2002 Reward Ranking (before bowl games)
| Rank | Name | W | L | Reward | AP | ESPN/USA Today |
| 1 | OhioSt | 13 | 0 | 8.2805 | 2 | 2 |
| 2 | MiamiFL | 12 | 0 | 7.8271 | 1 | 1 |
| 3 | Georgia | 12 | 1 | 6.7657 | 4 | 4 |
| 4 | Iowa | 11 | 1 | 6.6585 | 3 | 3 |
| 5 | WashingtonSt | 10 | 2 | 6.3939 | 7 | 7 |
| 6 | USC | 10 | 2 | 6.1799 | 5 | 5 |
| 7 | NotreDame | 10 | 2 | 6.1126 | 11 | 12 |
| 8 | KansasSt | 10 | 2 | 5.9702 | 6 | 6 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | 11 | 2 | 5.7113 | 8 | 8 |
| 10 | Texas | 10 | 2 | 5.0966 | 9 | 9 |
| 11 | Michigan | 9 | 3 | 4.8045 | 12 | 11 |
| 12 | BoiseSt | 11 | 1 | 4.5779 | 18 | 15 |
| 13 | Alabama | 10 | 3 | 4.5355 | 13 | Prob. |
| 14 | Maryland | 10 | 3 | 4.3768 | 20 | 18 |
| 15 | PennSt | 9 | 3 | 4.2785 | 10 | 10 |
| 16 | NCState | 10 | 3 | 4.2640 | 17 | 17 |
| 17 | WestVirginia | 9 | 3 | 4.1590 | 15 | 13 |
| 18 | SouthFlorida | 9 | 2 | 3.9842 | 29 | 30T |
| 19 | Florida | 8 | 4 | 3.8890 | 22 | 20 |
| 20 | Colorado | 9 | 4 | 3.8347 | 14 | 14 |
| 21 | Auburn | 8 | 4 | 3.6840 | 19 | 22 |
| 22 | ColoradoSt | 10 | 3 | 3.6368 | 23 | 21 |
| 23 | FloridaSt | 9 | 4 | 3.5260 | 16 | 16 |
| 24 | Tennessee | 8 | 4 | 3.3331 | 28 | 27 |
| 25 | Marshall | 10 | 2 | 3.3232 | 27 | 24 |
| 26 | Arkansas | 9 | 4 | 3.2591 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | Pittsburgh | 8 | 4 | 3.0630 | 24 | 23 |
| 28 | BostonCollege | 8 | 4 | 3.0150 | 35 | 29 |
| 29 | LSU | 8 | 4 | 2.9929 | 26 | 25 |
| 30 | VirginiaTech | 9 | 4 | 2.9151 | 21 | 19 |
| 31 | OregonSt | 8 | 4 | 2.7757 | 32 | 36 |
| 32 | TCU | 9 | 2 | 2.7636 | 31 | 28 |
| 33 | Washington | 7 | 5 | 2.5665 | NR | 32T |
| 34 | TexasTech | 8 | 5 | 2.4866 | NR | 37T |
| 35 | Hawaii | 10 | 3 | 2.4430 | 33 | 30T |
| 36 | UCLA | 7 | 5 | 2.3596 | ||
| 37 | IowaSt | 7 | 6 | 2.3215 | ||
| 38 | Virginia | 8 | 5 | 2.2462 | ||
| 39 | GeorgiaTech | 7 | 5 | 1.9266 | ||
| 40 | Oregon | 7 | 5 | 1.9029 | ||
| 41 | California | 7 | 5 | 1.8879 | ||
| 42 | Clemson | 7 | 5 | 1.8513 | ||
| 43 | BowlingGreen | 9 | 3 | 1.8491 | ||
| 44 | ArizonaSt | 8 | 5 | 1.7750 | ||
| 45 | OklahomaSt | 7 | 5 | 1.7612 | ||
| 46 | Toledo | 9 | 4 | 1.6682 | ||
| 47 | Wisconsin | 7 | 6 | 1.6124 | ||
| 48 | Kentucky | 7 | 5 | 1.5852 | ||
| 49 | Minnesota | 7 | 5 | 1.5362 | ||
| 50 | TexasA&M | 6 | 6 | 1.5235 | ||
| 51 | AirForce | 8 | 4 | 1.5030 | ||
| 52 | Nebraska | 7 | 6 | 1.4173 | ||
| 53 | Mississippi | 6 | 6 | 1.3961 | ||
| 54 | NIllinois | 8 | 4 | 1.3229 | ||
| 55 | WakeForest | 6 | 6 | 1.2061 | ||
| 56 | Purdue | 6 | 6 | 1.0854 |