1977 Reward Ranking (before bowl games)
| Rank | Name | W | L | T | Reward | AP | UPI |
| 1 | Texas | 11 | 0 | 0 | 6.8539 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Oklahoma | 10 | 1 | 0 | 5.4312 | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | Arkansas | 10 | 1 | 0 | 5.2878 | 6 | 6 |
| 4 | Kentucky | 10 | 1 | 0 | 5.2653 | 7 | Prob. |
| 5 | Michigan | 10 | 1 | 0 | 5.1560 | 4 | 4 |
| 6 | PennState | 10 | 1 | 0 | 5.0050 | 8 | 7 |
| 7 | NotreDame | 10 | 1 | 0 | 4.8182 | 5 | 5 |
| 8 | Alabama | 10 | 1 | 0 | 4.6081 | 3 | 3 |
| 9 | OhioState | 9 | 2 | 0 | 3.6196 | 9 | 8 |
| 10 | SanDiegoState | 10 | 1 | 0 | 3.5962 | 16 | 18T |
| 11 | TexasA&M | 8 | 3 | 0 | 3.1815 | 18 | 18T |
| 12 | Miami(Ohio) | 10 | 1 | 0 | 3.0487 | NR | NR |
| 13 | NorthCarolina | 8 | 2 | 1 | 2.9491 | 14 | 11 |
| 14 | FloridaState | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2.9472 | 19 | NR |
| 15 | Nebraska | 8 | 3 | 0 | 2.9449 | 12 | 13 |
| 16 | Pittsburgh | 8 | 2 | 1 | 2.8907 | 10 | 9 |
| 17 | Clemson | 8 | 2 | 1 | 2.8244 | NR | NR |
| 18 | NorthTexas | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2.5511 | NR | 17 |
| 19 | ArizonaState | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2.3947 | 15 | 12 |
| 20 | LouisianaState | 8 | 3 | 0 | 2.3790 | ||
| 21 | IowaState | 8 | 3 | 0 | 2.3059 | NR | 14 |
| 22 | Stanford | 8 | 3 | 0 | 2.2801 | ||
| 23 | GramblingState | 10 | 1 | 0 | 2.2292 | ||
| 24 | BrighamYoung | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2.2258 | 17 | 14 |
| 25 | MichiganState | 7 | 3 | 1 | 2.0458 | ||
| 26 | TennesseeState | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1.9905 | ||
| 27 | Colorado | 7 | 3 | 1 | 1.9857 | ||
| 28 | CentralMichigan | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1.9553 | ||
| 29 | TexasTech | 7 | 4 | 0 | 1.9245 | ||
| 30 | ColoradoState | 9 | 2 | 1 | 1.8798 | ||
| 31 | Houston | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1.7933 | ||
| 32 | Baylor | 5 | 6 | 0 | 1.7625 | ||
| 33 | Colgate | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1.7241 | ||
| 34 | Minnesota | 7 | 4 | 0 | 1.7101 | ||
| 35 | SouthernCalifornia | 7 | 4 | 0 | 1.6933 | 20 | 20 |
| 36 | FresnoState | 9 | 2 | 0 | 1.5551 | ||
| 37 | LouisianaTech | 8 | 1 | 2 | 1.4711 | ||
| 38 | WashingtonState | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1.3607 | ||
| 39 | UCLA | 7 | 4 | 0 | 1.3230 | ||
| 40 | Maryland | 7 | 4 | 0 | 1.2793 | ||
| 41 | Washington | 7 | 4 | 0 | 1.2755 | 13 | 14 |
| 42 | NorthCarolinaState | 7 | 4 | 0 | 1.1887 | ||
| 43 | BallState | 9 | 2 | 0 | 1.1192 | ||
| 44 | Florida | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1.1144 | ||
| 45 | California | 7 | 4 | 0 | 1.0581 | ||
| 46 | SouthernMethodist | 4 | 7 | 0 | 1.0327 | ||
| 47 | EastCarolina | 8 | 3 | 0 | 1.0203 | ||
| 48 | Yale | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0.9769 | ||
| 49 | Indiana | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0.9369 | ||
| 50 | Mississippi | 5 |