| Week | Date | Rank | Rec | Points | FPV | Last Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oct 18 | 10 | 3-0-1 | 94 | 0 | |
| 2 | Oct 25 | 13 | 4-0-1 | 84 | 0 | |
| 3 | Nov 1 | 11 | 5-0-1 | 107 | 0 | |
| 4 | Nov 8 | 8 | 6-0-1 | 159 | 0 | |
| 5 | Nov 15 | NR | 0 | 0 | ||
| 6 | Nov 22 | 18 | 7-1-1 | 11 | 0 | |
| Final | Nov 29 | 20 | 7-2-1 | 4 | 0 |
Note: Duke's ranking in the final 1961 poll has been changed to unranked after the original AP wire story and poll was revisited and confirmed across several newspapers.