1981
MRI 2.0 · 136 teams rated · showing the top 136
| # | Team | Rec | Power | Résumé |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Penn State | 10–2 | 28.52 | 7.18 |
| 2 | Nebraska | 9–3 | 28.27 | 5.18 |
| 3 | Pittsburgh | 11–1 | 26.65 | 6.93 |
| 4 | Georgia | 10–2 | 24.42 | 5.37 |
| 5 | Clemson | 12–0 | 21.73 | 7.53 |
| 6 | Alabama | 9–3 | 21.26 | 4.32 |
| 7 | SMU | 10–1 | 20.99 | 4.73 |
| 8 | North Carolina | 10–2 | 20.81 | 4.93 |
| 9 | Michigan | 9–3 | 20.15 | 4.34 |
| 10 | Oklahoma | 7–5 | 19.13 | 2.63 |
| 11 | Arizona State | 9–2 | 19.00 | 4.01 |
| 12 | USC | 9–3 | 18.98 | 4.87 |
| 13 | Miami (FL) | 9–2 | 18.06 | 6.16 |
| 14 | UCLA | 7–5 | 17.61 | 3.28 |
| 15 | BYU | 11–2 | 17.23 | 3.27 |
| 16 | Texas | 10–2 | 16.73 | 6.01 |
| 17 | Southern Miss | 9–3 | 15.82 | 3.06 |
| 18 | Florida | 7–5 | 14.99 | 2.74 |
| 19 | Notre Dame | 5–6 | 14.92 | 1.21 |
| 20 | Ohio State | 9–3 | 14.41 | 3.86 |
| 21 | West Virginia | 9–3 | 13.82 | 4.42 |
| 22 | Missouri | 8–4 | 13.79 | 2.71 |
| 23 | Houston | 7–5 | 13.27 | 3.00 |
| 24 | Washington | 10–2 | 13.24 | 4.84 |
| 25 | Arkansas | 8–4 | 12.99 | 3.58 |
| 26 | Mississippi State | 8–4 | 11.88 | 3.47 |
| 27 | Florida State | 6–5 | 11.41 | 2.52 |
| 28 | Maryland | 4–7 | 10.69 | 0.49 |
| 29 | Texas A&M | 7–5 | 9.75 | 2.56 |
| 30 | Washington State | 8–4 | 9.37 | 2.64 |
| 31 | Iowa | 8–4 | 8.93 | 3.33 |
| 32 | South Carolina | 6–6 | 8.89 | 1.54 |
| 33 | Auburn | 5–6 | 8.53 | 0.80 |
| 34 | Hawaii | 9–2 | 7.98 | 1.89 |
| 35 | Wyoming | 8–3 | 7.66 | 1.97 |
| 36 | Stanford | 4–7 | 7.63 | 0.15 |
| 37 | Virginia Tech | 7–4 | 7.09 | 0.67 |
| 38 | Baylor | 5–6 | 6.92 | 0.09 |
| 39 | Tulane | 6–5 | 6.65 | 0.41 |
| 40 | Navy | 7–5 | 5.80 | 0.68 |
| 41 | San Jose State | 9–3 | 5.61 | 1.80 |
| 42 | Tulsa | 6–5 | 5.39 | -0.33 |
| 43 | Temple | 5–5 | 5.26 | 1.59 |
| 44 | Purdue | 5–6 | 4.97 | 0.65 |
| 45 | Syracuse | 4–7 | 4.86 | 0.07 |
| 46 | NC State | 4–7 | 3.86 | 0.18 |
| 47 | Wisconsin | 7–5 | 3.78 | 2.04 |
| 48 | Tennessee | 8–4 | 3.37 | 2.23 |
| 49 | Kansas | 8–4 | 3.27 | 2.78 |
| 50 | Illinois | 7–4 | 3.03 | 2.65 |
| 51 | McNeese | 7–4 | 2.96 | -1.27 |
| 52 | Utah | 8–3 | 2.95 | 1.12 |
| 53 | Oklahoma State | 7–5 | 2.75 | 2.08 |
| 54 | Duke | 6–5 | 2.50 | 2.12 |
| 55 | Michigan State | 5–6 | 2.34 | 0.28 |
| 56 | Arizona | 6–5 | 2.32 | 0.38 |
| 57 | Central Michigan | 7–4 | 1.79 | -0.36 |
| 58 | Boston College | 5–6 | 1.76 | 0.85 |
| 59 | Toledo | 9–3 | 1.41 | 1.31 |
| 60 | Iowa State | 5–6 | 1.09 | -0.03 |
| 61 | Miami (OH) | 8–3 | 0.75 | 0.96 |
| 62 | Yale | 9–1 | 0.55 | 0.71 |
| 63 | Rutgers | 5–6 | 0.10 | 0.23 |
| 64 | Minnesota | 6–5 | -0.33 | 0.57 |
| 65 | San Diego State | 6–5 | -0.36 | 0.27 |
| 66 | Ole Miss | 4–7 | -0.61 | 0.76 |
| 67 | California | 2–9 | -0.76 | -0.88 |
| 68 | Kentucky | 3–8 | -1.21 | -0.52 |
| 69 | Texas Tech | 1–10 | -1.98 | -2.74 |
| 70 | LSU | 3–8 | -2.17 | -1.22 |
| 71 | West Texas | 7–4 | -2.18 | 0.34 |
| 72 | Cincinnati | 6–5 | -2.21 | 0.27 |
| 73 | TCU | 2–9 | -2.28 | -1.78 |
| 74 | Colgate | 7–3 | -2.48 | -0.22 |
| 75 | Southern Illinois | 7–4 | -2.50 | -0.06 |
| 76 | Indiana State | 5–6 | -2.51 | -2.79 |
| 77 | Bowling Green | 5–6 | -2.70 | -1.64 |
| 78 | Western Michigan | 6–5 | -3.06 | -1.20 |
| 79 | Utah State | 5–6 | -3.10 | -1.50 |
| 80 | Oregon | 2–9 | -3.11 | -2.88 |
| 81 | Furman | 8–3 | -3.27 | -0.49 |
| 82 | Louisville | 5–6 | -3.35 | -0.69 |
| 83 | New Mexico | 4–8 | -3.44 | -2.31 |
| 84 | Vanderbilt | 4–7 | -3.49 | 0.24 |
| 85 | Wake Forest | 4–7 | -3.72 | -0.07 |
| 86 | East Carolina | 5–6 | -3.99 | -0.61 |
| 87 | The Citadel | 7–4 | -4.32 | -1.84 |
| 88 | Drake | 10–1 | -4.48 | 2.05 |
| 89 | Louisiana-Monroe | 5–6 | -4.69 | -2.87 |
| 90 | Chattanooga | 7–4 | -4.71 | -1.12 |
| 91 | Rice | 4–7 | -5.24 | 0.84 |
| 92 | Arkansas State | 6–5 | -5.35 | -0.49 |
| 93 | Virginia | 1–10 | -5.48 | -2.76 |
| 94 | Wichita State | 4–7 | -6.05 | -2.94 |
| 95 | Texas-Arlington | 6–5 | -6.05 | -0.29 |
| 96 | North Texas | 2–9 | -6.17 | -2.46 |
| 97 | UNLV | 6–6 | -6.52 | -0.47 |
| 98 | Indiana | 3–8 | -7.26 | -0.90 |
| 99 | Dartmouth | 6–4 | -7.29 | -2.42 |
| 100 | Kansas State | 2–9 | -7.42 | -2.19 |
| 101 | Ohio | 5–6 | -7.49 | -2.03 |
| 102 | Richmond | 4–7 | -7.50 | -2.56 |
| 103 | Pacific | 5–6 | -7.67 | -0.02 |
| 104 | Georgia Tech | 1–10 | -7.70 | -2.00 |
| 105 | Appalachian State | 3–8 | -7.74 | -4.86 |
| 106 | VMI | 6–4 | -8.42 | -1.23 |
| 107 | Colorado | 3–8 | -8.45 | -0.41 |
| 108 | Holy Cross | 6–5 | -8.50 | -2.33 |
| 109 | Air Force | 4–7 | -8.57 | -1.26 |
| 110 | Louisiana Tech | 4–7 | -9.05 | -3.06 |
| 111 | Fresno State | 5–6 | -9.28 | -2.21 |
| 112 | Harvard | 5–5 | -9.36 | -3.24 |
| 113 | Ball State | 4–7 | -9.61 | -3.30 |
| 114 | Long Beach State | 2–8 | -9.81 | -4.12 |
| 115 | Louisiana | 1–10 | -9.88 | -5.50 |
| 116 | Army | 3–8 | -9.94 | -3.36 |
| 117 | Memphis | 1–10 | -10.03 | -3.46 |
| 118 | Cal State Fullerton | 3–8 | -11.09 | -3.38 |
| 119 | Northern Illinois | 3–8 | -11.66 | -4.63 |
| 120 | Kent State | 4–7 | -11.72 | -2.99 |
| 121 | William & Mary | 5–6 | -13.18 | -1.72 |
| 122 | Lamar | 4–7 | -13.79 | -2.97 |
| 123 | Western Carolina | 4–7 | -14.15 | -3.90 |
| 124 | Illinois State | 3–7 | -17.97 | -4.76 |
| 125 | Princeton | 5–5 | -18.13 | -3.09 |
| 126 | New Mexico State | 3–8 | -18.74 | -4.70 |
| 127 | Colorado State | 0–12 | -19.10 | -4.68 |
| 128 | Cornell | 3–7 | -19.71 | -4.79 |
| 129 | Brown | 3–7 | -19.78 | -5.06 |
| 130 | Oregon State | 1–10 | -22.39 | -3.12 |
| 131 | Marshall | 2–9 | -25.85 | -5.83 |
| 132 | Northwestern | 0–11 | -26.79 | -4.03 |
| 133 | UTEP | 1–10 | -26.97 | -4.95 |
| 134 | Columbia | 1–9 | -28.00 | -7.16 |
| 135 | Pennsylvania | 1–9 | -28.63 | -6.60 |
| 136 | Eastern Michigan | 0–11 | -30.09 | -7.44 |
MRI 2.0 did not exist for this season - this is the same formula that rates the current one, computed after the fact from the season's game log.