| Week | Date | Rank | Rec | Points | FPV | CP | CFP | Last Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | Aug 17 | RV | 0-0 | 5 | 0 | NR | -- | DNP |
| 1 | Sep 2 | RV | 1-0 | 49 | 0 | NR | -- | W 26-24 vs UCF |
| 2 | Sep 7 | RV | 2-0 | 35 | 0 | NR | -- | W 21-3 vs Akron |
| 3 | Sep 14 | RV | 3-0 | 51 | 0 | RV | -- | W 13-10 at Rutgers |
| 4 | Sep 21 | RV | 4-0 | 81 | 0 | RV | -- | W 48-7 vs Massachusetts |
| 6 | Oct 5 | RV | 4-1 | 5 | 0 | RV | -- | 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.