The 1961 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team, under head coach Murray Warmath, compiled an 8–2, was ranked No.
Quarterback Sandy Stephens was a consensus first-team All-American and won the Chicago Tribune Silver Football award as the Big Ten's most valuable player.
Key AP final = Team's rank in the final AP Poll of the 1961 season[1] AP high = Team's highest rank in the AP Poll throughout the 1961 season[1] PPG = Average of points scored per game[1] PAG = Average of points allowed per game[1] MVP = Most valuable player as voted by players on each team as part of the voting process to determine the winner of the Chicago Tribune Silver Football trophy; trophy winner in bold[2] On November 20, 1960, hours after the final game of the 1960 season, Iowa announced that Forest Evashevski would be replaced as head football coach by Jerry Burns.
At the end of the 1961 season, Big Ten players secured two of the 11 consensus first-team picks for the 1961 College Football All-America Team.
[4] The Big Ten's consensus All-Americans were: Other Big Ten players who were named first-team All-Americans by at least one selector were: Ohio State fullback Bob Ferguson won the Maxwell Award and the UPI and Sporting News College Football Player of the Year awards.