College football ratings: Ohio State big again

Oregon’s upset of OSU nears FOX high

For the second-straight week, Ohio State football delivered in the ratings.

Oregon-Ohio State averaged a 4.25 rating and 7.73 million viewers on FOX “Big Noon Saturday” over the weekend, marking the sixth-largest college football audience ever on the network, excluding bowl and conference championship games. The Buckeyes have now played in the top six FOX games and ten of the top 12.

The Ducks’ upset drew three times the rating and four times the audience of last year’s comparable window (Arkansas State-Kansas State: 1.1, 1.79M) and jumped 39% and 64% respectively from Army-Michigan in 2019 (3.1, 4.72M).

For the season, it ranks as the third game in just two weeks to top seven million viewers. That surpasses all of last season (two), excluding the bowls and conference championships.

Later in the day, FOX drew a 2.5 and 4.50 million for Texas A&M-Colorado — up 24% and 31% respectively from 2019 (Nebraska-Colorado: 2.0, 3.45M). The Aggies’ comeback win outdrew the competing Iowa-Iowa State game on ABC (2.2, 3.89M), a top ten matchup that was the site of ESPN’s College Gameday.

Speaking of, the Iowa-Iowa State game delivered the largest audience ever for the “Cyhawk” rivalry. The Hawkeyes’ win increased 9% in ratings and 10% in viewership from last year (Georgia Tech-FSU: 2.0, 3.52M) but declined 46% and 40% respectively from 2019 (Texas A&M-Clemson: 4.0, 6.48M).

ABC drew better numbers for its primetime Washington-Michigan game, which drew a 2.55 and 4.75 million — up 28% in ratings and 37% in viewership from last year (Clemson-Wake Forest: 2.0, 3.46M) but down 49% and 45% respectively from ’19 (LSU-Texas: 5.0, 8.65M).

Florida-South Florida led off ABC’s tripleheader with a 0.9 and 1.60 million, down 53% and 46% respectively from 2019 (Cincinnati-Ohio State: 1.9, 2.94M). There was no comparable window last year.

Wrapping up the weekend’s broadcast TV slate, FOX drew a 0.9 and 1.44 million for Stanford-USC — coverage of which did not begin until 11:56 PM ET — and CBS chipped in a 0.7 and 1.08 million for Air Force-Navy.

Texas-Arkansas led the cable slate with a 1.7 and 3.36 million on ESPN Saturday night, up 90% and 110% respectively from BYU-Tennessee in 2019 (0.9, 1.60M). The Utah-BYU leadout was not nearly as strong at a 0.8 and 1.50 million, down 30% and 19% respectively from ’19 (Stanford-USC: 1.2, 1.86M).

ESPN also drew a 1.0 and 1.74 million for Pittsburgh-Tennessee, flat in ratings and up 4% in viewership from last year (Louisiana-Iowa State: 1.0, 1.67M) and up 28% and 36% respectively from 2019 (Syracuse-Maryland: 0.8, 1.28M). Kansas-Coastal Carolina led the ESPN2 slate with a 0.8 and 1.30 million Saturday night, the most-watched game on ESPN’s secondary network since 2019, but down a tick and 6% respectively from the comparable 2019 window (Marshall-Boise State: 0.9, 1.38M).