College Football 1981
Ranking of Division I-A Teams

Based on games played between 1981/9/5 and 1982/1/1
Ratings based on Strength of Schedule (Average Rank of Opponents) (Schedule)

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1981 - Ranking of Division I-A teams based on Strength of Schedule (Average Rank of Opponents)
ScoreDif		WinLoss		Schedule		Team	Other Rankings		Division		Global			Conference
Rank	Rating	Rank	Rating	Rank	Rating		AP	Coach	Games	Record	Rank	Games	Record
1	34.55	3	31.77	1	28.92	Penn State	3	7	12	10-2-0	1	12	10-2-0	EIC
5	27.97	9	23.47	2	34.33	Nebraska	9	3	12	9-3-0	2	12	9-3-0	BIG 8
84	-3.76	93	-6.70	3	34.95	Kansas State			10	1-9-0	3	11	2-9-0	BIG 8
64	1.65	62	3.24	4	36.41	Colorado			11	3-8-0	4	11	3-8-0	BIG 8
63	1.73	42	8.31	5	37.95	Rice			11	4-7-0	8	11	4-7-0	SWAC
106	-11.98	112	-13.43	6	38.23	Georgia Tech			11	1-10-0	5	11	1-10-0	SIC
83	-3.38	84	-3.28	7	38.27	Texas Tech			11	1-9-1	10	11	1-9-1	SWAC
77	-1.11	87	-3.96	8	39.14	California			11	2-9-0	12	11	2-9-0	PAC-10
6	27.03	2	34.68	9	39.21	Texas	2	5	12	10-1-1	14	12	10-1-1	SWAC
62	2.01	43	7.77	10	39.32	Mississippi			11	4-6-1	9	11	4-6-1	SEC
10	22.33	7	26.12	11	39.41	Miami (FL)	8	6	11	9-2-0	6	11	9-2-0	SIC
68	0.99	70	0.62	12	39.68	Kentucky			11	3-8-0	11	11	3-8-0	SEC
118	-18.34	110	-12.75	13	40.55	Northwestern			11	0-11-0	15	11	0-11-0	BIG 10
24	15.90	23	15.57	14	40.67	Houston			12	7-4-1	16	12	7-4-1	SWAC
14	20.37	16	18.26	15	40.83	Oklahoma	17	14	12	7-4-1	19	12	7-4-1	BIG 8
67	1.05	76	-0.22	16	41.09	Texas Christian			11	2-7-2	17	11	2-7-2	SWAC
4	28.24	4	28.99	17	41.29	Pittsburgh	4	2	12	11-1-0	13	12	11-1-0	EIC
26	14.65	29	14.79	18	42.17	Temple			9	5-4-0	7	10	5-5-0	EIC
99	-8.28	71	0.60	19	43.55	Indiana			11	3-8-0	20	11	3-8-0	BIG 10
53	5.41	49	5.74	20	43.55	Syracuse			11	4-6-1	18	11	4-6-1	EIC
35	10.37	36	11.08	21	43.73	Florida State			11	6-5-0	22	11	6-5-0	SIC
32	12.37	46	7.17	22	44.41	Notre Dame			11	5-6-0	23	11	5-6-0	EIC
69	0.89	60	3.55	23	44.45	Boston College			10	4-6-0	36	11	5-6-0	EIC
18	18.78	25	15.44	24	44.75	UCLA			12	7-4-1	25	12	7-4-1	PAC-10
123	-19.99	125	-20.97	25	45.17	Colorado State			12	0-12-0	26	12	0-12-0	WAC
7	25.92	5	26.48	26	45.54	Alabama	7	9	12	9-2-1	24	12	9-2-1	SEC
8	25.40	8	24.26	27	46.00	Georgia	6	4	12	10-2-0	27	12	10-2-0	SEC
57	2.59	61	3.37	28	46.05	Vanderbilt			11	4-7-0	21	11	4-7-0	SEC
28	13.39	19	17.35	29	46.17	Iowa	14	10	12	8-4-0	29	12	8-4-0	BIG 10
22	17.48	24	15.44	30	46.25	Arkansas	20	18	12	8-4-0	32	12	8-4-0	SWAC
19	18.53	28	14.96	31	46.25	Mississippi State			12	8-4-0	28	12	8-4-0	SEC
61	2.06	65	2.60	32	46.86	LSU			11	3-7-1	30	11	3-7-1	SEC
58	2.47	45	7.60	33	47.64	Iowa State	18		11	5-5-1	37	11	5-5-1	BIG 8
21	18.21	18	17.52	34	47.71	Missouri		20	12	8-4-0	42	12	8-4-0	BIG 8
36	9.69	26	15.29	35	47.82	Illinois			11	7-4-0	35	11	7-4-0	BIG 10
34	10.73	38	9.83	36	48.08	South Carolina			12	6-6-0	33	12	6-6-0	SIC
12	20.83	10	21.36	37	48.25	Southern California	16	17	12	9-3-0	40	12	9-3-0	PAC-10
44	7.79	58	3.78	38	48.36	Maryland			11	4-6-1	31	11	4-6-1	ACC
30	12.52	33	12.34	39	48.42	Florida			12	7-5-0	34	12	7-5-0	SEC
27	14.46	32	12.90	40	48.62	Texas A&M			12	7-5-0	38	12	7-5-0	SWAC
33	10.85	35	11.43	41	48.83	Oklahoma State			12	7-5-0	48	12	7-5-0	BIG 8
9	22.86	21	16.60	42	49.50	Michigan	10	13	12	9-3-0	43	12	9-3-0	BIG 10
97	-7.64	101	-9.42	43	49.59	Memphis			11	1-10-0	46	11	1-10-0	SIC
74	0.08	74	0.41	44	49.59	North Carolina State			11	4-7-0	39	11	4-7-0	ACC
2	32.75	1	34.97	45	49.64	Clemson	1	1	11	11-0-0	58	12	12-0-0	ACC
59	2.40	80	-1.69	46	49.64	Stanford			11	4-7-0	45	11	4-7-0	PAC-10
37	9.67	34	12.27	47	49.75	Kansas			12	8-4-0	49	12	8-4-0	BIG 8
38	9.52	47	7.15	48	49.91	Auburn			11	5-6-0	44	11	5-6-0	SEC
100	-8.82	104	-10.61	49	50.68	Virginia			11	1-10-0	41	11	1-10-0	ACC
52	5.48	51	5.65	50	50.82	Purdue			11	5-6-0	47	11	5-6-0	BIG 10
3	29.28	6	26.33	51	51.80	Southern Methodist	5		10	9-1-0	51	11	10-1-0	SWAC
54	5.38	41	9.22	52	52.25	Wisconsin			12	7-5-0	50	12	7-5-0	BIG 10
43	7.96	56	4.10	53	53.64	Baylor			11	5-6-0	53	11	5-6-0	SWAC
119	-18.35	116	-15.42	54	53.86	Oregon State			11	1-10-0	55	11	1-10-0	PAC-10
29	13.05	31	13.02	55	54.14	Washington State			11	7-3-1	57	12	8-3-1	PAC-10
55	4.61	55	4.39	56	54.55	Michigan State			11	5-6-0	54	11	5-6-0	BIG 10
25	14.98	15	18.39	57	54.96	Ohio State	15	16	12	9-3-0	56	12	9-3-0	BIG 10
104	-10.18	103	-9.78	58	55.50	North Texas			11	2-9-0	59	11	2-9-0	SIC
15	19.81	13	19.73	59	55.79	West Virginia	13	12	12	9-3-0	52	12	9-3-0	EIC
39	9.48	53	5.28	60	57.59	Tulane			11	6-5-0	62	11	6-5-0	SIC
93	-6.71	105	-10.94	61	57.82	Oregon			11	2-9-0	64	11	2-9-0	PAC-10
49	6.13	50	5.67	62	58.05	Duke			11	6-5-0	60	11	6-5-0	ACC
75	-0.11	66	2.25	63	58.18	Rutgers			11	5-6-0	61	11	5-6-0	EIC
48	6.33	27	14.98	64	59.75	Tennessee			12	8-4-0	65	12	8-4-0	SEC
89	-5.26	88	-4.27	65	60.05	Wake Forest			11	4-7-0	63	11	4-7-0	ACC
65	1.58	54	4.82	66	60.91	Minnesota			11	6-5-0	66	11	6-5-0	BIG 10
20	18.27	11	20.46	67	61.08	Washington	12	8	12	10-2-0	69	12	10-2-0	PAC-10
41	8.73	40	9.34	68	61.40	Cincinnati			10	6-4-0	68	11	6-5-0	EIC
13	20.57	20	17.11	69	61.59	Arizona State	11	11	11	9-2-0	70	11	9-2-0	PAC-10
126	-21.16	119	-16.84	70	63.05	Texas El Paso			10	1-9-0	71	11	1-10-0	WAC
90	-5.45	77	-0.46	71	63.38	Nevada Las Vegas			12	6-6-0	73	12	6-6-0	SIC
46	7.42	44	7.67	72	63.50	San Diego State			11	6-5-0	72	11	6-5-0	WAC
16	19.32	14	19.55	73	63.54	North Carolina		15	12	10-2-0	67	12	10-2-0	ACC
105	-11.41	120	-18.07	74	64.38	Cal State Fullerton			8	1-7-0	74	11	3-8-0	BWC
78	-1.97	68	1.68	75	65.25	Louisville			10	5-5-0	75	11	5-6-0	SIC
60	2.27	64	3.08	76	65.33	Utah State			9	4-4-1	79	11	5-5-1	BWC
95	-7.23	86	-3.90	77	65.41	Pacific			11	5-6-0	77	11	5-6-0	BWC
11	21.32	17	17.84	78	66.00	Southern Mississippi	19	19	12	9-2-1	78	12	9-2-1	SIC
91	-5.66	92	-6.44	79	66.55	Air Force			11	4-7-0	76	11	4-7-0	WAC
80	-2.13	89	-4.91	80	66.88	New Mexico			12	4-7-1	80	12	4-7-1	WAC
31	12.51	39	9.66	81	68.23	Wyoming			11	8-3-0	81	11	8-3-0	WAC
47	6.54	63	3.14	82	68.73	Tulsa			11	6-5-0	88	11	6-5-0	MVC
56	3.19	73	0.52	83	69.59	Arizona			11	6-5-0	84	11	6-5-0	PAC-10
17	19.18	12	19.99	84	69.88	Brigham Young			13	11-2-0	83	13	11-2-0	WAC
96	-7.49	90	-5.54	85	69.94	Lamar			8	3-4-1	86	11	4-6-1	SLC
40	9.26	30	13.95	86	70.15	Utah			10	7-2-1	85	11	8-2-1	WAC
45	7.45	48	5.89	87	72.32	Navy			11	6-4-1	82	12	7-4-1	EIC
88	-4.82	91	-6.00	88	72.83	Wichita State			9	3-5-1	91	11	4-6-1	MVC
92	-6.01	81	-2.65	89	73.45	East Carolina			11	5-6-0	87	11	5-6-0	SIC
76	-0.52	79	-1.58	90	73.73	Texas Arlington			11	6-5-0	89	11	6-5-0	SLC
103	-9.13	118	-15.64	91	74.65	Louisiana Lafayette			10	1-8-1	92	11	1-9-1	SLC
23	17.01	22	16.08	92	74.80	Hawaii			10	8-2-0	90	11	9-2-0	WAC
111	-12.60	109	-12.43	93	75.05	Cal State Long Beach			10	2-8-0	94	10	2-8-0	BWC
87	-4.81	95	-7.77	94	76.50	Louisiana Tech			10	3-6-1	93	11	4-6-1	SLC
72	0.22	67	2.24	95	77.41	West Texas A&M			11	7-4-0	99	11	7-4-0	MVC
102	-9.10	108	-12.39	96	77.55	Richmond			10	3-7-0	100	11	4-7-0	SIC
51	5.70	59	3.60	97	79.41	Virginia Tech			11	7-4-0	96	11	7-4-0	SIC
115	-14.46	115	-15.24	98	80.14	Army			11	3-7-1	95	11	3-7-1	EIC
42	8.45	52	5.60	99	81.64	San Jose State			11	8-3-0	102	12	9-3-0	BWC
66	1.26	78	-0.82	100	83.59	Arkansas State			11	6-5-0	101	11	6-5-0	SLC
85	-4.37	82	-2.99	101	85.05	Fresno State			10	5-5-0	105	11	5-6-0	BWC
81	-2.81	85	-3.66	102	85.58	Colgate			6	3-3-0	104	10	7-3-0	EIC
114	-14.41	99	-9.26	103	86.95	William & Mary			10	4-6-0	109	11	5-6-0	SIC
50	5.79	69	1.25	104	87.83	McNeese State			9	5-3-1	108	11	7-3-1	SLC
71	0.51	57	3.94	105	88.05	Southern Illinois			10	7-3-0	106	11	7-4-0	MVC
73	0.13	98	-8.31	106	88.38	Louisiana Monroe			8	4-4-0	110	11	5-6-0	SIC
70	0.70	37	10.41	107	89.25	Drake			8	7-1-0	116	11	10-1-0	MVC
121	-18.95	123	-19.90	108	90.35	New Mexico State			10	2-8-0	113	11	3-8-0	MVC
98	-7.90	111	-12.96	109	92.95	Indiana State			10	4-5-1	111	11	5-5-1	MVC
82	-3.36	72	0.55	110	97.86	Miami (OH)			11	8-2-1	115	11	8-2-1	MAC
113	-13.99	107	-12.01	111	100.82	Ohio University			11	5-6-0	118	11	5-6-0	MAC
107	-11.98	121	-18.65	112	100.86	Bowling Green			11	5-5-1	119	11	5-5-1	MAC
122	-19.17	122	-19.33	113	102.11	Western Carolina			9	3-6-0	117	11	4-7-0	SoCon
86	-4.70	83	-3.18	114	103.42	Toledo			12	9-3-0	124	12	9-3-0	MAC
132	-32.21	134	-36.88	115	103.56	Illinois State			8	1-7-0	136	10	3-7-0	MVC
128	-24.58	130	-30.18	116	103.72	Appalachian State			9	1-7-1	120	11	3-7-1	SoCon
108	-12.06	106	-11.45	117	104.07	Citadel			7	3-3-1	121	11	7-3-1	SoCon
120	-18.39	127	-22.44	118	104.70	Kent State			10	3-7-0	126	11	4-7-0	MAC
117	-16.81	94	-6.92	119	105.25	Tennessee Chattanooga			8	4-3-1	114	11	7-3-1	SoCon
112	-13.08	97	-8.25	120	105.75	Furman			8	5-3-0	123	11	8-3-0	SoCon
94	-7.21	100	-9.30	121	105.94	Holy Cross			8	5-3-0	122	11	6-5-0	EIC
101	-8.88	102	-9.73	122	107.27	Central Michigan			11	7-4-0	131	11	7-4-0	MAC
110	-12.23	117	-15.54	123	107.55	Western Michigan			11	6-5-0	130	11	6-5-0	MAC
109	-12.14	96	-8.13	124	107.60	Virginia Military			10	6-3-1	125	10	6-3-1	SoCon
131	-31.17	129	-27.76	125	107.95	Marshall			10	1-9-0	127	11	2-9-0	SoCon
124	-20.29	113	-14.12	126	109.44	East Tennessee State			8	4-4-0	133	11	6-5-0	SoCon
127	-21.70	128	-27.14	127	110.14	Ball State			11	4-7-0	137	11	4-7-0	MAC
133	-34.56	132	-30.89	128	111.33	Cornell			9	2-7-0	135	10	3-7-0	Ivy
137	-43.16	137	-45.61	129	111.50	Eastern Michigan			10	0-10-0	138	11	0-11-0	MAC
130	-25.40	131	-30.75	130	111.95	Northern Illinois			11	3-8-0	139	11	3-8-0	MAC
135	-36.05	135	-38.41	131	114.00	Columbia			9	1-8-0	140	10	1-9-0	Ivy
79	-2.01	75	-0.19	132	116.39	Yale			9	8-1-0	142	10	9-1-0	Ivy
125	-20.33	124	-20.84	133	117.50	Harvard			10	5-4-1	143	10	5-4-1	Ivy
134	-35.40	133	-34.36	134	117.72	Brown			9	2-7-0	144	10	3-7-0	Ivy
136	-38.50	136	-42.81	135	118.75	Pennsylvania			8	1-7-0	128	10	1-9-0	Ivy
116	-16.08	114	-14.86	136	118.83	Dartmouth			9	6-3-0	141	10	6-4-0	Ivy
129	-24.63	126	-21.55	137	121.06	Princeton			8	5-2-1	132	10	5-4-1	Ivy

Navigation - College Football
Rankings Home Page	Main Page 1981	Rankings - All Seasons	Teams - All Seasons	Historical Team Comparisons	Top of this page

Links to the same page for other seasons
1989	1988	1987	1986	1985	1984	1983	1982	1981	1980	1979	1978	1977	1976	1975	1974	1973

Navigation - College Football
Rankings Home Page	Main Page 1981	Rankings - All Seasons	Teams - All Seasons	Historical Team Comparisons	Top of this page

       Soren Sorensen  -  Updated Thu Sep  3 18:07:46 2026

College Football 1981Ranking of Division I-A Teams

Based on games played between 1981/9/5 and 1982/1/1Ratings based on Strength of Schedule (Average Rank of Opponents) (Schedule)

College Football 1981
Ranking of Division I-A Teams

Based on games played between 1981/9/5 and 1982/1/1
Ratings based on Strength of Schedule (Average Rank of Opponents) (Schedule)