1981 Week 12 College Football Team Rankings

November 17, 1981By PowerUpRankings.com • 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.

entries per pageSearch:

Rank	Change	Rating	Team	Conf	Record	Win %	Place	NOW	Game Status
1	0	0.834	Pittsburgh (PITTSBURGH)	IND FBSI	9–0	1.000	1	+46	Beat Army 48–0
2	1	1.100	Clemson (CLEMSON)	ACC	10–0	1.000	1	+42	Beat Maryland 21–7
3	3	1.164	Georgia (GEORGIA)	SEC	9–1	0.900	4	+38	Beat Auburn 24–13
4	1	1.173	Nebraska (NEBRASKA)	IND B8	8–2	0.800	14	+35	Beat Iowa State 31–7
5	-3	1.190	Penn State (PENN STATE)	IND FBSI	7–2	0.778	22	+34	Lost to Alabama 16–31
6	4	1.207	Southern Miss (SOUTHERN MISS)	IND FBSI	8–0–1	0.944	3	+30	Beat Florida State 58–14
7	1	1.242	Miami (MIAMI)	IND FBSI	7–2	0.778	22	+34	Beat Virginia Tech 21–14
8	1	1.334	Texas (TEXAS)	IND SWC	7–1–1	0.833	12	+28	Beat TCU 31–15
9	-5	1.381	Arizona State (ARIZONA STATE)	PAC	7–2	0.778	22	+30	Lost to UCLA 24–34
10	3	1.436	SMU	IND SWC	9–1	0.900	4	+28	Beat Texas Tech 30–6
11	3	1.447	Michigan (MICHIGAN)	B10	8–2	0.800	14	+29	Beat Purdue 28–10
12	4	1.455	Alabama (ALABAMA)	SEC	8–1–1	0.850	9	+27	Beat Penn State 31–16
13	-1	1.536	USC	PAC	8–2	0.800	14	+27	Lost to Washington 3–13
14	-7	1.554	Hawai'i (HAWAII)	IND WAC	7–1	0.875	8	+22	Lost to BYU 3–13
15	6	1.654	Utah (UTAH)	IND WAC	8–1–1	0.850	9	+20	Beat Wyoming 30–27
16	-1	1.667	Washington State (WASHINGTON STATE)	PAC	8–1–1	0.850	9	+21	Beat California 19–0
17	1	1.679	West Virginia (WEST VIRGINIA)	IND FBSI	8–2	0.800	14	+26	Beat Rutgers 20–3
18	-1	1.710	North Carolina (NORTH CAROLINA)	ACC	8–2	0.800	14	+24	Beat Virginia 17–14
19	-8	1.718	Yale (YALE)	IND IVY	8–1	0.889	7	+21	Lost to Princeton 31–35
20	6	1.736	UCLA	PAC	7–2–1	0.750	26	+22	Beat Arizona State 34–24
21	2	1.777	Iowa (IOWA)	B10	7–3	0.700	29	+24	Beat Wisconsin 17–7
22	3	1.800	BYU	IND WAC	9–2	0.818	13	+20	Beat Hawai'i 13–3
23	-1	1.803	Drake (DRAKE)	IND MVC	9–1	0.900	4	+24	Beat Illinois State 13–10
24	0	1.837	Arkansas (ARKANSAS)	IND SWC	8–2	0.800	14	+22	Beat Texas A&M 10–7
25	3	1.905	Miami (OH) (MIAMI (OH))	MAC	7–2–1	0.750	26	+21	Beat Northern Illinois 30–3
26	1	1.949	Mississippi State (MISSISSIPPI STATE)	SEC	7–3	0.700	29	+21	Beat LSU 17–9
27	-8	1.990	Wyoming (WYOMING)	IND WAC	7–3	0.700	29	+20	Lost to Utah 27–30
28	7	2.058	Missouri (MISSOURI)	IND B8	7–3	0.700	29	+18	Beat Oklahoma 19–14
29	8	2.066	Washington (WASHINGTON)	PAC	8–2	0.800	14	+18	Beat USC 13–3
30	9	2.099	Furman (FURMAN)	IND SOCON	8–2	0.800	14	+13	Beat Virginia Military Institute 33–21
31	-11	2.131	Oklahoma (OKLAHOMA)	IND B8	5–3–1	0.611	45	+13	Lost to Missouri 14–19
32	-3	2.134	Houston (HOUSTON)	IND SWC	5–3–1	0.611	45	+17	BYE
33	0	2.179	Ohio State (OHIO STATE)	B10	7–3	0.700	29	+15	Beat Northwestern 70–6
34	13	2.213	Tulsa (TULSA)	IND MVC	6–4	0.600	49	+16	Beat West Texas A&M 24–10
35	3	2.240	San José State (SAN JOSE STATE)	IND PCAA	7–2	0.778	22	+13	Beat Pacific 40–25
36	5	2.307	Navy (NAVY)	IND FBSI	7–3	0.700	29	+13	Beat Georgia Tech 20–14
37	3	2.341	Illinois (ILLINOIS)	B10	6–4	0.600	49	+19	Beat Indiana 35–14
38	-7	2.370	Florida State (FLORIDA STATE)	IND FBSI	6–4	0.600	49	+19	Lost to Southern Miss 14–58
39	6	2.379	Toledo (TOLEDO)	MAC	7–3	0.700	29	+13	Beat Kent State 17–0
40	2	2.398	Kansas (KANSAS)	IND B8	7–3	0.700	29	+15	Beat Colorado 27–0
41	8	2.439	Oklahoma State (OKLAHOMA STATE)	IND B8	6–3	0.667	38	+14	Beat Kansas State 31–10
42	-10	2.458	Wisconsin (WISCONSIN)	B10	6–4	0.600	49	+13	Lost to Iowa 7–17
43	0	2.482	Tennessee Chattanooga (TENNESSEE-CHATTANOOGA)	IND SOCON	7–2–1	0.750	26	+8	Beat Tennessee State 28–9
44	7	2.523	San Diego State (SAN DIEGO STATE)	IND WAC	5–4	0.556	62	+12	Beat UNLV 38–20
45	-15	2.529	West Texas A&M (WEST TEXAS A&M)	IND MVC	6–4	0.600	49	+14	Lost to Tulsa 10–24
46	-10	2.545	Virginia Tech (VIRGINIA TECH)	IND FBSI	6–3	0.667	38	+9	Lost to Miami 14–21
47	1	2.591	Florida (FLORIDA)	SEC	6–4	0.600	49	+9	Beat Kentucky 33–12
48	2	2.603	Tennessee (TENNESSEE)	SEC	6–3	0.667	38	+10	Beat Ole Miss 28–20
49	4	2.695	South Carolina (SOUTH CAROLINA)	IND FBSI	6–4	0.600	49	+12	BYE
50	2	2.711	Temple (TEMPLE)	IND FBSI	5–4	0.556	62	+20	BYE
51	-17	2.731	Mcneese State (MCNEESE STATE)	IND SLC	6–3–1	0.650	42	+5	Lost to Texas Arlington 20–21
52	7	2.776	Arizona (ARIZONA)	PAC	6–3	0.667	38	+6	Beat Oregon State 40–7
53	2	2.783	Notre Dame (NOTRE DAME)	IND FBSI	5–4	0.556	62	+6	Beat Air Force 35–7
54	4	2.816	Southern Illinois (SOUTHERN ILLINOIS)	IND MVC	7–4	0.636	44	+17	Beat New Mexico State 23–15
55	-9	2.873	Iowa State (IOWA STATE)	IND B8	5–4–1	0.550	67	+9	Lost to Nebraska 7–31
56	-12	2.923	Minnesota (MINNESOTA)	B10	6–4	0.600	49	+5	Lost to Michigan State 36–43
57	10	2.946	Duke (DUKE)	ACC	6–4	0.600	49	+8	Beat NC State 17–7
58	7	2.996	Central Michigan (CENTRAL MICHIGAN)	MAC	6–4	0.600	49	+3	Beat Ball State 28–7
59	11	3.069	Cincinnati (CINCINNATI)	IND FBSI	6–4	0.600	49	+16	Beat Louisville 24–0
60	14	3.087	Colgate (COLGATE)	IND FBSI	7–3	0.700	29	-5	Beat Holy Cross 32–13
61	8	3.101	Citadel (CITADEL)	IND SOCON	6–3–1	0.650	42	-4	Beat Wofford 24–14
62	-5	3.150	Purdue (PURDUE)	B10	5–5	0.500	69	+3	Lost to Michigan 10–28
63	-7	3.170	Texas A&M (TEXAS A & M)	IND SWC	5–4	0.556	62	+2	Lost to Arkansas 7–10
64	-4	3.225	Virginia Military Institute (VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE)	IND SOCON	5–3–1	0.611	45	+2	Lost to Furman 21–33
65	13	3.250	Michigan State (MICHIGAN STATE)	B10	5–5	0.500	69	+1	Beat Minnesota 43–36
66	-2	3.254	Rutgers (RUTGERS)	IND FBSI	5–5	0.500	69	+6	Lost to West Virginia 3–20
67	10	3.352	East Tennessee State (EAST TENNESSEE STATE)	IND SOCON	6–4	0.600	49	-2	Beat App State 21–14
68	11	3.365	Harvard (HARVARD)	IND IVY	5–3–1	0.611	45	-4	Beat Pennsylvania 45–7
69	-8	3.375	Baylor (BAYLOR)	IND SWC	5–5	0.500	69	+1	Lost to Rice 14–17
70	-16	3.410	Arkansas State (ARKANSAS STATE)	IND SLC	5–5	0.500	69	+1	Lost to Louisiana Tech 0–32
71	1	3.452	Auburn (AUBURN)	SEC	5–5	0.500	69	-2	Lost to Georgia 13–24
72	-6	3.466	Holy Cross (HOLY CROSS)	IND FBSI	6–4	0.600	49	+12	Lost to Colgate 13–32
73	10	3.515	Dartmouth (DARTMOUTH)	IND IVY	5–4	0.556	62	+4	Beat Brown 38–13
74	-12	3.596	Western Michigan (WESTERN MICHIGAN)	MAC	5–5	0.500	69	-2	Lost to Ohio 20–37
75	-7	3.637	UNLV	IND FBSI	4–6	0.400	87	+3	Lost to San Diego State 20–38
76	5	3.655	Bowling Green (BOWLING GREEN)	MAC	5–4–1	0.550	67	-4	Beat Eastern Michigan 28–0
77	11	3.744	Texas Arlington (TEXAS-ARLINGTON)	IND SLC	5–5	0.500	69	0	Beat Mcneese State 21–20
78	-7	3.746	East Carolina (EAST CAROLINA)	IND FBSI	5–6	0.455	82	-2	Lost to William & Mary 21–31
79	-16	3.768	Utah State (UTAH STATE)	IND PCAA	5–5–1	0.500	69	+5	Lost to Idaho State 24–50
80	4	3.822	Tulane (TULANE)	IND FBSI	5–5	0.500	69	-5	Beat Memphis 24–7
81	-5	4.086	NC State (NORTH CAROLINA STATE)	ACC	4–6	0.400	87	-5	Lost to Duke 7–17
82	3	4.108	Indiana State (INDIANA STATE)	IND MVC	4–5–1	0.450	83	-9	Beat Eastern Illinois 27–14
83	4	4.134	Maryland (MARYLAND)	ACC	3–6–1	0.350	97	-5	Lost to Clemson 7–21
84	12	4.137	Rice (RICE)	IND SWC	4–6	0.400	87	-4	Beat Baylor 17–14
85	9	4.190	Syracuse (SYRACUSE)	IND FBSI	3–6–1	0.350	97	-6	Beat Boston College 27–17
86	-13	4.225	Wichita State (WICHITA STATE)	IND MVC	4–6–1	0.409	84	-1	Lost to Northern Michigan 30–32
87	12	4.275	William & Mary (WILLIAM & MARY)	IND FBSI	4–6	0.400	87	-6	Beat East Carolina 31–21
88	5	4.295	Stanford (STANFORD)	PAC	3–7	0.300	108	-10	Beat Oregon 42–3
89	-3	4.308	Pacific (PACIFIC)	IND PCAA	4–6	0.400	87	-8	Lost to San José State 25–40
90	16	4.327	Ohio (OHIO)	MAC	4–6	0.400	87	-11	Beat Western Michigan 37–20
91	-16	4.335	Boston College (BOSTON COLLEGE)	IND FBSI	3–6	0.333	102	-7	Lost to Syracuse 17–27
92	10	4.341	Louisiana Tech (LOUISIANA TECH)	IND SLC	4–6–1	0.409	84	-11	Beat Arkansas State 32–0
93	-13	4.348	UL Monroe (LOUISIANA MONROE)	IND FBSI	5–5	0.500	69	-7	Lost to North Texas 14–17
94	-5	4.369	Ole Miss (MISSISSIPPI)	SEC	3–6–1	0.350	97	-5	Lost to Tennessee 20–28
95	-5	4.431	California (CALIFORNIA)	PAC	2–8	0.200	118	-9	Lost to Washington State 0–19
96	-4	4.679	Kent State (KENT STATE)	MAC	4–6	0.400	87	-16	Lost to Toledo 0–17
97	-6	4.707	Louisville (LOUISVILLE)	IND FBSI	4–6	0.400	87	-7	Lost to Cincinnati 0–24
98	-3	4.732	TCU	IND SWC	2–6–2	0.300	108	-8	Lost to Texas 15–31
99	8	4.778	New Mexico (NEW MEXICO)	IND WAC	4–6–1	0.409	84	-17	Beat Colorado State 28–16
100	-18	4.816	Richmond (RICHMOND)	IND FBSI	3–6	0.333	102	-16	Lost to Wake Forest 22–34
101	8	4.832	Wake Forest (WAKE FOREST)	ACC	4–7	0.364	96	-13	Beat Richmond 34–22
102	8	4.841	Lamar (LAMAR)	IND SLC	4–4–1	0.500	69	0	Beat Louisiana 14–12
103	1	4.853	Vanderbilt (VANDERBILT)	SEC	3–6	0.333	102	-13	BYE
104	-6	4.914	LSU	SEC	3–6–1	0.350	97	-14	Lost to Mississippi State 9–17
105	-8	4.940	App State (APPALACHIAN STATE)	IND SOCON	3–6–1	0.350	97	-20	Lost to East Tennessee State 14–21
106	-6	5.028	Colorado (COLORADO)	IND B8	2–8	0.200	118	-13	Lost to Kansas 0–27
107	16	5.059	Princeton (PRINCETON)	IND IVY	4–4–1	0.500	69	+1	Beat Yale 35–31
108	-5	5.068	Kansas State (KANSAS STATE)	IND B8	2–8	0.200	118	-16	Lost to Oklahoma State 10–31
109	-8	5.184	Army (ARMY)	IND FBSI	3–7	0.300	108	-16	Lost to Pittsburgh 0–48
110	-5	5.284	Air Force (AIR FORCE)	IND WAC	3–6	0.333	102	-19	Lost to Notre Dame 7–35
111	-3	5.353	Kentucky (KENTUCKY)	SEC	2–8	0.200	118	-17	Lost to Florida 12–33
112	5	5.406	Fresno State (FRESNO STATE)	IND PCAA	4–6	0.400	87	-16	Beat Long Beach State 31–30
113	3	5.511	Western Carolina (WESTERN CAROLINA)	IND SOCON	3–7	0.300	108	-13	Beat Marshall 38–28
114	8	5.591	Cornell (CORNELL)	IND IVY	3–6	0.333	102	-20	Beat Columbia 15–9
115	-3	5.649	CAL State Fullerton (CAL STATE FULLERTON)	IND PCAA	3–7	0.300	108	-23	BYE
116	-5	5.731	Ball State (BALL STATE)	MAC	3–7	0.300	108	-24	Lost to Central Michigan 7–28
117	-4	5.764	Indiana (INDIANA)	B10	2–8	0.200	118	-23	Lost to Illinois 14–35
118	2	6.009	Virginia (VIRGINIA)	ACC	1–8	0.111	128	-25	Lost to North Carolina 14–17
119	-4	6.053	Northern Illinois (NORTHERN ILLINOIS)	MAC	3–7	0.300	108	-28	Lost to Miami (OH) 3–30
120	7	6.105	North Texas (NORTH TEXAS)	IND FBSI	2–8	0.200	118	-23	Beat UL Monroe 17–14
121	-2	6.141	Illinois State (ILLINOIS STATE)	IND MVC	3–6	0.333	102	-30	Lost to Drake 10–13
122	3	6.312	Texas Tech (TEXAS TECH)	IND SWC	1–8–1	0.150	125	-25	Lost to SMU 6–30
123	-9	6.342	Long Beach State (LONG BEACH STATE)	IND PCAA	2–7	0.222	116	-26	Lost to Fresno State 30–31
124	0	6.522	New Mexico State (NEW MEXICO STATE)	IND MVC	3–7	0.300	108	-34	Lost to Southern Illinois 15–23
125	-7	6.542	Oregon (OREGON)	PAC	1–9	0.100	131	-28	Lost to Stanford 3–42
126	-5	6.722	Marshall (MARSHALL)	IND SOCON	2–8	0.200	118	-32	Lost to Western Carolina 28–38
127	1	6.750	Georgia Tech (GEORGIA TECH)	IND FBSI	1–9	0.100	131	-32	Lost to Navy 14–20
128	-2	6.756	Brown (BROWN)	IND IVY	2–7	0.222	116	-28	Lost to Dartmouth 13–38
129	0	7.363	Memphis (MEMPHIS)	IND FBSI	1–10	0.091	134	-39	Lost to Tulane 7–24
130	0	7.507	Oregon State (OREGON STATE)	PAC	1–9	0.100	131	-32	Lost to Arizona 7–40
131	0	7.510	Columbia (COLUMBIA)	IND IVY	1–8	0.111	128	-24	Lost to Cornell 9–15
132	1	7.513	UTEP	IND WAC	1–8	0.111	128	-23	BYE
133	-1	7.651	Louisiana (LOUISIANA LAFAYETTE)	IND SLC	1–8–1	0.150	125	-27	Lost to Lamar 12–14
134	0	7.813	Colorado State (COLORADO STATE)	IND WAC	0–10	0.000	135	-38	Lost to New Mexico 16–28
135	0	7.959	Northwestern (NORTHWESTERN)	B10	0–10	0.000	135	-37	Lost to Ohio State 6–70
136	0	8.995	Pennsylvania (PENNSYLVANIA)	IND IVY	1–7	0.125	127	-20	Lost to Harvard 7–45
137	0	9.702	Eastern Michigan (EASTERN MICHIGAN)	MAC	0–10	0.000	135	-45	Lost to Bowling Green 0–28