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1961 Michigan State

7–⁠2 (5–⁠2 Big Ten), coached by Duffy Daugherty, finished No. 8 in the AP poll.

Schedule and results

Michigan State in 1961, game by game: won at Wisconsin 20–0; won vs. Stanford 31–3; won at Michigan 28–0; won vs. Notre Dame 17–7; won vs. Indiana 35–0; lost at Minnesota 0–13; lost at Purdue 6–7; won vs. Northwestern 21–13; won vs. Illinois 34–7+35−13Won 20–0 at Wisconsin+20WisconsinWon 31–3 vs. Stanford+28StanfordWon 28–0 at Michigan+28MichiganWon 17–7 vs. Notre Dame+10Notre DameWon 35–0 vs. Indiana+35IndianaLost 0–13 at Minnesota-13MinnesotaLost 6–7 at Purdue-1PurdueWon 21–13 vs. Northwestern+8NorthwesternWon 34–7 vs. Illinois+27Illinois
Each game’s margin, wins above the line and losses below.
DateOpponentResultElo
Sep 30atWisconsinW 20–⁠052%
Oct 7vsStanfordW 31–⁠380%
Oct 14atMichiganW 28–⁠049%
Oct 21vsNotre DameW 17–⁠774%
Oct 28vsIndianaW 35–⁠086%
Nov 4atMinnesotaL 0–⁠1350%
Nov 11atPurdueL 6–⁠747%
Nov 18vsNorthwesternW 21–⁠1373%
Nov 25vsIllinoisW 34–⁠788%

Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.

How it ended: Beat Illinois 34–⁠7; No. 8 in the final AP poll; 3rd in the Big Ten.

In program history: The 16th-best season in program history by end-of-season Elo (of 122 on file).

AP poll, week by week

  1. Wk 1: 6
  2. Wk 2: 10
  3. Wk 3: 6
  4. Wk 4: 5
  5. Wk 5: 1
  6. Wk 6: 1
  7. Wk 7: 1
  8. Wk 8: 6
  9. Wk 9: 9
  10. Wk 10: 8
  11. Wk 11: 8
  12. Final: 8

Players on this team

Before 2004 our records hold honors and the draft; these are the players whose college years here, from their Wikipedia articles or their honors, include 1961.

Record
7–⁠2
Conference
5–⁠2 3rd in Big Ten
AP final
No. 8 peak No. 1
Points
192–⁠50
Coach
Duffy Daugherty
Elo
1671 +80 this season
SP+ rating
—
SRS
23.6 No. 5 of 111 major-college teams
Recruiting class
—
Captain
Ed Ryan
Most valuable player
George Saimes

All-Big Ten

2 first team, 1 second team

First team

Second team

From Wikipedia’s 1961 all-conference team article, with the selectors that named each player (AP-1: the Associated Press’s first team).

1961 Big Ten standings

Conference page
TeamConf.OverallAP final
Ohio State6–⁠08–⁠0–⁠12
Minnesota6–⁠18–⁠26
Michigan State5–⁠27–⁠28
Purdue4–⁠26–⁠312
Wisconsin4–⁠36–⁠3
Michigan3–⁠36–⁠3
Iowa2–⁠45–⁠4
Northwestern2–⁠44–⁠5
Indiana0–⁠62–⁠7
Illinois0–⁠70–⁠9

Ordered by conference winning percentage, then conference wins. Division splits and tiebreakers aren’t applied.