October
On October 3, Oklahoma, still stung by its last second loss to USC, was shocked at home in a 7-7 tie with Iowa State. North Carolina moved up to replace Oklahoma at #5 in the next poll.
On October 10, #1 USC was upset by Arizona, 13-10. #3 Texas beat #10 Oklahoma 34-13 and jumped over Penn State into the #1 spot. Michigan returned to the top 5 in the new poll that was: 1. Texas, 2. Penn State, 3. Pittsburgh, 4. North Carolina, and 5. Michigan.
On October 17, #1 Texas was steamrolled by Arkansas 42-11. #5 Michigan lost at Iowa 9-7 in the game that ultimately decided the Big 10's Rose Bowl berth. Clemson and USC replaced Texas and Michigan in the new top 5 that was: 1. Penn State, 2. Pittsburgh, 3. North Carolina, 4. Clemson, and 5. USC.
The big game on October 24 was between ACC rivals #3 North Carolina and #4 Clemson in Chapel Hill. Clemson won 10-8 to move up to #3, and Georgia replaced North Carolina in the top 5.
On October 31, #1 Penn State was upset by unranked Miami (FL) 17-14 and fell to #6. Texas re-ermerged in the top 5 that was: 1. Pittsburgh, 2. Clemson, 3. USC, 4. Georgia, and 5. Texas.
Read more about this topic: 1981 NCAA Division I-A Football Season
Famous quotes containing the word october:
“The autumnal change of our woods has not yet made a deep impression on our own literature yet. October has hardly tinged our poetry.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)