1981 Final College Football Team RankingsJanuary 5, 1982By PowerUpRankings.com • Posted in 1981 Season Tags: • No Comments1981 rankings calculated with the Classic formula (Ken's 2016-based hybrid, applied retroactively); records, NOW and game results come from James Howell's historical college football score archive.102550100150entries per pageSearch:RankChangeRatingTeamConfRecordWin %PlaceNOWGame Status100.868Penn State (PENN STATE)IND FBSI10–20.8338+63Beat USC 26–10200.887Pittsburgh (PITTSBURGH)IND FBSI11–10.9172+64Beat Georgia 24–20301.013Clemson (CLEMSON)ACC12–01.0001+63Beat Nebraska 22–15431.121Texas (TEXAS)IND SWC10–1–10.8756+52Beat Alabama 14–12501.171Miami (MIAMI)IND FBSI9–20.81812+50BYE6-21.260Nebraska (NEBRASKA)IND B89–30.75019+45Lost to Clemson 15–22711.301SMUIND SWC10–10.9093+41BYE8-21.377Georgia (GEORGIA)SEC10–20.8338+44Lost to Pittsburgh 20–24901.389Arizona State (ARIZONA STATE)PAC9–20.81812+38BYE1011.444BYUIND WAC11–20.8467+41BYE1121.447North Carolina (NORTH CAROLINA)ACC10–20.8338+40BYE12-21.530Alabama (ALABAMA)SEC9–2–10.79215+39Lost to Texas 12–141331.570Michigan (MICHIGAN)B109–30.75019+33Beat UCLA 33–141401.572Yale (YALE)IND IVY9–10.9005+28BYE15-31.623USCPAC9–30.75019+36Lost to Penn State 10–261641.643Washington (WASHINGTON)PAC10–20.8338+36Beat Iowa 28–017-21.662Miami (OH) (MIAMI (OH))MAC8–2–10.77317+31BYE18-11.691Southern Miss (SOUTHERN MISS)IND FBSI9–2–10.79215+28BYE1971.765Ohio State (OHIO STATE)B109–30.75019+31Beat Navy 31–2820-11.772Hawai'i (HAWAII)IND WAC9–20.81812+26BYE2101.804Drake (DRAKE)IND MVC10–10.9093+25BYE2211.817Utah (UTAH)IND WAC8–2–10.77317+22BYE2361.821West Virginia (WEST VIRGINIA)IND FBSI9–30.75019+30Beat Florida 26–624-21.871Oklahoma (OKLAHOMA)IND B87–4–10.62545+25BYE2501.926Wyoming (WYOMING)IND WAC8–30.72726+27BYE2611.933Toledo (TOLEDO)MAC9–30.75019+29BYE27-91.943Iowa (IOWA)B108–40.66733+29Lost to Washington 0–282802.038Washington State (WASHINGTON STATE)PAC8–3–10.70828+21BYE2912.085Missouri (MISSOURI)IND B88–40.66733+24BYE30-62.114UCLAPAC7–4–10.62545+22Lost to Michigan 14–333192.167Mississippi State (MISSISSIPPI STATE)SEC8–40.66733+23Beat Kansas 10–03202.174Arkansas (ARKANSAS)IND SWC8–40.66733+23BYE3302.212San José State (SAN JOSE STATE)IND PCAA9–30.75019+17BYE3432.307West Texas A&M (WEST TEXAS A&M)IND MVC7–40.63640+20BYE3512.309Illinois (ILLINOIS)B107–40.63640+20BYE3632.349Houston (HOUSTON)IND SWC7–4–10.62545+17BYE37-62.359Kansas (KANSAS)IND B88–40.66733+19Lost to Mississippi State 0–103802.390Furman (FURMAN)IND SOCON8–30.72726+10BYE39-52.452Navy (NAVY)IND FBSI7–4–10.62545+13Lost to Ohio State 28–314012.475Wisconsin (WISCONSIN)B107–50.58350+16BYE4112.501Mcneese State (MCNEESE STATE)IND SLC7–3–10.68230+7BYE42-72.535Florida (FLORIDA)SEC7–50.58350+12Lost to West Virginia 6–264302.565Central Michigan (CENTRAL MICHIGAN)MAC7–40.63640+11BYE4402.621Tulsa (TULSA)IND MVC6–50.54556+9BYE4512.657Citadel (CITADEL)IND SOCON7–3–10.68230+3BYE4612.676Tennessee (TENNESSEE)SEC8–40.66733+11BYE47-22.688Florida State (FLORIDA STATE)IND FBSI6–50.54556+14BYE4802.697Virginia Tech (VIRGINIA TECH)IND FBSI7–40.63640+8BYE4902.701Virginia Military Institute (VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE)IND SOCON6–3–10.65039+8BYE5002.733Southern Illinois (SOUTHERN ILLINOIS)IND MVC7–40.63640+20BYE5112.793Texas A&M (TEXAS A & M)IND SWC7–50.58350+9BYE52-12.827Oklahoma State (OKLAHOMA STATE)IND B87–50.58350+11BYE5302.867Temple (TEMPLE)IND FBSI5–50.50069+19BYE5402.876San Diego State (SAN DIEGO STATE)IND WAC6–50.54556+7BYE5502.943Tennessee Chattanooga (TENNESSEE-CHATTANOOGA)IND SOCON7–3–10.68230+1BYE5603.003Arkansas State (ARKANSAS STATE)IND SLC6–50.54556+6BYE5703.079South Carolina (SOUTH CAROLINA)IND FBSI6–60.50069+11BYE5803.121Cincinnati (CINCINNATI)IND FBSI6–50.54556+16BYE5923.146Duke (DUKE)ACC6–50.54556+5BYE6023.153COColgate (COLGATE)IND FBSI7–30.70029-7BYE61-23.161Minnesota (MINNESOTA)B106–50.54556+2BYE6213.230Dartmouth (DARTMOUTH)IND IVY6–40.60049+6BYE63-33.251Iowa State (IOWA STATE)IND B85–5–10.50069+4BYE6413.282UNLVIND FBSI6–60.50069+9BYE65-13.283Notre Dame (NOTRE DAME)IND FBSI5–60.45576-1BYE6603.294Western Michigan (WESTERN MICHIGAN)MAC6–50.54556-2BYE6703.340Texas Arlington (TEXAS-ARLINGTON)IND SLC6–50.54556+2BYE6803.351Boston College (BOSTON COLLEGE)IND FBSI5–60.45576+3BYE6903.456Arizona (ARIZONA)PAC6–50.54556-4BYE7003.478Tulane (TULANE)IND FBSI6–50.54556-3BYE7103.493Syracuse (SYRACUSE)IND FBSI4–6–10.40990+2BYE7203.511Harvard (HARVARD)IND IVY5–4–10.55054-4BYE7303.573Michigan State (MICHIGAN STATE)B105–60.45576-5BYE7413.600East Carolina (EAST CAROLINA)IND FBSI5–60.45576-1BYE75-13.683Auburn (AUBURN)SEC5–60.45576-7BYE7603.695Purdue (PURDUE)B105–60.45576-7BYE7713.697Baylor (BAYLOR)IND SWC5–60.45576-4BYE78-13.717Pacific (PACIFIC)IND PCAA5–60.45576-1BYE7903.727Indiana State (INDIANA STATE)IND MVC5–5–10.50069-8BYE8013.728Utah State (UTAH STATE)IND PCAA5–5–10.50069+4BYE81-13.750Rutgers (RUTGERS)IND FBSI5–60.45576-4BYE8203.765Holy Cross (HOLY CROSS)IND FBSI6–50.54556+8BYE8303.847Bowling Green (BOWLING GREEN)MAC5–5–10.50069-7BYE8413.892Ohio (OHIO)MAC5–60.45576-8BYE85-13.904Ole Miss (MISSISSIPPI)SEC4–6–10.40990-3BYE8603.917William & Mary (WILLIAM & MARY)IND FBSI5–60.45576-5BYE8703.930Maryland (MARYLAND)ACC4–6–10.40990-7BYE8803.944East Tennessee State (EAST TENNESSEE STATE)IND SOCON6–50.54556-2BYE8904.035Stanford (STANFORD)PAC4–70.36497-12BYE9004.138Louisville (LOUISVILLE)IND FBSI5–60.45576-2BYE9104.204Vanderbilt (VANDERBILT)SEC4–70.36497-11BYE9204.272NC State (NORTH CAROLINA STATE)ACC4–70.36497-9BYE9304.286Wichita State (WICHITA STATE)IND MVC4–6–10.40990-3BYE9404.339Princeton (PRINCETON)IND IVY5–4–10.55054+6BYE9504.370Louisiana Tech (LOUISIANA TECH)IND SLC4–6–10.40990-13BYE9604.554Rice (RICE)IND SWC4–70.36497-12BYE9704.650Fresno State (FRESNO STATE)IND PCAA5–60.45576-9BYE9814.885New Mexico (NEW MEXICO)IND WAC4–7–10.37596-23BYE9924.915Richmond (RICHMOND)IND FBSI4–70.36497-24BYE100-24.918Kentucky (KENTUCKY)SEC3–80.273113-16BYE10114.926UL Monroe (LOUISIANA MONROE)IND FBSI5–60.45576-8BYE102-24.970Air Force (AIR FORCE)IND WAC4–70.36497-22BYE10325.004Kent State (KENT STATE)MAC4–70.36497-23BYE10455.021Army (ARMY)IND FBSI3–7–10.318107-19BYE10525.027Western Carolina (WESTERN CAROLINA)IND SOCON4–70.36497-13BYE10625.028Ball State (BALL STATE)MAC4–70.36497-22BYE107-15.029Wake Forest (WAKE FOREST)ACC4–70.36497-17BYE108-55.087Colorado (COLORADO)IND B83–80.273113-19BYE109-55.118California (CALIFORNIA)PAC2–90.182121-24BYE11015.184TCUIND SWC2–7–20.273113-16BYE111-15.251Indiana (INDIANA)B103–80.273113-23BYE11205.412Lamar (LAMAR)IND SLC4–6–10.40990-7BYE11305.565LSUSEC3–7–10.318107-25BYE11405.604App State (APPALACHIAN STATE)IND SOCON3–7–10.318107-31BYE11505.730Kansas State (KANSAS STATE)IND B82–90.182121-31BYE11605.898Cornell (CORNELL)IND IVY3–70.300110-27BYE11716.057Northern Illinois (NORTHERN ILLINOIS)MAC3–80.273113-33BYE11816.080Long Beach State (LONG BEACH STATE)IND PCAA2–80.200120-29BYE119-26.086Oregon (OREGON)PAC2–90.182121-34BYE12006.152Brown (BROWN)IND IVY3–70.300110-30BYE12106.158North Texas (NORTH TEXAS)IND FBSI2–90.182121-32BYE12206.247CAL State Fullerton (CAL STATE FULLERTON)IND PCAA3–80.273113-27BYE12306.425Texas Tech (TEXAS TECH)IND SWC1–9–10.136126-34BYE12416.588Illinois State (ILLINOIS STATE)IND MVC3–70.300110-39BYE125-16.701Georgia Tech (GEORGIA TECH)IND FBSI1–100.091130-40BYE12606.722New Mexico State (NEW MEXICO STATE)IND MVC3–80.273113-41BYE12706.769Virginia (VIRGINIA)ACC1–100.091130-40BYE12806.904Marshall (MARSHALL)IND SOCON2–90.182121-40BYE12907.246Memphis (MEMPHIS)IND FBSI1–100.091130-47BYE13007.503Louisiana (LOUISIANA LAFAYETTE)IND SLC1–9–10.136126-35BYE13107.600Colorado State (COLORADO STATE)IND WAC0–120.000135-51BYE13207.801Columbia (COLUMBIA)IND IVY1–90.100128-34BYE13307.997UTEPIND WAC1–100.091130-40BYE13408.114Oregon State (OREGON STATE)PAC1–100.091130-49BYE13508.209Northwestern (NORTHWESTERN)B100–110.000135-50BYE13608.947Pennsylvania (PENNSYLVANIA)IND IVY1–90.100128-33BYE13709.528Eastern Michigan (EASTERN MICHIGAN)MAC0–110.000135-54BYE
