| Week | Date | Rank | Rec | Points | FPV | CP | BCS | Last Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | Aug 17 | RV | 0-0 | 2 | 0 | NR | -- | DNP |
| 1 | Sep 3 | RV | 1-0 | 4 | 0 | NR | -- | W 23-17 vs Syracuse |
| 2 | Sep 8 | RV | 2-0 | 7 | 0 | NR | -- | W 45-7 vs Eastern Michigan |
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.