| Week | Date | Rank | Rec | Points | FPV | CP | BCS | Last Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | Aug 21 | RV | 0-0 | 27 | 0 | RV | -- | DNP |
| 1 | Sep 7 | RV | 1-0 | 25 | 0 | RV | -- | W 23-13 vs Illinois |
| 2 | Sep 12 | RV | 2-0 | 37 | 0 | 25 | -- | W 50-6 vs McNeese State |
| 3 | Sep 19 | RV | 3-0 | 30 | 0 | 24 | -- | W 27-24 vs San Diego State |
| 4 | Sep 26 | RV | 4-0 | 51 | 0 | 23 | -- | W 51-13 vs Miami (OH) |
| 5 | Oct 3 | 24 | 4-0 | 99 | 0 | 22 | -- | DNP |
| 6 | Oct 10 | 21 | 5-0 | 298 | 0 | 19 | -- | W 26-0 vs Colorado |
| 7 | Oct 17 | 18 | 6-0 | 552 | 0 | 16 | 11 | W 30-9 at Texas A&M |
| 8 | Oct 24 | 7 | 7-0 | 1121 | 0 | 8 | 6 | W 36-27 vs #3 Oklahoma |
| 9 | Oct 31 | 14 | 7-1 | 739 | 0 | 14 | 12 | L 31-17 at #14 Nebraska |
| 10 | Nov 7 | 20 | 7-2 | 420 | 0 | 20 | 17 | L 24-17 at Texas Tech |
| 11 | Nov 14 | 15 | 8-2 | 624 | 0 | 16 | 15 | W 38-28 vs Kansas State |
| 12 | Nov 21 | 15 | 9-2 | 639 | 0 | 16 | 14 | W 14-0 at Iowa State |
| 13 | Nov 28 | 15 | 10-2 | 691 | 0 | 14 | 12 | W 35-7 vs Kansas |
| 14 | Dec 5 | 14 | 10-2 | 705 | 0 | 14 | 12 | DNP |
| Final | Jan 11 | 18 | 10-3 | 477 | 0 | 18 | -- | L 27-24 vs Iowa (Insight) |
Note: Missouri'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.