| Week | Date | Rank | Rec | Points | FPV | CP | CFP | Last Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | Aug 16 | 19 | 0-0 | 456 | 0 | 20 | -- | DNP |
| 1 | Sep 7 | 11 | 1-0 | 908 | 0 | 13 | -- | W 16-10 at #12 Wisconsin |
| 2 | Sep 12 | 10 | 2-0 | 1005 | 0 | 12 | -- | W 44-13 vs Ball State |
| 3 | Sep 19 | 6 | 3-0 | 1197 | 0 | 8 | -- | W 28-20 vs #22 Auburn |
| 4 | Sep 26 | 4 | 4-0 | 1283 | 0 | 6 | -- | W 38-17 vs Villanova |
| 5 | Oct 3 | 4 | 5-0 | 1360 | 0 | 4 | -- | W 24-0 vs Indiana |
| 6 | Oct 10 | 7 | 5-1 | 1147 | 0 | 8 | -- | L 23-20 at #3 Iowa |
| 7 | Oct 17 | 7 | 5-1 | 1116 | 0 | 8 | -- | DNP |
| 8 | Oct 24 | 20 | 5-2 | 471 | 0 | 17 | -- | L 20-18 (9OT) vs Illinois |
| 9 | Oct 31 | 22 | 5-3 | 182 | 0 | 23 | NR | L 33-24 at #5 Ohio State |
| 10 | Nov 7 | 23 | 6-3 | 244 | 0 | 23 | NR | W 31-14 at Maryland |
| 11 | Nov 14 | RV | 31 | 0 | RV | NR | L 21-17 vs #9 Michigan | |
| 12 | Nov 21 | RV | 26 | 0 | RV | NR | W 28-0 vs Rutgers | |
| 13 | Nov 28 | RV | 5 | 0 | RV | NR | L 30-27 at #12 Michigan State | |
| 14 | Dec 5 | RV | 4 | 0 | RV | NR | DNP |
Note: Penn State'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.