| Week | Date | Rank | Rec | Points | FPV | Last Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oct 16 | 13 | 2-1 | 131.14 | 0 | |
| 2 | Oct 23 | 12 | 3-1 | 114 | 0 | |
| 3 | Oct 30 | 12 | 4-1 | 46 | 0 | |
| 4 | Nov 6 | 15 | 5-1 | 46 | 0 | |
| 5 | Nov 13 | 13 | 6-1 | 52 | 0 | |
| 6 | Nov 20 | 8 | 7-1 | 259 | 2 | |
| 7 | Nov 27 | 7 | 8-1 | 331 | 2 | |
| 8 | Dec 4 | 6 | 8-1 | 307 | 1 | |
| Final | Dec 11 | 8 | 8-1 | 232 | 2 |
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.