Predicting the top 10 most watched games of the college football season
The college football season kicks off in under a week with Florida State and Georgia Tech meeting in Dublin.
With the rise of NIL, the transfer portal and College Football Playoff expansion, this year will be one of the most unique in the sport’s history. Viewership and fandom are at all-time highs, too.
Looking at last year’s TV data and this year’s packed schedule, On3 is predicting the 10 most-watched games of the college football season:
1. Michigan at Ohio State
The most-watched game in college football for three years running, the drama around Michigan at Ohio State in 2024 will be high. Ryan Day and the Buckeyes have lost three consecutive years in The Game. Questions remain entering the fall about the quarterback position for Michigan. Plus, the Wolverines are coming off a national championship and in Year One with Sherrone Moore. Meanwhile, expectations are sky-high for Ohio State in Columbus. Last year’s game on FOX brought in 19.07 million. With so much pressure and expectations on the Buckeyes in 2024, this game should live up to its billing.
2. Georgia at Alabama
A rematch of last year’s SEC Championship Game which drew in 17.52 million on CBS, this year’s edition will play out in the regular season and feature first-year Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer. The Tide will have be coming off a bye when they host the Bulldogs. Like Alabama, Georgia will be coming off a bye. The Bulldogs open the season against Clemson and visit Kentucky before playing the Tide.
3. Texas at Michigan
Dubbed as one of the top nonconference matchups of the college football season, the reigning national champions will host Texas in the Big House on Sept. 7. Both ranked in the top 10 entering the season, the lone previous meeting between the two schools came in the 2005 Rose Bowl following the 2004 season. The game is slotted for Big Noon Kickoff on FOX.
4. Ohio State at Oregon
Viewed as the most-anticipated matchup in the new Big Ten, Ohio State will visit Oregon on Oct. 12. Gametime has yet to be announced but the expectation is the game will be in the primetime slot on NBC. Both teams should be undefeated at this point in the season. And with the new 12-team College Football Playoff, both will be jousting for seeding and standing in the Big Ten rankings. Two of the biggest brands in the sport are now in the same conference and should draw eyeballs.
5. Notre Dame at Texas A&M
As one of the prime matchups of Week 1, the top-20 matchup at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC will be of high appeal. Mike Elko’s first game as head coach in College Station will feature his former Duke quarterback, Riley Leonard, in his first appearance with the Fighting Irish. It’s the start of a crucial Year Four for Marcus Freeman, who has yet to make the College Football Playoff. With the expansion, expectations will be higher to make the postseason. Texas A&M and Notre Dame have both suffered season-ending injuries on the offensive side of the ball in training camp.
6. Oklahoma-Texas
This matchup brought in 7.87 million on ABC a year ago, sitting just outside the top 10. But now an SEC conference game, the Red River Rivalry will have some revamped energy behind it. Scheduled for Oct. 12 at the Cotton Bowl, it’s slated to be a top-20 matchup. Brent Venables broke through last year, scoring his first win over Texas as Oklahoma’s head coach. Now he will bring in first-year starter Jackson Arnold.
7. Texas at Texas A&M
Texas and Texas A&M have played each other 118 times in a series that began in 1894 but have not played since 2011 because the Aggies left the Big 12 to join the SEC the following year. Now they are conference foes again, this time in the SEC. The rivalry is set to be renewed on Nov. 30 with Texas visiting the Aggies in College Station. The schools are expected to announce a sponsor of the rivalry series this week. State Farm Insurance sponsored the rivalry in all sports from 2004-11 before Texas A&M left for the SEC. Gametime has yet to be announced.
8. LSU-USC
A year ago, Florida State and LSU played in the Sunday game of Labor Day weekend which brought in 9.17 million viewers on ABC. Now the Tigers will play USC in the Modelo Vegas Kickoff Classic at Allegiant Stadium. Schedule for Sunday, Sept. 1 at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC, both programs struggled at times during the 2023 season. Garrett Nussmeier (LSU) and Miller Moss (USC) will be starting their first games as true starters. It will be the first look at USC’s defense under defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn, too.
9. Miami at Florida
A major college football game in the Sunshine State in Week 1, it could be the defining game of the year for Miami or Florida depending on the outcome. Billy Napier is on the hot seat in Year Three with the Gators. A win over the Hurricanes could set the tone for a crucial season. For Miami, expectations are high after the Hurricanes pieced together one of the top portal classes in the country. Mario Cristobal has yet to find success on the field during his head coaching stint at Miami. Either way, the Aug. 31 matchup at 3:30 ET will have major ramifications.
10. Colorado at Nebraska
A year ago, Nebraska at Colorado brought in 8.73 million viewers on ABC. Plenty of star power was involved in that game, headlined by Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter and Deion Sanders. But now in Year Two of the Matt Rhule era, the Huskers have their star in true freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola. With plenty of talent on both sidelines and a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff on NBC on Sept. 7, this game should live up to the hype.