Georgia vs. Texas, Alabama vs. Tennessee combine for ABC ratings history in Week 8

Saturday’s night game between Georgia and Texas as well as the afternoon bout between Alabama and Tennessee were all people could pay attention to in Week 8 of college football.

Both games were televised on ABC and, according to ESPN, it was the first time in 28 years that both games of a college football doubleheader saw 10 million or more viewers. The contest between the Crimson Tide and Volunteers lead things off with 10.7 million. Then the nightcap featuring the Longhorns and Bulldogs carried things home with an average of 12.9 million.

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The number of people that tuned in to watch the game between Georgia and Texas was the most of any game this season and the second-most of the past decade. Additionally, the Alabama-Tennessee contest is the second-most watched game in the history of that rivalry.

The Volunteers went on to defeat the Crimson Tide by a score of 24-17 behind 126 yards rushing and a pair of touchdowns from Dylan Sampson. It marked the second win for Tennessee against its bitter rival in the past three meetings.

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Following that game, Georgia delivered a dominant performance on its way to a 30-15 victory against the Longhorns. The Bulldogs jumped out to a 23-0 lead by halftime and forced four turnovers on defense, never trailing as it improved to 6-1.

The two games were the most anticipated of the week in college football and it showed with their TV ratings. Another SEC contest between Texas A&M and LSU, the only two remaining unbeaten teams in the conference, is the primetime game on ABC this week.

We’ll see whether the Aggies and Tigers can outdo the games this Week 8 when they kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at Kyle Field.

SEC punishes Tennessee for fans storming Neyland Stadium field following Alabama upset

The SEC has fined Tennessee $100,000 for its fans storming the field after the Volunteers’ 24-17 win over No. 7 Alabama on Saturday. The fine is per the SEC policy for field storming, which was established in June 2023 and states that fines are owed to the opposing institution.

Tennessee fans had not stormed the field since this new policy was implemented. Thus, this is considered a first-time offense; hence, the minimum $100,000 fine. Per the policy, a second offense is a $250,000 fine and the school must pay $500,000 after its third offense.

If the updated policy hadn’t reset the schools’ offense counts, Tennessee would be reaching even deeper into its pockets. Volunteers fans also stormed the field when Tennessee defeated Alabama in October 2022, tearing down the goalposts and carrying them away from Neyland Stadium.

While Tennessee won’t be happy about the fine, it’s safe to assume the school won’t lose any sleep over the extra cost. The Volunteers’ win on Saturday had massive implications for the team’s College Football Playoff hopes.

On3’s Grant Grubbs contributed to this report.