1976 Reward Ranking (after bowl games)
| Rank | Name | W | L | T | Reward | AP | UPI |
| 1 | Pittsburgh | 12 | 0 | 0 | 6.9084 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | SouthernCalifornia | 11 | 1 | 0 | 5.8666 | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | Maryland | 11 | 1 | 0 | 5.2545 | 8 | 11 |
| 4 | TexasTech | 10 | 2 | 0 | 5.0481 | 13 | 13 |
| 5 | Houston | 10 | 2 | 0 | 5.0407 | 4 | 4 |
| 6 | TexasA&M | 10 | 2 | 0 | 4.7803 | 7 | 8 |
| 7 | Georgia | 10 | 2 | 0 | 4.6167 | 10 | 10 |
| 8 | Michigan | 10 | 2 | 0 | 4.4458 | 3 | 3 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | 9 | 2 | 1 | 4.2944 | 5 | 6 |
| 10 | MississippiState | 9 | 2 | 0 | 4.1938 | 20 | NR |
| 11 | OhioState | 9 | 2 | 1 | 4.0885 | 6 | 5 |
| 12 | Rutgers | 11 | 0 | 0 | 4.0837 | 17 | 17 |
| 13 | OklahomaState | 9 | 3 | 0 | 3.6569 | 14 | 14 |
| 14 | IowaState | 8 | 3 | 0 | 3.5971 | 19 | 18 |
| 15 | Brown | 8 | 1 | 0 | 3.5139 | NR | NR |
| 16 | Nebraska | 9 | 3 | 1 | 3.5050 | 9 | 7 |
| 17 | Alabama | 9 | 3 | 0 | 3.3308 | 11 | 9 |
| 18 | NotreDame | 9 | 3 | 0 | 3.3241 | 12 | 12 |
| 19 | UCLA | 9 | 2 | 1 | 3.2776 | 15 | 15 |
| 20 | Yale | 8 | 1 | 0 | 3.1675 | ||
| 21 | NorthCarolina | 9 | 3 | 0 | 3.0903 | ||
| 22 | Colorado | 8 | 4 | 0 | 2.9413 | 16 | 16 |
| 23 | Florida | 8 | 4 | 0 | 2.8451 | ||
| 24 | Baylor | 7 | 3 | 1 | 2.8298 | 19T | |
| 25 | EastCarolina | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2.7331 | ||
| 26 | Missouri | 6 | 5 | 0 | 2.7018 | ||
| 27 | Kentucky | 8 | 4 | 0 | 2.6020 | 18 | 19T |
| 28 | SanDiegoState | 10 | 1 | 0 | 2.5924 | ||
| 29 | Kansas | 6 | 5 | 0 | 2.3870 | ||
| 30 | Louisiana-Lafayette | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2.2792 | ||
| 31 | Cincinnati | 8 | 3 | 0 | 2.0171 | ||
| 32 | Arkansas | 5 | 5 | 1 | 2.0136 | ||
| 33 | Illinois | 5 | 6 | 0 | 1.8295 | ||
| 34 | Texas | 5 | 5 | 1 | 1.8138 | ||
| 35 | McNeeseState | 10 | 2 | 0 | 1.8109 | ||
| 36 | BostonCollege | 8 | 3 | 0 | 1.7168 | ||
| 37 | Purdue | 5 | 6 | 0 | 1.6463 | ||
| 38 | PennState | 7 | 5 | 0 | 1.6371 | ||
| 39 | LouisianaState | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1.6321 | ||
| 40 | Mississippi | 5 | 6 | 0 | 1.5996 | ||
| 41 | BrighamYoung | 9 | 3 | 0 | 1.5084 | ||
| 42 | Duke | 5 | 5 | 1 | 1.3662 | ||
| 43 | SouthCarolina | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1.2339 | ||
| 44 | Tennessee | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1.2084 | ||
| 45 | Minnesota | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1.1520 | ||
| 46 | Stanford | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1.1500 | ||
| 47 | GeorgiaTech | 4 | 6 | 1 | 1.1024 | ||
| 48 | Iowa | 5 | 6 | 0 | 1.0758 | ||
| 49 | Colgate | 8 | 2 | 0 | 1.0261 | ||
| 50 | Indiana | 5 | 6 | 0 | 1.0217 |