2001 Reward Ranking (before bowl games)
| Rank | Name | W | L | Reward | AP | ESPN/USA Today |
| 1 | Miami(Florida) | 11 | 0 | 7.9227 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Oregon | 10 | 1 | 7.0163 | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | Nebraska | 11 | 1 | 6.9248 | 4 | 4 |
| 4 | Colorado | 10 | 2 | 6.6896 | 3 | 3 |
| 5 | Stanford | 9 | 2 | 6.4906 | 11 | 11 |
| 6 | Texas | 10 | 2 | 6.3450 | 9 | 9 |
| 7 | Tennessee | 10 | 2 | 6.2887 | 8 | 8 |
| 8 | WashingtonState | 9 | 2 | 6.2651 | 13 | 13 |
| 9 | Florida | 9 | 2 | 5.9904 | 5 | 5 |
| 10 | Illinois | 10 | 1 | 5.8041 | 7 | 7 |
| 11 | Oklahoma | 10 | 2 | 5.7664 | 10 | 10 |
| 12 | Maryland | 10 | 1 | 5.4744 | 6 | 6 |
| 13 | FresnoState | 11 | 2 | 5.3709 | 20 | 21 |
| 14 | Washington | 8 | 3 | 5.3329 | 21 | 20 |
| 15 | LouisianaState | 9 | 3 | 5.2001 | 12 | 12 |
| 16 | Georgia | 8 | 3 | 4.9461 | 16 | 19 |
| 17 | BrighamYoung | 12 | 1 | 4.7731 | 19 | 17 |
| 18 | Michigan | 8 | 3 | 4.4081 | 17 | 15 |
| 19 | Syracuse | 9 | 3 | 4.3104 | 18 | 18 |
| 20 | SouthCarolina | 8 | 3 | 4.2997 | 14 | 14 |
| 21 | UCLA | 7 | 4 | 3.8905 | 34T | 39 |
| 22 | Marshall | 10 | 2 | 3.6249 | 30 | 25 |
| 23 | Auburn | 7 | 4 | 3.6099 | 28 | 28 |
| 24 | Louisville | 10 | 2 | 3.4923 | 23 | 22 |
| 25 | Arkansas | 7 | 4 | 3.4394 | 29 | 30 |
| 26 | Hawaii | 9 | 3 | 3.4172 | 26 | 27 |
| 27 | FloridaState | 7 | 4 | 3.3775 | 24 | 24 |
| 28 | TexasA&M | 7 | 4 | 3.2857 | 34T | 35 |
| 29 | Toledo | 9 | 2 | 3.1446 | 25 | 26 |
| 30 | TexasTech | 7 | 4 | 3.0848 | 37T | 40 |
| 31 | VirginiaTech | 8 | 3 | 3.0628 | 15 | 16 |
| 32 | OhioState | 7 | 4 | 2.9446 | 22 | 23 |
| 33 | Mississippi | 7 | 4 | 2.8099 | 37T | 36 |
| 34 | BoiseState | 8 | 4 | 2.5841 | ||
| 35 | IowaState | 7 | 4 | 2.5761 | ||
| 36 | BostonCollege | 7 | 4 | 2.4662 | ||
| 37 | NorthCarolinaState | 7 | 4 | 2.4484 | ||
| 38 | KansasState | 6 | 5 | 2.3975 | ||
| 39 | SouthernCalifornia | 6 | 5 | 2.3880 | ||
| 40 | Alabama | 6 | 5 | 2.2845 | ||
| 41 | BowlingGreenState | 8 | 3 | 2.1727 | ||
| 42 | NorthCarolina | 7 | 5 | 1.9719 | ||
| 43 | Rice | 8 | 4 | 1.9097 | ||
| 44 | LouisianaTech | 7 | 4 | 1.8670 | ||
| 45 | OregonState | 5 | 6 | 1.8478 | ||
| 46 | GeorgiaTech | 7 | 5 | 1.8267 | ||
| 47 | Utah | 7 | 4 | 1.7914 | ||
| 48 | NotreDame | 5 | 6 | 1.7705 | ||
| 49 | MiddleTennesseeState | 8 | 3 | 1.5896 | ||
| 50 | SouthFlorida | 8 | 3 | 1.4454 | ||
| 51 | PennState | 5 | 6 | 1.3992 | ||
| 52 | TroyState | 7 | 4 | 1.3922 | ||
| 53 | Clemson | 6 | 5 | 1.3654 | ||
| 54 | Purdue | 6 | 5 | 1.2942 | ||
| 55 | Wisconsin | 5 | 7 | 1.2285 | ||
| 56 | WakeForest | 6 | 5 | 1.1599 | ||
| 57 | ColoradoState |