College Football TV Ratings: Top 10 most-watched games of Week 10
The stakes are getting higher around college football. Week 10 was the first after the College Football Playoff rankings came out, and it meant a bounce-back week for TV ratings after last week’s lower viewership numbers.
For CBS, it was a huge week with two marquee games in back-to-back windows. The network held three of the top four spots — including one of this year’s biggest viewerships — in this week’s Nielsen ratings as all three games delivered notable results, according to Sports Media Watch.
With rivalry week just three weeks away, college football has generated plenty of ratings momentum. (Note: Nielsen ratings for this past week’s games were delayed until Wednesday morning.)
Alabama vs. LSU
Channel: CBS
Date/Time: Nov. 4, 7:45 p.m. ET
Viewers: 8.82 million
Alabama vs. LSU delivered the fifth-most watched college football game of the year as the Crimson Tide and Tigers squared off in Tuscaloosa, and it set up a huge TV ratings victory. Ultimately, Alabama came away with the 42-28 victory with a dominant second half — and the path to the SEC Championship is clear.
Georgia vs. Missouri
Channel: CBS
Date/Time: Nov. 4, 3:30 p.m. ET
Viewers: 7 million
Another highly anticipated SEC matchup saw No. 12 Missouri square off against No. 2 Georgia, and it delivered. The Bulldogs pulled off the 30-21 victory over the Tigers to keep the winning streak going as they search for a three-peat.
USC vs. Washington
Channel: ABC
Date/Time: Nov. 4, 7:30 p.m. ET
Viewers: 4.45 million
Plenty of eyes were on The Coliseum in Week 10 for USC vs. Washington — also known as Caleb Williams vs. Michael Penix Jr. in a battle of Heisman hopefuls. Defense was hard to come by, but it was Penix who got the better of Williams in a 52-42 shootout in ABC’s biggest game of the week.
Rutgers vs. Ohio State
Channel: CBS
Date/Time: Nov. 4, noon ET
Viewers: 3.96 million
Through one half against Rutgers, Ohio State looked like it could be on upset alert as the Buckeyes trailed 9-7 at halftime. Ultimately, Ryan Day’s group got back on track en route to the 35-16 victory, and it’s safe to say plenty of people tuned in for that second half. The game gave CBS three college football games of 3-plus million viewers, which was a huge TV ratings victory for the network.
Oklahoma State vs. Oklahoma
Channel: ABC
Date/Time: Nov. 4, 3:30 p.m. ET
Viewers: 3.76 million
The final installment of Bedlam came down to the final minutes, and Oklahoma State got the victory over rival Oklahoma 27-24. It creates even more chaos in the Big 12 heading into the home stretch of the season, but it also marks the end of a rivalry that dates back to 1904.
Clemson vs. Notre Dame
Channel: ABC
Date/Time: Nov. 4, noon ET
Viewers: 3.24 million
The name “Tyler from Spartanburg” was a big topic of conversation on Saturday as Dabo Swinney and a struggling Clemson team took on No. 15 Notre Dame. The Tigers looked like they had some extra motivation as they came out firing and, despite some issues late, held on to beat the Fighting Irish 31-23 to likely keep Marcus Freeman’s team out of New Year’s Six contention.
Texas vs. Kansas State
Channel: FOX
Date/Time: Nov. 4, noon ET
Viewers: 2.95 million
Texas and Kansas State battled it out in one of the most exciting games of Week 10 — one that required overtime. K-State tried to be aggressive in the extra period and go for it on fourth down, but Texas snuffed it out to seal the 33-30 victory to stay firmly in the top 10 of the College Football Playoff rankings.
Colorado vs. Oregon State
Channel: ESPN
Date/Time: Nov. 4, 10 p.m. ET
Viewers: 2.77 million
After starting the year as a TV ratings darling and the story of college football, Colorado has cooled down. The Buffaloes’ loss to Oregon State got their lowest viewership to date as DJ Uiagalelei and the Beavers left Boulder with a 26-19 win.
Michigan vs. Purdue
Channel: NBC
Date/Time: Nov. 4, 7:30 p.m. ET
Viewers: 2.6 million
There was plenty of news off the field ahead of Michigan vs. Purdue, and all eyes were on the head coaches. Ryan Walters made waves for his comments about the Wolverines on his radio show amid the sign-stealing scandal, and although Jim Harbaugh’s group got the 41-13 victory in primetime, an apparently chilly postgame handshake raised some eyebrows.
Maryland vs. Penn State
Channel: FOX
Date/Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Viewers: 2.39 million
After a close game against Indiana in Week 9, the question became how Penn State would respond against Maryland. It’s safe to say the Nittany Lions shook it off as they cruised to the 51-15 victory over the Terrapins, which will add to the stakes of a Week 11 game against Michigan that’s shaping up to be ratings galore.
“Statement Saturday” sure lived up to the billing as college football’s TV ratings bounced back. With just a few weeks left to go in the regular season, there are still some big draws coming up as teams try to lock up a spot in their conference title games and the CFP.