| Week | Date | Rank | Rec | Points | FPV | CP | CFP | Last Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | Aug 21 | NR | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | RV | -- | DNP |
| 1 | Sep 5 | NR | 1-0 | 0 | 0 | RV | -- | W 50-7 vs Central Connecticut |
| 8 | Oct 22 | NR | 4-4 | 0 | 0 | RV | -- | L 27-19 at #8 Miami (FL) |
Note: Syracuse'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.