Weekly Rankings · Rankings Only
1981 AP Football Polls
Follow the available weekly polls through the final rankings.
15Polls32Teams Ranked
Notre Dame
Season Best: No. 1 · Ranked in 4 of 15 Polls · Final: NR
NR means outside the published Top 20. It does not mean the team received no votes.
1981 Season · Week 8
Week 8 AP Top 20
Source label: October 26 · Publication date unverified · 20 Ranked Teams
No. 1Penn State
| Rank | Team | Movement | Points | First Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | — Previously No. 1 | — | 45 | |
| 2 | — Previously No. 2 | — | 19 | |
| 3 | ↑ 1 Previously No. 4 | — | — | |
| 4 | ↑ 1 Previously No. 5 | — | — | |
| 5 | ↑ 2 Previously No. 7 | — | — | |
| 6 | ↑ 4 Previously No. 10 | — | — | |
| 7 | ↑ 2 Previously No. 9 | — | — | |
| 8 | ↑ 3 Previously No. 11 | — | — | |
| 9 | ↓ 6 Previously No. 3 | — | — | |
| 10 | ↑ 7 Previously No. 17 | — | — | |
| 11 | ↑ 3 Previously No. 14 | — | — | |
| 12 | ↑ 3 Previously No. 15 | — | — | |
| 13 | ↓ 5 Previously No. 8 | — | — | |
| 14 | ↑ 2 Previously No. 16 | — | — | |
| 15 | ↑ 3 Previously No. 18 | — | — | |
| 16 | ↓ 10 Previously No. 6 | — | — | |
| 17 | ↑ 3 Previously No. 20 | — | — | |
| 18 | New New to the Rankings | — | — | |
| 19 | New New to the Rankings | — | — | |
| 20 | ↓ 8 Previously No. 12 | — | — |