The McComas Power Index for 1961 NCAA Football. These ratings were lasted updated on June 16, 2011, 5:56 p.m.
| Rank | Team | W | L | T | MPI | Sched (Rk) | Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0.9122 | 0.5256 (53) | SEC |
| 2 | Rutgers | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0.8727 | 0.2537 (110) | Eastern Independent |
| 3 | Louisiana State | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0.8519 | 0.5702 (21) | SEC |
| 4 | Ohio State | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0.8120 | 0.5038 (66) | Big Ten |
| 5 | Texas | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0.8029 | 0.5406 (41) | SWC |
| 6 | Mississippi | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0.7697 | 0.5319 (48) | SEC |
| 7 | Minnesota | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0.7510 | 0.5794 (17) | Big Ten |
| 8 | Utah State | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0.7398 | 0.4123 (96) | Skyline |
| 9 | Colorado | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0.7344 | 0.5619 (25) | Big 8 |
| 10 | Arizona | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0.7258 | 0.4419 (88) | South/West Independent |
| 11 | Villanova | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0.7199 | 0.3094 (106) | Eastern Independent |
| 12 | Arkansas | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0.7158 | 0.5484 (35) | SWC |
| 13 | Memphis | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0.7139 | 0.2955 (107) | South/West Independent |
| 14 | Wyoming | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0.7052 | 0.5265 (52) | Skyline |
| 15 | Missouri | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0.7028 | 0.5135 (61) | Big 8 |
| 16 | Penn State | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0.6866 | 0.5567 (29) | Eastern Independent |
| 17 | Syracuse | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0.6848 | 0.5478 (36) | Eastern Independent |
| 18 | Michigan State | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0.6791 | 0.5297 (50) | Big Ten |
| 19 | Rice | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0.6548 | 0.6161 (5) | SWC |
| 20 | Navy | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0.6544 | 0.5143 (60) | Eastern Independent |
| 21 | Wichita State | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0.6499 | 0.4042 (98) | MVC |
| 22 | Citadel | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0.6450 | 0.4584 (83) | Southern |
| 23 | Wisconsin | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0.6414 | 0.5679 (22) | Big Ten |
| 24 | Duke | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0.6384 | 0.5316 (49) | ACC |
| 25 | Purdue | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0.6384 | 0.4928 (70) | Big Ten |
| 26 | Kansas | 7 | 3 | 1 | 0.6362 | 0.5458 (38) | Big 8 |
| 27 | Michigan | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0.6212 | 0.6303 (3) | Big Ten |
| 28 | Georgia Tech | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0.6204 | 0.6283 (4) | SEC |
| 29 | Arizona State | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0.6203 | 0.4995 (68) | Border |
| 30 | UCLA | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0.6178 | 0.5111 (64) | AAWU |
| 31 | Miami (Florida) | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0.6115 | 0.5490 (33) | South/West Independent |
| 32 | Utah | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0.6066 | 0.5506 (32) | Skyline |
| 33 | Furman | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0.6033 | 0.3141 (105) | Southern |
| 34 | Holy Cross | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0.6002 | 0.4139 (95) | Eastern Independent |
| 35 | Columbia | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0.5982 | 0.4551 (84) | Ivy |
| 36 | Maryland | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0.5954 | 0.4919 (72) | ACC |
| 37 | Tennessee | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0.5954 | 0.5196 (56) | SEC |
| 38 | Auburn | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0.5938 | 0.5255 (54) | SEC |
| 39 | Dartmouth | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0.5849 | 0.4263 (92) | Ivy |
| 40 | Harvard | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0.5828 | 0.4193 (93) | Ivy |
| 41 | Baylor | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0.5561 | 0.5581 (28) | SWC |
| 42 | Princeton | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0.5542 | 0.5194 (57) | Ivy |
| 43 | New Mexico | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0.5539 | 0.4637 (81) | Skyline |
| 44 | Iowa | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0.5519 | 0.5950 (11) | Big Ten |
| 45 | Mississippi State | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0.5477 | 0.6149 (6) | SEC |
| 46 | Colgate | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0.5354 | 0.4374 (89) | Eastern Independent |
| 47 | Washington | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0.5306 | 0.4447 (87) | AAWU |
| 48 | San Jose State | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0.5272 | 0.3801 (100) | South/West Independent |
| 49 | Notre Dame | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0.5256 | 0.5993 (10) | Eastern Independent |
| 50 | Oklahoma | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0.5233 | 0.5807 (16) | Big 8 |
| 51 | Houston | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0.5232 | 0.5382 (43) | South/West Independent |
| 52 | Army | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0.5193 | 0.5129 (62) | Eastern Independent |
| 53 | West Texas A&M | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0.5178 | 0.4053 (97) | Border |
| 54 | Virginia Military Institute | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0.5176 | 0.3939 (99) | Southern |
| 55 | Detroit Mercy | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0.5139 | 0.4836 (75) | Eastern Independent |
| 56 | Xavier | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0.5125 | 0.2556 (109) | Eastern Independent |
| 57 | New Mexico State | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0.5049 | 0.3499 (103) | Border |
| 58 | Oregon State | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0.4961 | 0.5070 (65) | South/West Independent |
| 59 | Richmond | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0.4953 | 0.5118 (63) | Southern |
| 60 | Texas Christian | 3 | 5 | 2 | 0.4868 | 0.6395 (2) | SWC |
| 61 | Pacific | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0.4856 | 0.2428 (111) | South/West Independent |
| 62 | Clemson | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0.4742 | 0.5221 (55) | ACC |
| 63 | North Texas | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0.4731 | 0.3501 (102) | MVC |
| 64 | Kentucky | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0.4720 | 0.5584 (27) | SEC |
| 65 | Florida | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0.4710 | 0.5490 (34) | SEC |
| 66 | North Carolina | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0.4682 | 0.5718 (20) | ACC |
| 67 | Iowa State | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0.4662 | 0.4669 (80) | Big 8 |
| 68 | Texas A&M | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0.4597 | 0.5731 (19) | SWC |
| 69 | Southern California | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0.4441 | 0.4693 (79) | AAWU |
| 70 | Boston College | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0.4385 | 0.5460 (37) | Eastern Independent |
| 71 | Northwestern | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0.4379 | 0.5817 (15) | Big Ten |
| 72 | Texas Tech | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0.4365 | 0.5883 (12) | SWC |
| 73 | Oklahoma State | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0.4340 | 0.5436 (39) | Big 8 |
| 74 | Florida State | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0.4337 | 0.4851 (74) | South/West Independent |
| 75 | Yale | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0.4290 | 0.4364 (90) | Ivy |
| 76 | Davidson | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0.4235 | 0.3431 (104) | Southern |
| 77 | Wake Forest | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0.4103 | 0.5265 (51) | ACC |
| 78 | North Carolina State | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0.4036 | 0.5342 (46) | ACC |
| 79 | Oregon | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0.4013 | 0.5820 (14) | South/West Independent |
| 80 | Boston University | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0.4010 | 0.3657 (101) | Eastern Independent |
| 81 | Virginia Tech | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0.3976 | 0.4151 (94) | Southern |
| 82 | South Carolina | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0.3896 | 0.5192 (58) | ACC |
| 83 | West Virginia | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0.3850 | 0.4786 (76) | Southern |
| 84 | Georgia | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0.3780 | 0.5650 (23) | SEC |
| 85 | Stanford | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0.3761 | 0.4948 (69) | AAWU |
| 86 | Virginia | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0.3739 | 0.5034 (67) | ACC |
| 87 | Nebraska | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0.3727 | 0.5521 (31) | Big 8 |
| 88 | Pittsburgh | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0.3668 | 0.6070 (8) | Eastern Independent |
| 89 | Cornell | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0.3482 | 0.5181 (59) | Ivy |
| 90 | Texas-El Paso | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0.3460 | 0.4608 (82) | Border |
| 91 | Washington State | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0.3312 | 0.5552 (30) | South/West Independent |
| 92 | Southern Methodist | 2 | 7 | 1 | 0.3289 | 0.5851 (13) | SWC |
| 93 | George Washington | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0.3252 | 0.4889 (73) | Southern |
| 94 | Air Force | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0.3250 | 0.4714 (77) | South/West Independent |
| 95 | Indiana | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0.3115 | 0.5614 (26) | Big Ten |
| 96 | Cincinnati | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0.3021 | 0.4273 (91) | MVC |
| 97 | Montana | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0.2986 | 0.4539 (85) | Skyline |
| 98 | Brigham Young | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0.2974 | 0.5432 (40) | Skyline |
| 99 | Idaho | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0.2895 | 0.5402 (42) | South/West Independent |
| 100 | Tulane | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0.2734 | 0.6083 (7) | SEC |
| 101 | California | 1 | 8 | 1 | 0.2729 | 0.6048 (9) | AAWU |
| 102 | Pennsylvania | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0.2589 | 0.4928 (71) | Ivy |
| 103 | Dayton | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0.2487 | 0.2953 (108) | Eastern Independent |
| 104 | Kansas State | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0.2390 | 0.5352 (44) | Big 8 |
| 105 | Vanderbilt | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0.2239 | 0.5638 (24) | SEC |
| 106 | Tulsa | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0.2138 | 0.5346 (45) | MVC |
| 107 | William & Mary | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0.1846 | 0.5329 (47) | Southern |
| 108 | Colorado State | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0.1396 | 0.5774 (18) | Skyline |
| 109 | Brown | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0.1281 | 0.4698 (78) | Ivy |
| 110 | Illinois | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0.1279 | 0.6547 (1) | Big Ten |
| 111 | Hardin-Simmons | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0.0984 | 0.4490 (86) | Border |