1976 Reward Ranking (before bowl games)
| Rank | Name | W | L | T | Reward | AP | UPI |
| 1 | Pittsburgh | 11 | 0 | 0 | 6.1176 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Maryland | 11 | 0 | 0 | 6.0756 | 4 | 5 |
| 3 | TexasTech | 10 | 1 | 0 | 6.0111 | 9 | 8 |
| 4 | Georgia | 10 | 1 | 0 | 5.5816 | 5 | 4 |
| 5 | SouthernCalifornia | 10 | 1 | 0 | 5.4712 | 3 | 3 |
| 6 | Michigan | 10 | 1 | 0 | 5.2514 | 2 | 2 |
| 7 | Houston | 9 | 2 | 0 | 5.0133 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | TexasA&M | 9 | 2 | 0 | 4.4432 | 10 | 10T |
| 9 | Oklahoma | 8 | 2 | 1 | 4.2397 | 8 | 9 |
| 10 | NorthCarolina | 9 | 2 | 0 | 4.2273 | 19 | NR |
| 11 | MississippiState | 9 | 2 | 0 | 4.1627 | 20T | NR |
| 12 | Rutgers | 11 | 0 | 0 | 4.1139 | 17 | 15 |
| 13 | UCLA | 9 | 1 | 1 | 4.0927 | 7 | 6 |
| 14 | Colorado | 8 | 3 | 0 | 3.9104 | 12 | 12 |
| 15 | Florida | 8 | 3 | 0 | 3.8172 | NR | 20 |
| 16 | OhioState | 8 | 2 | 1 | 3.7431 | 11 | 10T |
| 17 | OklahomaState | 8 | 3 | 0 | 3.6493 | 14 | 14 |
| 18 | Brown | 8 | 1 | 0 | 3.5513 | ||
| 19 | IowaState | 8 | 3 | 0 | 3.5485 | ||
| 20 | Nebraska | 8 | 3 | 1 | 3.2689 | 13 | 19 |
| 21 | Yale | 8 | 1 | 0 | 3.2028 | ||
| 22 | Alabama | 8 | 3 | 0 | 3.1401 | 16 | 15 |
| 23 | NotreDame | 8 | 3 | 0 | 3.1225 | 15 | 13 |
| 24 | EastCarolina | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2.8607 | ||
| 25 | Baylor | 7 | 3 | 1 | 2.8254 | 18 | 17 |
| 26 | Kentucky | 7 | 4 | 0 | 2.6963 | ||
| 27 | SanDiegoState | 10 | 1 | 0 | 2.6559 | ||
| 28 | Missouri | 6 | 5 | 0 | 2.6360 | ||
| 29 | Kansas | 6 | 5 | 0 | 2.3543 | ||
| 30 | Louisiana-Lafayette | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2.2850 | ||
| 31 | BrighamYoung | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2.2735 | NR | 17 |
| 32 | Cincinnati | 8 | 3 | 0 | 2.2257 | ||
| 33 | Arkansas | 5 | 5 | 1 | 1.9652 | ||
| 34 | Illinois | 5 | 6 | 0 | 1.8334 | ||
| 35 | Texas | 5 | 5 | 1 | 1.7794 | ||
| 36 | PennState | 7 | 4 | 0 | 1.7442 | 20T | NR |
| 37 | BostonCollege | 8 | 3 | 0 | 1.7424 | ||
| 38 | Purdue | 5 | 6 | 0 | 1.6979 | ||
| 39 | Mississippi | 5 | 6 | 0 | 1.6867 | ||
| 40 | LouisianaState | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1.6080 | ||
| 41 | Duke | 5 | 5 | 1 | 1.4976 | ||
| 42 | Tulsa | 7 | 3 | 1 | 1.4378 | ||
| 43 | McNeeseState | 9 | 2 | 0 | 1.3950 | ||
| 44 | SouthCarolina | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1.2893 | ||
| 45 | Stanford | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1.2868 | ||
| 46 | Tennessee | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1.2177 | ||
| 47 | Minnesota | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1.1796 | ||
| 48 | Iowa | 5 | 6 | 0 | 1.1336 | ||
| 49 | GeorgiaTech | 4 | 6 | 1 | 1.0999 | ||
| 50 | Wyoming | 8 | 3 | 0 | 1.0913 |