🏈 The 1981 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
1981 national champion
Named by the selectors, with the road it took.
The path, Clemson12-0
- Sep 5vsWoffordW45-10
- Sep 12atTulaneW13-5
- Sep 19vs#4GeorgiaW13-3
- Oct 3atKentuckyW21-3
- Oct 10vsVirginiaW27-0
- Oct 17atDukeW38-10
- Oct 24vsNorth Carolina StateW17-7
- Oct 31vsWake ForestW82-24
- Nov 7at#8North CarolinaW10-8
- Nov 14vsMarylandW21-7
- Nov 21atSouth CarolinaW29-13
- Jan 1vs#4NebraskaW22-15Orange Bowl
The 1981 major bowls
No title game this year. The big bowls of the season, by date.
- Cotton BowlJan 1#6Texas14#3Alabama12
- Fiesta BowlJan 1#7Penn State26#8USC10
- Orange BowlJan 1#1Clemson22#4Nebraska15
- Rose BowlJan 1#12Washington28#13Iowa0
- Sugar BowlJan 1#10Pittsburgh24#2Georgia20
The 1981 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
- Regular season ends
- Bowl season
Tap or drag on the chart to read a team's rank in any week.
AP rank, team by week
| Team | Aug31 | Sep7 | 14 | 21 | 28 | Oct5 | 12 | 19 | 26 | Nov2 | 9 | 16 | 23 | 30 | Jan3final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clemson | 19 | 14 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |||
| Texas | 9 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 2 |
| Penn State | 7 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 13 | 11 | 7 | 3 |
| Pittsburgh | 8 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 4 |
| SMU | 20 | 15 | 14 | 10 | 8 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | |||
| Georgia | 10 | 6 | 4 | 17 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| Alabama | 4 | 2 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 7 | 15 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| Miami (FL) | 16 | 16 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 8 | |||
| North Carolina | 12 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 9 |
| Washington | 15 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 12 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 12 | 12 | 10 | ||||
| Nebraska | 6 | 7 | 17 | 15 | 19 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 11 | ||
| Michigan | 1 | 1 | 11 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 7 | 16 | 16 | 12 |
| BYU | 16 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 17 | 13 | 18 | 14 | 14 | 13 | |||
| USC | 5 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 14 |
| Ohio State | 11 | 11 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 15 | |||||
| Arizona State | 20 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 17 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 16 | ||
| West Virginia | 17 | ||||||||||||||
| Iowa | 18 | 15 | 12 | 6 | 16 | 19 | 13 | 13 | 18 | ||||||
| Missouri | 13 | 8 | 19 | 19 | |||||||||||
| Oklahoma | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 20 | |||||
| Southern Mississippi | 20 | 14 | 9 | 17 | 18 | ||||||||||
| UCLA | 13 | 12 | 9 | 6 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 19 | 19 | |||||
| Washington State | 18 | 16 | 14 | 17 | 14 | 20 | 20 | ||||||||
| Arkansas | 19 | 12 | 20 | 19 | 16 | 16 | |||||||||
| Hawaii | 19 | ||||||||||||||
| Florida State | 19 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 11 | 20 | 17 | 14 | 20 | ||||||
| Mississippi State | 14 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 19 | 16 | 9 | 7 | 15 | |||||
| Iowa State | 20 | 12 | 14 | 11 | |||||||||||
| Wisconsin | 20 | 14 | |||||||||||||
| Notre Dame | 3 | 4 | 1 | 13 | |||||||||||
| Stanford | 18 | 19 | |||||||||||||
| Florida | 17 |
Tap a rank to read it and highlight that team on the chart above.
Movers
AP rank on Aug 31 against the final AP rank. NR is not ranked.
Risers
- ClemsonNR → #1
- SMUNR → #5
- Miami (FL)NR → #8
- West VirginiaNR → #17
- IowaNR → #18
Fallers
- Notre Dame#3 → NR
- Oklahoma#2 → #20
- UCLA#13 → NR
- Mississippi State#14 → NR
- Michigan#1 → #12
1981 final polls
The last ranking of the season in each poll.
1981 final pollsAP, Coaches, Elo
AP and Coaches
Jan 3 final| AP | Team | C | Rec |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ClemsonAPC | 1 | 12-0 |
| 2 | 4 | 10-1-1 | |
| 3 | 3 | 10-2 | |
| 4 | 2 | 11-1 | |
| 5 | 10-1 | ||
| 6 | 5 | 10-2 | |
| 7 | 6 | 9-2-1 | |
| 8 | 9-2 | ||
| 9 | 8 | 10-2 | |
| 10 | 7 | 10-2 | |
| 11 | 9 | 9-3 | |
| 12 | 10 | 9-3 | |
| 13 | 11 | 11-2 | |
| 14 | 13 | 9-3 | |
| 15 | 12 | 9-3 | |
| 16 | 9-2 | ||
| 17 | 18 | 9-3 | |
| 18 | 15 | 8-4 | |
| 19 | 20 | 8-4 | |
| 20 | 14 | 7-4-1 | |
| Coaches only | |||
| 16 | |||
| 17 | |||
| 19 | |||
Elo top 25
rating, z
APAP championCCoaches champion
The 1981 honours
The Heisman vote and the major awards side by side, then the All-Americans.
The 1981 honoursHeisman: Marcus Allen
Heisman Trophy voting
Consensus All-Americans
A star marks a unanimous selection.
- Jim McMahon★ unanimousBYU
- Anthony Carter★ unanimousMichigan
Show all 10 positions
- Tim Wrightman★ unanimousUCLA
- Dave Rimington★ unanimousNebraska
- Jeff DavisClemson
- Bob CrableNotre Dame
- Sal SunseriPittsburgh
- Tommy WilcoxAlabama
- Mike RichardsonArizona State
- Terry KinardClemson
- Fred MarionMiami (FL)
- Reggie RobyIowa
- Jim McMahon★ unanimousBYU
- Anthony Carter★ unanimousMichigan
- Tim Wrightman★ unanimousUCLA
- Dave Rimington★ unanimousNebraska
- Jeff DavisClemson
- Bob CrableNotre Dame
- Sal SunseriPittsburgh
- Tommy WilcoxAlabama
- Mike RichardsonArizona State
- Terry KinardClemson
- Fred MarionMiami (FL)
- Reggie RobyIowa
The best games of 1981
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 198110 games
Upsets of 1981
The results the ratings gave the winner the least chance of, lowest first.
How this is measured
Upsets of 198110 upsets
1981 standings by conference
Every conference at once: conference and overall record, and the final AP rank. A star marks the conference champion.
1981 standings by conference14 groups
Atlantic Coast
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clemson★ conference champion | 6-0 | 12-0 | #1 |
| 2 | North Carolina | 5-1 | 10-2 | #9 |
| 3 | Maryland | 4-2 | 4-6-1 | |
| 4 | Duke | 3-3 | 6-5 | |
| 5 | North Carolina State | 2-4 | 4-7 | |
| 6 | Wake Forest | 1-5 | 4-7 | |
| 7 | Virginia | 0-6 | 1-10 |
Big Eight
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nebraska★ conference champion | 7-0 | 9-3 | #11 |
| 2 | Oklahoma | 4-2-1 | 7-4-1 | #20 |
| 3 | Kansas | 4-3 | 8-4 | |
| 4 | Oklahoma State | 4-3 | 7-5 | |
| 5 | Missouri | 3-4 | 8-4 | #19 |
| 6 | Iowa State | 2-4-1 | 5-5-1 | |
| 7 | Colorado | 2-5 | 3-8 | |
| 8 | Kansas State | 1-6 | 2-9 |
Big Ten
10 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State★ conference champion | 6-2 | 9-3 | #15 |
| 2 | Iowa★ conference champion | 6-2 | 8-4 | #18 |
| 3 | Michigan | 6-3 | 9-3 | #12 |
| 4 | Illinois | 6-3 | 7-4 | |
| 5 | Wisconsin | 6-3 | 7-5 | |
| 6 | Minnesota | 4-5 | 6-5 | |
| 7 | Michigan State | 4-5 | 5-6 | |
| 8 | Purdue | 3-6 | 5-6 | |
| 9 | Indiana | 3-6 | 3-8 | |
| 10 | Northwestern | 0-9 | 0-11 |
Ivy
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yale★ conference champion | 6-1 | 9-1 | |
| 2 | Dartmouth★ conference champion | 6-1 | 6-4 | |
| 3 | Princeton | 5-1-1 | 5-4-1 | |
| 4 | Harvard | 4-2-1 | 5-4-1 | |
| 5 | Brown | 2-5 | 3-7 | |
| 6 | Cornell | 2-5 | 3-7 | |
| 7 | Columbia | 1-6 | 1-9 | |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | 1-6 | 1-9 |
Mid-American
10 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toledo★ conference champion | 8-1 | 9-3 | |
| 2 | Miami (OH) | 6-1-1 | 8-2-1 | |
| 3 | Central Michigan | 7-2 | 7-4 | |
| 4 | Bowling Green | 5-3-1 | 5-5-1 | |
| 5 | Western Michigan | 5-4 | 6-5 | |
| 6 | Ohio | 5-4 | 5-6 | |
| 7 | Kent State | 3-6 | 4-7 | |
| 8 | Ball State | 2-6 | 4-7 | |
| 9 | Northern Illinois | 2-7 | 3-8 | |
| 10 | Eastern Michigan | 0-9 | 0-11 |
Missouri Valley
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Drake★ conference champion | 5-1 | 10-1 | |
| 2 | Tulsa★ conference champion | 5-1 | 6-5 | |
| 3 | Southern Illinois | 5-2 | 7-4 | |
| 4 | West Texas State | 3-3 | 7-4 | |
| 5 | Wichita State | 3-3-1 | 4-6-1 | |
| 6 | Indiana State | 2-4-1 | 5-5-1 | |
| 7 | New Mexico State | 1-5 | 3-8 | |
| 8 | Illinois State | 0-5 | 3-7 |
Pacific Coast
6 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose State★ conference champion | 5-0 | 9-3 | |
| 2 | Utah State | 4-1 | 5-5-1 | |
| 3 | Fresno State | 2-3 | 5-6 | |
| 4 | Pacific | 2-3 | 5-6 | |
| 5 | CSU-Fullerton | 1-4 | 3-8 | |
| 6 | Long Beach State | 1-4 | 2-8 |
Pacific-10
10 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington★ conference champion | 6-2 | 10-2 | #10 |
| 2 | Arizona State | 5-2 | 9-2 | #16 |
| 3 | USC | 5-2 | 9-3 | #14 |
| 4 | Washington State | 5-2-1 | 8-3-1 | |
| 5 | UCLA | 5-2-1 | 7-4-1 | |
| 6 | Arizona | 4-4 | 6-5 | |
| 7 | Stanford | 4-4 | 4-7 | |
| 8 | California | 2-6 | 2-9 | |
| 9 | Oregon | 1-6 | 2-9 | |
| 10 | Oregon State | 0-7 | 1-10 |
Southeastern
10 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia★ conference champion | 6-0 | 10-2 | #6 |
| 2 | Alabama★ conference champion | 6-0 | 9-2-1 | #7 |
| 3 | Mississippi State | 4-2 | 8-4 | |
| 4 | Tennessee | 3-3 | 8-4 | |
| 5 | Florida | 3-3 | 7-5 | |
| 6 | Auburn | 2-4 | 5-6 | |
| 7 | Kentucky | 2-4 | 3-8 | |
| 8 | Mississippi | 1-4-1 | 4-6-1 | |
| 9 | LSU | 1-4-1 | 3-7-1 | |
| 10 | Vanderbilt | 1-5 | 4-7 |
Southern
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Furman | 5-2 | 8-3 | |
| 2 | VMI | 3-1-1 | 6-3-1 | |
| 3 | East Tennessee State | 4-2 | 6-5 | |
| 4 | Citadel | 3-2-1 | 7-3-1 | |
| 5 | UT-Chattanooga | 3-2-1 | 7-3-1 | |
| 6 | Western Carolina | 3-4 | 4-7 | |
| 7 | Appalachian State | 1-5-1 | 3-7-1 | |
| 8 | Marshall | 1-5 | 2-9 |
Southland
6 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas-Arlington★ conference champion | 4-1 | 6-5 | |
| 2 | McNeese State | 3-1-1 | 7-3-1 | |
| 3 | Arkansas State | 3-2 | 6-5 | |
| 4 | Louisiana Tech | 2-2-1 | 4-6-1 | |
| 5 | Lamar | 1-3-1 | 4-6-1 | |
| 6 | SW Louisiana | 0-4-1 | 1-9-1 |
Southwest
9 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMU★ conference champion | 7-1 | 10-1 | #5 |
| 2 | Texas | 6-1-1 | 10-1-1 | #2 |
| 3 | Houston | 5-2-1 | 7-4-1 | |
| 4 | Arkansas | 5-3 | 8-4 | |
| 5 | Texas A&M | 4-4 | 7-5 | |
| 6 | Baylor | 3-5 | 5-6 | |
| 7 | Rice | 3-5 | 4-7 | |
| 8 | TCU | 1-6-1 | 2-7-2 | |
| 9 | Texas Tech | 0-7-1 | 1-9-1 |
Western Athletic
9 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BYU★ conference champion | 7-1 | 11-2 | #13 |
| 2 | Hawaii | 5-1 | 9-2 | |
| 3 | Utah | 4-1-1 | 8-2-1 | |
| 4 | Wyoming | 6-2 | 8-3 | |
| 5 | New Mexico | 3-4-1 | 4-7-1 | |
| 6 | Air Force | 2-3 | 4-7 | |
| 7 | San Diego State | 3-5 | 6-5 | |
| 8 | UTEP | 1-6 | 1-10 | |
| 9 | Colorado State | 0-8 | 0-12 |
Independent
28 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pittsburgh | - | 11-1 | #4 |
| 2 | Penn State | - | 10-2 | #3 |
| 3 | Miami (FL) | - | 9-2 | #8 |
| 4 | Southern Mississippi | - | 9-2-1 | |
| 5 | West Virginia | - | 9-3 | #17 |
| 6 | Colgate | - | 7-3 | |
| 7 | Virginia Tech | - | 7-4 | |
| 8 | Navy | - | 7-4-1 | |
| 9 | Cincinnati | - | 6-5 | |
| 10 | Florida State | - | 6-5 | |
| 11 | Holy Cross | - | 6-5 | |
| 12 | Tulane | - | 6-5 | |
| 13 | South Carolina | - | 6-6 | |
| 14 | Temple | - | 5-5 | |
| 15 | UNLV | - | 6-6 | |
| 16 | Boston College | - | 5-6 | |
| 17 | East Carolina | - | 5-6 | |
| 18 | Louisville | - | 5-6 | |
| 19 | Northeast Louisiana | - | 5-6 | |
| 20 | Notre Dame | - | 5-6 | |
| 21 | Rutgers | - | 5-6 | |
| 22 | William & Mary | - | 5-6 | |
| 23 | Syracuse | - | 4-6-1 | |
| 24 | Richmond | - | 4-7 | |
| 25 | Army | - | 3-7-1 | |
| 26 | North Texas | - | 2-9 | |
| 27 | Georgia Tech | - | 1-10 | |
| 28 | Memphis State | - | 1-10 |
1981 bowls
One line per game, latest first. A tag marks the playoff and the other major bowls.
1981 bowls16 bowls
Show all 16 bowls
I-AA. Shown for context. These seasons do not count in this hub’s major-college records.
Champion
I-AA national champion.
Playoff
Round by round.
I-AA playoff
1981 standings by conference
Overall and conference record.
1981 standings by conference7 groups
Big Sky
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Idaho State | 6-1 | 12-1 | |
| 2 | Boise State | 6-1 | 10-3 | |
| 3 | Montana | 5-2 | 7-3 | |
| 4 | Nevada | 4-3 | 7-4 | |
| 5 | Weber State | 4-3 | 7-4 | |
| 6 | Northern Arizona | 2-5 | 4-7 | |
| 7 | Montana State | 1-6 | 3-7 | |
| 8 | Idaho | 0-7 | 3-8 |
Mid-Continent
4 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eastern Illinois | 2-1 | 7-4 | |
| 2 | Northern Iowa | 2-1 | 7-4 | |
| 3 | Western Illinois | 2-1 | 5-6 | |
| 4 | SW Missouri State | 0-3 | 3-5-2 |
Mid-Eastern
6 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Carolina State | 5-0 | 10-3 | |
| 2 | Florida A&M | 4-1 | 7-4 | |
| 3 | Bethune-Cookman | 3-2 | 6-4 | |
| 4 | Howard | 2-3 | 6-5 | |
| 5 | Delaware State | 1-4 | 3-8 | |
| 6 | North Carolina A&T | 0-5 | 3-8 |
Ohio Valley
9 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eastern Kentucky | 8-0 | 12-2 | |
| 2 | Murray State | 5-3 | 8-3 | |
| 3 | Youngstown State | 5-3 | 7-4 | |
| 4 | Middle Tennessee State | 4-4 | 6-5 | |
| 5 | Tennessee Tech | 4-4 | 6-5 | |
| 6 | Western Kentucky | 4-4 | 6-5 | |
| 7 | Akron | 4-4 | 5-5 | |
| 8 | Austin Peay | 3-5 | 5-5 | |
| 9 | Morehead State | 0-8 | 1-9 |
Southwestern Athletic
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jackson State | 5-1 | 8-3 | |
| 2 | Grambling | 4-1 | 6-4-1 | |
| 3 | Texas Southern | 3-2 | 4-5-1 | |
| 4 | Alcorn State | 3-3 | 5-5 | |
| 5 | Mississippi Valley State | 2-4 | 3-8 | |
| 6 | Southern | 2-4 | 3-8 | |
| 7 | Prairie View | 1-5 | 2-8 |
Yankee
6 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 4-1 | 6-3 | |
| 2 | Rhode Island | 4-1 | 6-6 | |
| 3 | Boston University | 3-2 | 6-5 | |
| 4 | New Hampshire | 2-3 | 7-3 | |
| 5 | Connecticut | 1-4 | 4-7 | |
| 6 | Maine | 1-4 | 3-7-1 |
Independent
10 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lafayette | - | 9-2 | |
| 2 | Delaware | - | 9-3 | |
| 3 | Tennessee State | - | 9-3 | |
| 4 | Lehigh | - | 8-3 | |
| 5 | SE Louisiana | - | 8-3 | |
| 6 | Nicholls State | - | 5-5-1 | |
| 7 | Bucknell | - | 4-6 | |
| 8 | Northwestern State | - | 4-6 | |
| 9 | Northeastern | - | 3-7 | |
| 10 | James Madison | - | 3-8 |
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.