Live College Football Rankings

1981 Regular Season Final College Football Team Rankings

By • Posted in 1981 Season Tags: • No Comments
1981 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.
RankChangeRatingTeamConfRecordWin %PlaceNOWGame Status
100.946Penn State (PENN STATE)IND FBSI9–20.81811+53BYE
200.980Pittsburgh (PITTSBURGH)IND FBSI10–10.9092+53BYE
301.075Clemson (CLEMSON)ACC11–01.0001+53BYE
401.111Nebraska (NEBRASKA)IND B89–20.81811+44BYE
501.152Miami (MIAMI)IND FBSI9–20.81811+49BYE
601.248Georgia (GEORGIA)SEC10–10.9092+44Beat Georgia Tech 44–7
701.262Texas (TEXAS)IND SWC9–1–10.8647+42BYE
801.274SMUIND SWC10–10.9092+40BYE
901.342Arizona State (ARIZONA STATE)PAC9–20.81811+39BYE
1001.426Alabama (ALABAMA)SEC9–1–10.8647+37BYE
1101.473USCPAC9–20.81811+36BYE
1201.492Southern Miss (SOUTHERN MISS)IND FBSI9–1–10.8647+31BYE
1311.554Yale (YALE)IND IVY9–10.9006+28BYE
1411.572BYUIND WAC10–20.83310+33BYE
15-21.583North Carolina (NORTH CAROLINA)ACC9–20.81811+32BYE
1601.665Michigan (MICHIGAN)B108–30.72723+28BYE
1701.690Iowa (IOWA)B108–30.72723+30BYE
1801.704Miami (OH) (MIAMI (OH))MAC8–2–10.77320+31BYE
1961.761Hawai'i (HAWAII)IND WAC9–20.81811+26Beat South Carolina 33–10
20-11.774Washington (WASHINGTON)PAC9–20.81811+29BYE
21-11.794Drake (DRAKE)IND MVC10–10.9092+25BYE
22-11.828UCLAPAC7–3–10.68233+26BYE
23-11.842Utah (UTAH)IND WAC8–2–10.77320+22BYE
24-11.880Washington State (WASHINGTON STATE)PAC8–2–10.77320+24BYE
25-11.906Ohio State (OHIO STATE)B108–30.72723+24BYE
2601.932Wyoming (WYOMING)IND WAC8–30.72723+26BYE
2711.997West Virginia (WEST VIRGINIA)IND FBSI8–30.72723+23BYE
28-11.997Arkansas (ARKANSAS)IND SWC8–30.72723+24BYE
2902.025San José State (SAN JOSE STATE)IND PCAA9–20.81811+20BYE
3002.050Houston (HOUSTON)IND SWC7–3–10.68233+21BYE
3102.078Oklahoma (OKLAHOMA)IND B86–4–10.59152+20BYE
3202.110Kansas (KANSAS)IND B88–30.72723+24BYE
3302.172Toledo (TOLEDO)MAC8–30.72723+20BYE
3402.191Wisconsin (WISCONSIN)B107–40.63640+20BYE
3512.276Illinois (ILLINOIS)B107–40.63640+20BYE
36-12.286Navy (NAVY)IND FBSI7–3–10.68233+16BYE
3702.299Florida (FLORIDA)SEC7–40.63640+16BYE
3802.306West Texas A&M (WEST TEXAS A&M)IND MVC7–40.63640+20BYE
3902.360Furman (FURMAN)IND SOCON8–30.72723+11BYE
4002.362Missouri (MISSOURI)IND B87–40.63640+16BYE
4102.399Mississippi State (MISSISSIPPI STATE)SEC7–40.63640+17BYE
4202.501Tulsa (TULSA)IND MVC6–50.54555+12BYE
4302.513Oklahoma State (OKLAHOMA STATE)IND B87–40.63640+16BYE
4402.528Mcneese State (MCNEESE STATE)IND SLC7–3–10.68233+7BYE
4502.580Central Michigan (CENTRAL MICHIGAN)MAC7–40.63640+11BYE
4602.603Florida State (FLORIDA STATE)IND FBSI6–50.54555+16BYE
4702.673Citadel (CITADEL)IND SOCON7–3–10.68233+4BYE
4802.721Virginia Tech (VIRGINIA TECH)IND FBSI7–40.63640+8BYE
4902.736Southern Illinois (SOUTHERN ILLINOIS)IND MVC7–40.63640+20BYE
5002.768Virginia Military Institute (VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE)IND SOCON6–3–10.65039+8BYE
5112.839San Diego State (SAN DIEGO STATE)IND WAC6–50.54555+7BYE
5212.878Temple (TEMPLE)IND FBSI5–50.50069+20BYE
5312.916Tennessee (TENNESSEE)SEC7–40.63640+7BYE
5412.962Tennessee Chattanooga (TENNESSEE-CHATTANOOGA)IND SOCON7–3–10.68233+1BYE
5512.971Arkansas State (ARKANSAS STATE)IND SLC6–50.54555+7BYE
5613.038Texas A&M (TEXAS A & M)IND SWC6–50.54555+3BYE
57-63.062South Carolina (SOUTH CAROLINA)IND FBSI6–60.50069+11Lost to Hawai'i 10–33
5813.110Minnesota (MINNESOTA)B106–50.54555+2BYE
5913.125Cincinnati (CINCINNATI)IND FBSI6–50.54555+16BYE
6013.127Iowa State (IOWA STATE)IND B85–5–10.50069+6BYE
61-33.156Duke (DUKE)ACC6–50.54555+5BYE
6203.183Colgate (COLGATE)IND FBSI7–30.70032-7BYE
6303.244Notre Dame (NOTRE DAME)IND FBSI5–60.455760BYE
6403.245Dartmouth (DARTMOUTH)IND IVY6–40.60051+6BYE
6513.261UNLVIND FBSI6–60.50069+8BYE
66-13.271Western Michigan (WESTERN MICHIGAN)MAC6–50.54555-1BYE
6703.309Texas Arlington (TEXAS-ARLINGTON)IND SLC6–50.54555+3BYE
6803.368Arizona (ARIZONA)PAC6–50.54555-2BYE
6903.373Boston College (BOSTON COLLEGE)IND FBSI5–60.45576+3BYE
7003.441Tulane (TULANE)IND FBSI6–50.54555-2BYE
7113.499Syracuse (SYRACUSE)IND FBSI4–6–10.40990+2BYE
72-13.501Harvard (HARVARD)IND IVY5–4–10.55053-4BYE
7303.528Michigan State (MICHIGAN STATE)B105–60.45576-4BYE
7403.625Auburn (AUBURN)SEC5–60.45576-4BYE
7503.630East Carolina (EAST CAROLINA)IND FBSI5–60.45576-2BYE
7603.646Purdue (PURDUE)B105–60.45576-5BYE
7713.654Baylor (BAYLOR)IND SWC5–60.45576-3BYE
78-13.672Pacific (PACIFIC)IND PCAA5–60.45576+1BYE
7903.688Utah State (UTAH STATE)IND PCAA5–5–10.50069+6BYE
8003.720Indiana State (INDIANA STATE)IND MVC5–5–10.50069-8BYE
8103.749Rutgers (RUTGERS)IND FBSI5–60.45576-3BYE
8203.764Holy Cross (HOLY CROSS)IND FBSI6–50.54555+8BYE
8303.817Ole Miss (MISSISSIPPI)SEC4–6–10.409900BYE
8403.857Bowling Green (BOWLING GREEN)MAC5–5–10.50069-8BYE
8503.907Ohio (OHIO)MAC5–60.45576-8BYE
8603.908Maryland (MARYLAND)ACC4–6–10.40990-6BYE
8703.924William & Mary (WILLIAM & MARY)IND FBSI5–60.45576-4BYE
8803.940East Tennessee State (EAST TENNESSEE STATE)IND SOCON6–50.54555-2BYE
8903.957Stanford (STANFORD)PAC4–70.36497-10BYE
9004.112Louisville (LOUISVILLE)IND FBSI5–60.45576-2BYE
9104.215Vanderbilt (VANDERBILT)SEC4–70.36497-9BYE
9204.289NC State (NORTH CAROLINA STATE)ACC4–70.36497-9BYE
9304.304Wichita State (WICHITA STATE)IND MVC4–6–10.40990-3BYE
9404.334Princeton (PRINCETON)IND IVY5–4–10.55053+6BYE
9504.393Louisiana Tech (LOUISIANA TECH)IND SLC4–6–10.40990-13BYE
9604.534Rice (RICE)IND SWC4–70.36497-10BYE
9704.617Fresno State (FRESNO STATE)IND PCAA5–60.45576-8BYE
9804.798Kentucky (KENTUCKY)SEC3–80.273113-13BYE
9904.843New Mexico (NEW MEXICO)IND WAC4–7–10.37596-22BYE
10004.905Richmond (RICHMOND)IND FBSI4–70.36497-23BYE
10104.928Air Force (AIR FORCE)IND WAC4–70.36497-21BYE
10204.934UL Monroe (LOUISIANA MONROE)IND FBSI5–60.45576-8BYE
10304.962California (CALIFORNIA)PAC2–90.182121-19BYE
10414.992Colorado (COLORADO)IND B83–80.273113-15BYE
10515.029Kent State (KENT STATE)MAC4–70.36497-23BYE
106-25.037Wake Forest (WAKE FOREST)ACC4–70.36497-17BYE
10715.053Ball State (BALL STATE)MAC4–70.36497-22BYE
108-15.056Western Carolina (WESTERN CAROLINA)IND SOCON4–70.36497-13BYE
10905.072Army (ARMY)IND FBSI3–7–10.318107-19BYE
11005.117TCUIND SWC2–7–20.273113-15BYE
11105.153Indiana (INDIANA)B103–80.273113-20BYE
11205.377Lamar (LAMAR)IND SLC4–6–10.40990-6BYE
11305.509LSUSEC3–7–10.318107-23BYE
11405.613App State (APPALACHIAN STATE)IND SOCON3–7–10.318107-31BYE
11505.683Kansas State (KANSAS STATE)IND B82–90.182121-28BYE
11605.913Cornell (CORNELL)IND IVY3–70.300110-27BYE
11705.966Oregon (OREGON)PAC2–90.182121-31BYE
11806.038North Texas (NORTH TEXAS)IND FBSI2–90.182121-29BYE
11906.047Long Beach State (LONG BEACH STATE)IND PCAA2–80.200120-28BYE
12006.086Northern Illinois (NORTHERN ILLINOIS)MAC3–80.273113-33BYE
12106.147Brown (BROWN)IND IVY3–70.300110-30BYE
12206.185CAL State Fullerton (CAL STATE FULLERTON)IND PCAA3–80.273113-26BYE
12306.375Texas Tech (TEXAS TECH)IND SWC1–9–10.136126-32BYE
12416.578Georgia Tech (GEORGIA TECH)IND FBSI1–100.091130-37Lost to Georgia 7–44
125-16.583Illinois State (ILLINOIS STATE)IND MVC3–70.300110-39BYE
12606.713New Mexico State (NEW MEXICO STATE)IND MVC3–80.273113-41BYE
12706.835Virginia (VIRGINIA)ACC1–100.091130-40BYE
12806.925Marshall (MARSHALL)IND SOCON2–90.182121-40BYE
12907.275Memphis (MEMPHIS)IND FBSI1–100.091130-46BYE
13007.471Louisiana (LOUISIANA LAFAYETTE)IND SLC1–9–10.136126-34BYE
13107.704Colorado State (COLORADO STATE)IND WAC0–120.000135-51BYE
13207.814Columbia (COLUMBIA)IND IVY1–90.100128-34BYE
13307.997UTEPIND WAC1–100.091130-40BYE
13408.083Northwestern (NORTHWESTERN)B100–110.000135-47BYE
13508.103Oregon State (OREGON STATE)PAC1–100.091130-47BYE
13608.947Pennsylvania (PENNSYLVANIA)IND IVY1–90.100128-33BYE
13709.566Eastern Michigan (EASTERN MICHIGAN)MAC0–110.000135-54BYE

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