1981 UPI Rankings
| Final Poll For 1981 Season |
| Rank |
Team |
Record |
Votes |
| 1981 UPI |
| 1 | Clemson | 12-0-0 | | | 2 | Pittsburgh | 11-1-0 | |
| 3 | Penn State | 10-2-0 | | | 4 | Texas | 10-1-1 | |
| 5 | Georgia | 10-2-0 | | | 6 | Alabama | 9-2-1 | |
| 7 | Washington | 10-2-0 | | | 8 | North Carolina | 10-2-0 | |
| 9 | Nebraska | 9-3-0 | | | 10 | Michigan | 9-3-0 | |
| 11 | Brigham Young | 11-2-0 | | | 12 | Ohio State | 9-3-0 | |
| 13 | Southern California | 9-3-0 | | | 14 | Oklahoma | 7-4-1 | |
| 15 | Iowa | 8-4-0 | | | 16 | Arkansas | 8-4-0 | |
| 17 | Mississippi State | 8-4-0 | | | 18 | West Virginia | 9-3-0 | |
| 19 | Southern Mississippi | 9-2-1 | | | 20 | Missouri | 8-4-0 | |
|
Great Moments in College Football History
Touchdowns in college football were originally counted as three points.
