1979 Reward Ranking (before bowl games)
| Rank | Name | W | L | T | Reward | AP | UPI |
| 1 | Alabama | 11 | 0 | 0 | 6.3744 | 2 | 1 |
| 2 | Houston | 10 | 1 | 0 | 6.2769 | 8 | 6 |
| 3 | FloridaState | 11 | 0 | 0 | 6.2713 | 4 | 4 |
| 4 | OhioState | 11 | 0 | 0 | 6.2611 | 1 | 3 |
| 5 | Arkansas | 10 | 1 | 0 | 6.1856 | 6 | 7 |
| 6 | BrighamYoung | 11 | 0 | 0 | 6.1132 | 9 | 9 |
| 7 | SouthernCalifornia | 10 | 0 | 1 | 5.9733 | 3 | 2 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | 10 | 1 | 0 | 5.6134 | 5 | 5 |
| 9 | Pittsburgh | 10 | 1 | 0 | 5.4053 | 10 | 10 |
| 10 | Nebraska | 10 | 1 | 0 | 5.3426 | 7 | 8 |
| 11 | Texas | 9 | 2 | 0 | 5.2795 | 11 | 11 |
| 12 | McNeeseState | 11 | 0 | 0 | 4.9984 | NR | NR |
| 13 | Purdue | 9 | 2 | 0 | 4.1448 | 12 | 12 |
| 14 | CentralMichigan | 10 | 0 | 1 | 4.1140 | NR | NR |
| 15 | Temple | 9 | 2 | 0 | 3.7744 | 20 | 19 |
| 16 | SouthCarolina | 8 | 3 | 0 | 3.6556 | 16 | 16 |
| 17 | Clemson | 8 | 3 | 0 | 3.5014 | 18 | 17 |
| 18 | WakeForest | 8 | 3 | 0 | 3.4538 | ||
| 19 | Tulane | 9 | 2 | 0 | 3.4172 | 15 | 15 |
| 20 | NorthCarolina | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3.2897 | ||
| 21 | Auburn | 8 | 3 | 0 | 3.1452 | 17 | Prob. |
| 22 | Michigan | 8 | 3 | 0 | 3.1306 | 14 | 14 |
| 23 | Washington | 8 | 3 | 0 | 3.1034 | 13 | 13 |
| 24 | Nevada-LasVegas | 9 | 1 | 2 | 2.9626 | ||
| 25 | TexasA&M | 6 | 5 | 0 | 2.7379 | ||
| 26 | Baylor | 7 | 4 | 0 | 2.7371 | 19 | 19 |
| 27 | SanDiegoState | 8 | 3 | 0 | 2.5428 | ||
| 28 | NotreDame | 7 | 4 | 0 | 2.5381 | ||
| 29 | NorthCarolinaState | 7 | 4 | 0 | 2.4591 | NR | 20 |
| 30 | PennState | 7 | 4 | 0 | 2.2964 | ||
| 31 | Maryland | 7 | 4 | 0 | 2.1201 | ||
| 32 | OklahomaState | 7 | 4 | 0 | 2.1200 | ||
| 33 | Tennessee-Chattanooga | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2.1025 | ||
| 34 | Rutgers | 8 | 3 | 0 | 2.0744 | ||
| 35 | UtahState | 7 | 3 | 1 | 2.0669 | ||
| 36 | UCLA | 5 | 6 | 0 | 2.0216 | ||
| 37 | SouthernMethodist | 5 | 6 | 0 | 1.9395 | ||
| 38 | TexasTech | 3 | 6 | 2 | 1.7643 | ||
| 39 | Texas-Arlington | 8 | 3 | 0 | 1.7568 | ||
| 40 | Yale | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1.7380 | ||
| 41 | California | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1.7212 | ||
| 42 | WestVirginia | 5 | 6 | 0 | 1.6883 | ||
| 43 | Indiana | 7 | 4 | 0 | 1.6875 | ||
| 44 | Arizona | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1.6481 | ||
| 45 | Minnesota | 4 | 6 | 1 | 1.6444 | ||
| 46 | Georgia | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1.6203 | ||
| 47 | Missouri | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1.6115 | ||
| 48 | Syracuse | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1.5847 | ||
| 49 | Tennessee | 7 | 4 | 0 | 1.5783 | ||
| 50 | ArizonaState | 6 |