1981 Reward Ranking (before bowl games)
| Rank | Name | W | L | T | Reward | AP | UPI |
| 1 | Clemson | 11 | 0 | 0 | 8.4495 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Texas | 9 | 1 | 1 | 7.1969 | 6 | 5 |
| 3 | PennState | 9 | 2 | 0 | 7.1476 | 7 | 6 |
| 4 | Pittsburgh | 10 | 1 | 0 | 7.0977 | 10 | 8 |
| 5 | Alabama | 9 | 1 | 1 | 6.6795 | 3 | 3 |
| 6 | Miami(Florida) | 9 | 2 | 0 | 6.6612 | 9 | Prob. |
| 7 | SouthernMethodist | 10 | 1 | 0 | 6.5797 | 5 | Prob. |
| 8 | Georgia | 10 | 1 | 0 | 6.5084 | 2 | 2 |
| 9 | Nebraska | 9 | 2 | 0 | 5.8643 | 4 | 4 |
| 10 | Washington | 9 | 2 | 0 | 5.7744 | 12 | 10 |
| 11 | SouthernCalifornia | 9 | 2 | 0 | 5.6556 | 8 | 7 |
| 12 | ArizonaState | 9 | 2 | 0 | 5.5291 | 17 | Prob. |
| 13 | SouthernMississippi | 9 | 1 | 1 | 5.4233 | 18 | 15 |
| 14 | Iowa | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5.2307 | 13 | 11 |
| 15 | WashingtonState | 8 | 2 | 1 | 4.8710 | 20 | 18 |
| 16 | NorthCarolina | 9 | 2 | 0 | 4.8420 | 11 | 9 |
| 17 | OhioState | 8 | 3 | 0 | 4.7805 | 15 | 14 |
| 18 | Michigan | 8 | 3 | 0 | 4.7381 | 16 | 13 |
| 19 | BrighamYoung | 10 | 2 | 0 | 4.6147 | 14 | 12 |
| 20 | Arkansas | 8 | 3 | 0 | 4.5376 | NR | 17 |
| 21 | Hawaii | 9 | 2 | 0 | 4.4808 | NR | NR |
| 22 | UCLA | 7 | 3 | 1 | 4.4276 | 19 | 16 |
| 23 | WestVirginia | 8 | 3 | 0 | 4.2748 | ||
| 24 | Yale | 9 | 1 | 0 | 4.1419 | ||
| 25 | Illinois | 7 | 4 | 0 | 4.1039 | ||
| 26 | Utah | 8 | 2 | 1 | 4.0057 | ||
| 27 | Kansas | 8 | 3 | 0 | 3.9785 | ||
| 28 | Wisconsin | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3.9211 | ||
| 29 | Houston | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3.9169 | NR | 19 |
| 30 | MississippiState | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3.8748 | ||
| 31 | SanJoseState | 9 | 2 | 0 | 3.6659 | NR | 20 |
| 32 | Wyoming | 8 | 3 | 0 | 3.6124 | ||
| 33 | Oklahoma | 6 | 4 | 1 | 3.2655 | ||
| 34 | Florida | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3.2558 | ||
| 35 | Missouri | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3.1885 | ||
| 36 | Miami(Ohio) | 8 | 2 | 1 | 3.1018 | ||
| 37 | OklahomaState | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3.0246 | ||
| 38 | Navy | 7 | 3 | 1 | 2.9801 | ||
| 39 | FloridaState | 6 | 5 | 0 | 2.8999 | ||
| 40 | Tennessee | 7 | 4 | 0 | 2.8135 | ||
| 41 | Minnesota | 6 | 5 | 0 | 2.5421 | ||
| 42 | Furman | 8 | 3 | 0 | 2.4032 | ||
| 43 | SouthCarolina | 6 | 6 | 0 | 2.3485 | ||
| 44 | Purdue | 5 | 6 | 0 | 2.3115 | ||
| 45 | MichiganState | 5 | 6 | 0 | 2.2471 | ||
| 46 | NotreDame | 5 | 6 | 0 | 2.1671 | ||
| 47 | Temple | 5 | 5 | 0 | 2.1556 | ||
| 48 | IowaState | 5 | 5 | 1 | 2.0927 | ||
| 49 | VirginiaTech | 7 | 4 | 0 | 2.0601 | ||
| 50 | TexasA&M | 6 | 5 | 0 | 2.0128 | ||
| 51 | VMI | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1.9811 | ||
| 52 | Toledo | 8 | 3 | 0 | 1.9263 | ||
| 53 | Citadel | 7 | 3 | 1 | 1.8956 | ||
| 54 | Duke | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1.8882 | ||
| 55 | Auburn | 5 | 6 | 0 | 1.8709 | ||
| 56 | BostonCollege | 5 | 6 | 0 | 1.8265 | ||
| 57 | Syracuse | 4 | 6 | 1 | 1.8113 | ||
| 58 | Tennessee-Chattanooga | 7 | 3 | 1 | 1.7656 | ||
| 59 | Colgate | 7 | 3 | 0 | 1.6923 | ||
| 60 | Arizona | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1.6719 | ||
| 61 | Mississippi | 4 | 6 | 1 | 1.5931 | ||
| 62 | Cincinnati | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1.4605 | ||
| 63 | Rutgers | 5 | 6 | 0 | 1.4367 | ||
| 64 | SanDiegoState | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1.3939 | ||
| 65 | Tulane | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1.3846 | ||
| 66 | Maryland | 4 | 6 | 1 | 1.2320 | ||
| 67 | Baylor | 5 | 6 | 0 | 1.1341 | ||
| 68 | Nevada-LasVegas | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0.9831 | ||
| 69 | Pacific | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0.9705 | ||
| 70 | Stanford | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0.8582 | ||
| 71 | McNeeseState | 7 | 3 | 1 | 0.7912 | ||
| 72 | Louisville | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0.7172 | ||
| 73 | Vanderbilt | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0.7030 | ||
| 74 | EastCarolina | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0.6785 | ||
| 75 | NorthCarolinaState | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0.6665 | ||
| 76 | UtahState | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0.5676 | ||
| 77 | Rice | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0.5454 | ||
| 78 | CentralMichigan | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0.3517 | ||
| 79 | SouthernIllinois | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0.2701 | ||
| 80 | Indiana | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0.1826 | ||
| 81 | Texas-Arlington | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0.1413 | ||
| 82 | Tulsa | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0.1377 | ||
| 83 | William&Mary | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0.1099 | ||
| 84 | WakeForest | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0.0310 | ||
| 85 | ArkansasState | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0.0064 | ||
| 86 | EastTennesseeState | 6 | 5 | 0 | -0.0752 | ||
| 87 | Kentucky | 3 | 8 | 0 | -0.1370 | ||
| 88 | LouisianaState | 3 | 7 | 1 | -0.1691 | ||
| 89 | Colorado | 3 | 8 | 0 | -0.2253 | ||
| 90 | FresnoState | 5 | 6 | 0 | -0.3214 | ||
| 91 | Dartmouth | 6 | 4 | 0 | -0.4196 | ||
| 92 | TexasChristian | 2 | 7 | 2 | -0.4476 | ||
| 93 | BowlingGreenState | 5 | 5 | 1 | -0.4565 | ||
| 94 | AirForce | 4 | 7 | 0 | -0.4744 | ||
| 95 | NewMexico | 4 | 7 | 1 | -0.5019 | ||
| 96 | Princeton | 5 | 4 | 1 | -0.5843 | ||
| 97 | HolyCross | 6 | 5 | 0 | -0.6013 | ||
| 98 | Harvard | 5 | 4 | 1 | -0.6867 | ||
| 99 | WesternMichigan | 6 | 5 | 0 | -0.7116 | ||
| 100 | Richmond | 4 | 7 | 0 | -0.7824 | ||
| 101 | Ohio | 5 | 6 | 0 | -0.9036 | ||
| 102 | Louisiana-Monroe | 5 | 6 | 0 | -0.9493 | ||
| 103 | Lamar | 4 | 6 | 1 | -1.0060 | ||
| 104 | LouisianaTech | 4 | 6 | 1 | -1.0184 | ||
| 105 | WesternCarolina | 4 | 7 | 0 | -1.0418 | ||
| 106 | California | 2 | 9 | 0 | -1.1792 | ||
| 107 | WichitaState | 4 | 6 | 1 | -1.3025 | ||
| 108 | IndianaState | 5 | 5 | 1 | -1.4144 | ||
| 109 | Army | 3 | 7 | 1 | -1.6299 | ||
| 110 | AppalachianState | 3 | 7 | 1 | -1.6736 | ||
| 111 | KansasState | 2 | 9 | 0 | -1.9669 | ||
| 112 | Oregon | 2 | 9 | 0 | -2.0568 | ||
| 113 | TexasTech | 1 | 9 | 1 | -2.1087 | ||
| 114 | Kent | 4 | 7 | 0 | -2.2042 | ||
| 115 | FullertonState | 3 | 8 | 0 | -2.2457 | ||
| 116 | NON_DIV1A | 38 | 53 | 0 | -2.4685 | ||
| 117 | BallState | 4 | 7 | 0 | -2.5311 | ||
| 118 | NorthTexas | 2 | 9 | 0 | -2.5890 | ||
| 119 | Northwestern | 0 | 11 | 0 | -2.6097 | ||
| 120 | GeorgiaTech | 1 | 10 | 0 | -2.6153 | ||
| 121 | Virginia | 1 | 10 | 0 | -2.7364 | ||
| 122 | Memphis | 1 | 10 | 0 | -3.0295 | ||
| 123 | OregonState | 1 | 10 | 0 | -3.1491 | ||
| 124 | LongBeachState | 2 | 8 | 0 | -3.2536 | ||
| 125 | NewMexicoState | 3 | 8 | 0 | -3.3814 | ||
| 126 | Cornell | 3 | 7 | 0 | -3.4805 | ||
| 127 | Brown | 3 | 7 | 0 | -3.7332 | ||
| 128 | Marshall | 2 | 9 | 0 | -3.7491 | ||
| 129 | NorthernIllinois | 3 | 8 | 0 | -3.8057 | ||
| 130 | ColoradoState | 0 | 12 | 0 | -3.9732 | ||
| 131 | Texas-ElPaso | 1 | 10 | 0 | -3.9928 | ||
| 132 | IllinoisState | 3 | 7 | 0 | -4.0216 | ||
| 133 | Louisiana-Lafayette | 1 | 9 | 1 | -4.2943 | ||
| 134 | Columbia | 1 | 9 | 0 | -5.6431 | ||
| 135 | Pennsylvania | 1 | 9 | 0 | -5.8863 | ||
| 136 | EasternMichigan | 0 | 11 | 0 | -6.6737 |
(This page last modified November 08, 2006 .)