| Week | Date | Rank | Rec | Points | FPV | CP | CFP | Last Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Oct 17 | 25 | 4-2 | 68 | 0 | RV | -- | W 24-7 at #2 Iowa |
| 8 | Oct 24 | NR | 0 | 0 | NR | -- | L 30-13 vs Wisconsin | |
| 10 | Nov 7 | RV | 174 | 0 | RV | 19 | W 40-29 vs #5 Michigan State | |
| 11 | Nov 14 | RV | 4 | 0 | RV | NR | L 59-31 at #6 Ohio State | |
| 12 | Nov 21 | RV | 3 | 0 | RV | NR | W 32-14 at Northwestern | |
| 13 | Nov 28 | RV | 21 | 0 | RV | NR | W 44-7 vs Indiana | |
| 14 | Dec 5 | RV | 36 | 0 | RV | NR | DNP | |
| Final | Jan 11 | RV | 44 | 0 | RV | -- | W 48-45 (1OT) vs Tennessee (Music City) |
Note: Purdue'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.