmons | 0-4 | 0-10 |
Ivy
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbia★ conference champion | 6-1 | 6-3 | |
| 2 | Harvard★ conference champion | 6-1 | 6-3 | |
| 3 | Dartmouth | 5-2 | 6-3 | |
| 4 | Princeton | 5-2 | 5-4 | |
| 5 | Yale | 3-4 | 4-5 | |
| 6 | Cornell | 2-5 | 3-6 | |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | 1-6 | 2-7 | |
| 8 | Brown | 0-7 | 0-9 |
Missouri Valley
4 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wichita★ conference champion | 3-0 | 8-3 | |
| 2 | North Texas | 1-2 | 5-4-1 | |
| 3 | Cincinnati | 1-2 | 3-7 | |
| 4 | Tulsa | 1-2 | 2-8 |
Skyline
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utah State★ conference champion | 5-0-1 | 9-1-1 | #10 |
| 2 | Wyoming★ conference champion | 5-0-1 | 6-1-2 | |
| 3 | New Mexico | 3-3 | 7-4 | |
| 4 | Utah | 3-3 | 6-4 | |
| 5 | Montana | 2-4 | 2-6 | |
| 6 | BYU | 2-4 | 2-8 | |
| 7 | Colorado State | 0-6 | 0-10 |
Southeastern
12 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama★ conference champion | 7-0 | 11-0 | #1 |
| 2 | LSU★ conference champion | 6-0 | 10-1 | #4 |
| 3 | Mississippi | 5-1 | 9-2 | #5 |
| 4 | Georgia Tech | 4-3 | 7-4 | #13 |
| 5 | Tennessee | 4-3 | 6-4 | |
| 6 | Florida | 3-3 | 4-5-1 | |
| 7 | Auburn | 3-4 | 6-4 | |
| 8 | Kentucky | 2-4 | 5-5 | |
| 9 | Georgia | 2-5 | 3-7 | |
| 10 | Mississippi State | 1-5 | 5-5 | |
| 11 | Tulane | 1-5 | 2-8 | |
| 12 | Vanderbilt | 1-6 | 2-8 |
Southern
9 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Citadel★ conference champion | 5-1 | 7-3 | |
| 2 | Richmond | 5-2 | 5-5 | |
| 3 | VMI | 4-2 | 6-4 | |
| 4 | West Virginia | 2-1 | 4-6 | |
| 5 | Furman | 2-2 | 7-3 | |
| 6 | George Washington | 3-4 | 3-6 | |
| 7 | Virginia Tech | 2-3 | 4-5 | |
| 8 | Davidson | 1-4 | 4-4 | |
| 9 | William & Mary | 1-6 | 1-9 |
Southwest
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas★ conference champion | 6-1 | 10-1 | #3 |
| 2 | Arkansas★ conference champion | 6-1 | 8-3 | #9 |
| 3 | Rice | 5-2 | 7-4 | #17 |
| 4 | Texas A&M | 3-4 | 4-5-1 | |
| 5 | TCU | 2-4-1 | 3-5-2 | |
| 6 | Baylor | 2-5 | 6-5 | |
| 7 | Texas Tech | 2-5 | 4-6 | |
| 8 | SMU | 1-5-1 | 2-7-1 |
Independent
27 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rutgers | - | 9-0 | #15 |
| 2 | Arizona | - | 8-1-1 | #17 |
| 3 | Memphis State | - | 8-2 | |
| 4 | Villanova | - | 8-2 | |
| 5 | Penn State | - | 8-3 | #17 |
| 6 | Syracuse | - | 8-3 | #14 |
| 7 | Holy Cross | - | 7-3 | |
| 8 | Navy | - | 7-3 | |
| 9 | Miami (FL) | - | 7-4 | |
| 10 | Army | - | 6-4 | |
| 11 | San Jose State | - | 6-4 | |
| 12 | Xavier | - | 6-4 | |
| 13 | Colgate | - | 5-4 | |
| 14 | Detroit | - | 5-4 | |
| 15 | Pacific | - | 5-4 | |
| 16 | Houston | - | 5-4-1 | |
| 17 | Notre Dame | - | 5-5 | |
| 18 | Oregon State | - | 5-5 | |
| 19 | Florida State | - | 4-5-1 | |
| 20 | Boston University | - | 4-5 | |
| 21 | Boston College | - | 4-6 | |
| 22 | Oregon | - | 4-6 | |
| 23 | Air Force | - | 3-7 | |
| 24 | Pittsburgh | - | 3-7 | |
| 25 | Washington State | - | 3-7 | |
| 26 | Idaho | - | 2-7 | |
| 27 | Dayton | - | 2-8 |
1961 bowls
One line per game, latest first. A tag marks the playoff and the other major bowls.
1961 bowls10 bowls
Where these numbers come from
Enough to disbelieve this page on purpose rather than by accident.
Champions, polls, standings, bowls, honours and games are read from the Citizen of Nowhere college football database, built from its own workbook one season at a time. Team colours and crests are the current programs’, so a school is drawn the way it looks today even where it played under another name.
The AP poll begins in 1936, so earlier seasons have no poll race and no final poll, but they do have an Elo race, and their champions are those the selectors named. Before 1992 there was no title game, so those seasons list the major bowls instead; from 1992 the title game is shown with the other major bowls, and from 2014 the playoff bracket. Where the database has no entry for a section, the section is left out rather than shown empty.
Elo ratings, the upsets and the best games come from the site’s college football Elo, which rates every game since 1869 and counts games against lower-level opponents. Each season’s ratings are shown on a scale where the average major team ends the season at 1500; z is the distance from that average in standard deviations.