1978 Reward Ranking (before bowl games)
| Rank | Name | W | L | T | Reward | AP | UPI |
| 1 | SouthernCalifornia | 11 | 1 | 0 | 5.8704 | 3 | 3 |
| 2 | PennState | 11 | 0 | 0 | 5.8004 | 1 | 1 |
| 3 | Alabama | 10 | 1 | 0 | 5.5989 | 2 | 2 |
| 4 | Oklahoma | 10 | 1 | 0 | 5.2527 | 4 | 4 |
| 5 | Michigan | 10 | 1 | 0 | 5.0000 | 5 | 5 |
| 6 | Clemson | 10 | 1 | 0 | 4.6078 | 7 | 8 |
| 7 | Nebraska | 9 | 2 | 0 | 4.3918 | 6 | 6 |
| 8 | Georgia | 9 | 1 | 1 | 4.2508 | 11 | 7 |
| 9 | Houston | 9 | 2 | 0 | 3.9525 | 9 | 11 |
| 10 | Arkansas | 9 | 2 | 0 | 3.8483 | 8 | 10 |
| 11 | Maryland | 9 | 2 | 0 | 3.3480 | 13 | 12 |
| 12 | Purdue | 8 | 2 | 1 | 3.1469 | 17 | 17 |
| 13 | Texas | 8 | 3 | 0 | 3.0975 | 14 | 14 |
| 14 | NotreDame | 8 | 3 | 0 | 3.0905 | 10 | 9 |
| 15 | MichiganState | 8 | 3 | 0 | 2.8848 | 12 | Prob. |
| 16 | ArizonaState | 8 | 3 | 0 | 2.7799 | NR | NR |
| 17 | NorthTexas | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2.5614 | NR | NR |
| 18 | Pittsburgh | 8 | 3 | 0 | 2.3816 | 16 | 13 |
| 19 | UCLA | 8 | 3 | 0 | 2.2612 | 15 | 16 |
| 20 | BallState | 10 | 1 | 0 | 2.2592 | NR | NR |
| 21 | IowaState | 8 | 3 | 0 | 2.2126 | 19 | NR |
| 22 | LouisianaState | 8 | 3 | 0 | 2.1131 | NR | 18 |
| 23 | TexasTech | 7 | 4 | 0 | 2.0983 | ||
| 24 | Tulsa | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2.0952 | ||
| 25 | Missouri | 7 | 4 | 0 | 2.0634 | 18 | 15 |
| 26 | NorthCarolinaState | 8 | 3 | 0 | 2.0226 | ||
| 27 | FloridaState | 8 | 3 | 0 | 2.0035 | ||
| 28 | Stanford | 7 | 4 | 0 | 1.7738 | NR | 20 |
| 29 | Rutgers | 9 | 2 | 0 | 1.7634 | ||
| 30 | Washington | 7 | 4 | 0 | 1.7511 | ||
| 31 | OhioState | 7 | 3 | 1 | 1.6773 | 20 | NR |
| 32 | Navy | 8 | 3 | 0 | 1.6760 | ||
| 33 | TexasA&M | 7 | 4 | 0 | 1.5529 | ||
| 34 | Utah | 8 | 3 | 0 | 1.2643 | ||
| 35 | California | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1.2118 | ||
| 36 | BrighamYoung | 9 | 3 | 0 | 1.1085 | ||
| 37 | SouthernMethodist | 4 | 6 | 1 | 1.1001 | ||
| 38 | GeorgiaTech | 7 | 4 | 0 | 1.0997 | NR | 19 |
| 39 | Auburn | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1.0822 | ||
| 40 | MississippiState | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1.0541 | ||
| 41 | Colorado | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0.9814 | ||
| 42 | Florida | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0.8991 | ||
| 43 | Tennessee | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0.8857 | ||
| 44 | SouthCarolina | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0.8654 | ||
| 45 | Miami(Ohio) | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0.8451 | ||
| 46 | CentralMichigan | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0.8378 | ||
| 47 | Miami(Florida) | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0.6335 | ||
| 48 | Mississippi | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0.6331 | ||
| 49 | Arizona | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0.6254 | ||
| 50 | Kentucky | 4 | 6 | 1 | 0.5976 | ||
| 51 | SouthernMississippi | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0.5234 | ||
| 52 | KansasState | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0.5064 | ||
| 53 | Indiana | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0.4742 | ||
| 54 | EastCarolina | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0.4728 | ||
| 55 | Temple | 7 | 3 | 1 | 0.4710 | ||
| 56 | Wisconsin | 5 | 4 | 2 | 0.4652 | ||
| 57 | Memphis | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0.4392 | ||
| 58 | Duke | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0.4272 | ||
| 59 | Yale | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0.1722 | ||
| 60 | OregonState | 3 | 7 | 1 | 0.1669 | ||
| 61 | Tulane | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0.1206 | ||
| 62 | Minnesota | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0.0499 | ||
| 63 | Baylor | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0.0093 | ||
| 64 | NorthCarolina | 5 | 6 | 0 | -0.0103 | ||
| 65 | Furman | 8 | 3 | 0 | -0.0758 | ||
| 66 | Dartmouth | 6 | 3 | 0 | -0.1483 | ||
| 67 | Hawaii | 6 | 5 | 0 | -0.1557 | ||
| 68 | Louisville | 7 | 4 | 0 | -0.2306 | ||
| 69 | Brown | 6 | 3 | 0 | -0.2586 | ||
| 70 | NewMexico | 7 | 5 | 0 | -0.3376 | ||
| 71 | OklahomaState | 3 | 8 | 0 | -0.3640 | ||
| 72 | Wyoming | 5 | 7 | 0 | -0.4303 | ||
| 73 | WashingtonState | 3 | 7 | 1 | -0.4454 | ||
| 74 | Tennessee-Chattanooga | 7 | 3 | 1 | -0.4535 | ||
| 75 | Cincinnati | 5 | 6 | 0 | -0.4576 | ||
| 76 | UtahState | 7 | 4 | 0 | -0.5113 | ||
| 77 | LouisianaTech | 6 | 4 | 0 | -0.5958 | ||
| 78 | Nevada-LasVegas | 7 | 4 | 0 | -0.6544 | ||
| 79 | NewMexicoState | 6 | 5 | 0 | -0.6803 | ||
| 80 | VirginiaTech | 4 | 7 | 0 | -0.6938 | ||
| 81 | ArkansasState | 7 | 4 | 0 | -0.7131 | ||
| 82 | Syracuse | 3 | 8 | 0 | -0.8062 | ||
| 83 | Louisiana-Monroe | 6 | 4 | 1 | -0.8836 | ||
| 84 | TennesseeState | 8 | 3 | 0 | -0.8842 | ||
| 85 | Cornell | 5 | 3 | 1 | -0.9292 | ||
| 86 | ColoradoState | 5 | 6 | 0 | -0.9439 | ||
| 87 | Rice | 2 | 9 | 0 | -0.9478 | ||
| 88 | William&Mary | 5 | 5 | 1 | -1.1271 | ||
| 89 | SanDiegoState | 4 | 7 | 0 | -1.1984 | ||
| 90 | McNeeseState | 7 | 4 | 0 | -1.2544 | ||
| 91 | HolyCross | 7 | 4 | 0 | -1.2883 | ||
| 92 | Army | 4 | 6 | 1 | -1.3371 | ||
| 93 | Harvard | 4 | 4 | 1 | -1.3385 | ||
| 94 | Texas-Arlington | 5 | 6 | 0 | -1.3680 | ||
| 95 | WichitaState | 4 | 7 | 0 | -1.3688 | ||
| 96 | AppalachianState | 7 | 4 | 0 | -1.3849 | ||
| 97 | SanJoseState | 7 | 5 | 0 | -1.3937 | ||
| 98 | Pacific | 4 | 8 | 0 | -1.4357 | ||
| 99 | TexasChristian | 2 | 9 | 0 | -1.5008 | ||
| 100 | WesternCarolina | 6 | 5 | 0 | -1.5340 | ||
| 101 | SouthernIllinois | 7 | 4 | 0 | -1.7296 | ||
| 102 | Illinois | 1 | 8 | 2 | -1.7442 | ||
| 103 | WesternMichigan | 7 | 4 | 0 | -1.7453 | ||
| 104 | Drake | 4 | 7 | 0 | -1.7664 | ||
| 105 | Citadel | 5 | 6 | 0 | -1.7771 | ||
| 106 | Iowa | 2 | 9 | 0 | -1.8429 | ||
| 107 | Oregon | 2 | 9 | 0 | -1.9211 | ||
| 108 | Villanova | 5 | 6 | 0 | -1.9923 | ||
| 109 | EastTennesseeState | 4 | 7 | 0 | -2.0085 | ||
| 110 | Columbia | 3 | 5 | 1 | -2.0146 | ||
| 111 | LongBeachState | 5 | 6 | 0 | -2.0334 | ||
| 112 | NorthernIllinois | 5 | 6 | 0 | -2.1927 | ||
| 113 | Vanderbilt | 2 | 9 | 0 | -2.2051 | ||
| 114 | Richmond | 3 | 8 | 0 | -2.2569 | ||
| 115 | BowlingGreenState | 4 | 7 | 0 | -2.2670 | ||
| 116 | Kansas | 1 | 10 | 0 | -2.3363 | ||
| 117 | FullertonState | 5 | 7 | 0 | -2.4077 | ||
| 118 | Louisiana-Lafayette | 3 | 8 | 0 | -2.5909 | ||
| 119 | Princeton | 2 | 5 | 2 | -2.6118 | ||
| 120 | WestVirginia | 2 | 9 | 0 | -2.6125 | ||
| 121 | Kent | 4 | 7 | 0 | -2.7512 | ||
| 122 | Colgate | 3 | 8 | 0 | -2.7523 | ||
| 123 | AirForce | 3 | 8 | 0 | -2.7597 | ||
| 124 | VMI | 3 | 8 | 0 | -2.8427 | ||
| 125 | WestTexasA&M | 3 | 8 | 0 | -2.8436 | ||
| 126 | WakeForest | 1 | 10 | 0 | -2.8865 | ||
| 127 | Virginia | 2 | 9 | 0 | -3.0839 | ||
| 128 | Ohio | 3 | 8 | 0 | -3.1706 | ||
| 129 | Pennsylvania | 2 | 6 | 1 | -3.1953 | ||
| 130 | FresnoState | 3 | 8 | 0 | -3.3375 | ||
| 131 | NON_DIV1A | 39 | 72 | 2 | -3.3723 | ||
| 132 | Northwestern | 0 | 10 | 1 | -3.3817 | ||
| 133 | IndianaState | 3 | 8 | 0 | -3.3959 | ||
| 134 | Lamar | 2 | 8 | 1 | -3.6383 | ||
| 135 | EasternMichigan | 3 | 7 | 0 | -3.7784 | ||
| 136 | Texas-ElPaso | 1 | 11 | 0 | -4.0603 | ||
| 137 | Toledo | 2 | 9 | 0 | -4.5766 | ||
| 138 | IllinoisState | 2 | 9 | 0 | -4.6377 | ||
| 139 | Marshall | 1 | 10 | 0 | -4.8457 | ||
| 140 | BostonCollege | 0 | 11 | 0 | -5.2600 |
(This page last modified September 15, 2006 .)