| Week | Date | Rank | Rec | Points | FPV | Last Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oct 8 | 13 | 2-1 | 82 | 0 | |
| 2 | Oct 15 | 16 | 3-1 | 40 | 0 | |
| 3 | Oct 22 | 19 | 3-1 | 19 | 0 | |
| 4 | Oct 29 | 18 | 3-2 | 28 | 0 | |
| 5 | Nov 5 | 16 | 4-2 | 18 | 0 | |
| 6 | Nov 12 | 20 | 5-2 | 10 | 0 | |
| 7 | Nov 19 | 15 | 5-2 | 35 | 0 | |
| 8 | Nov 26 | 11 | 6-2 | 65 | 0 | |
| Final | Dec 3 | 13 | 6-2 | 74 | 0 |
Note: Duke'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.