College Football TV Ratings: Top 10 most-watched games of Week 5

Georgia at Alabama lived up to the hype, delivering the first college football TV ratings bonanza of the young season.

A rematch of last year’s SEC Championship Game which drew in 17.52 million on CBS, this year’s edition on ABC turned into an instant classic. The Crimson Tide went up 28-0 in the first half only to see Carson Beck and Georgia erase it and take a 34-33 lead late in the fourth quarter. Jalen Milroe and true freshman wide receiver Ryan Williams connected on a 75-yard touchdown, creating the must-watch highlight of the season.

On3 is looking at the most-watched games from Week 5. On3 compiled data from network press releases, Programming Insider and Sports Business Journal to piece together the top 10 most-watched games of Week 5 of the college football season. Data from SEC Network, ACC Network and Longhorn Network are not included because the networks do not pay for Nielsen to measure viewership. All Nielsen figures include streaming viewership and includes out-of-home viewing.

Here is the full breakdown of Week 5’s college football TV ratings:

1. Georgia at Alabama
Channel: ABC
Date/Time: Saturday, Sept. 28 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Viewers: 11.98 million

The Georgia-Alabama top-five matchup lived up to the hype. The Crimson Tide jumped out to a 28-0 lead all for Georgia to rally and take a 34-33 lead late in the fourth quarter. Alabama true freshman wide receiver Ryan Williams spun past Georgia defenders for a 75-yard touchdown, putting the Tide up 41-34 for good. The game peaked at 14.1 million viewers, becoming ESPN’s most-streamed regular-season college football game ever and the most-watched regular-season prime-time game on any network since 2017.

2. Oklahoma at Auburn
Channel: ABC
Date/Time: Saturday, Sept. 28 at 4 p.m. ET
Viewers: 5.04 million

Oklahoma rallied from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit, dropping Auburn to 0-2 in the SEC. The Sooners won their first conference game in the SEC, led by a Kip Lewis interception returned 61 yards for the game-winning touchdown. Oklahoma true freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins made his first career start, racking up 230 yards of total offense in the 27-21 win. The loss leaves Auburn trying to figure out its next steps.

3. Colorado at UCF
Channel: FOX
Date/Time: Saturday, Sept. 28 at 4:17 p.m. ET
Viewers: 4.08 million

In a statement Big 12 win for Colorado over UCF, Shedeur Sanders threw for 290 yards and three touchdowns and Travis Hunter had a touchdown catch and interception for the Buffaloes. Colorado is now on the bye week and sits at 4-1 on the season and 2-0 in the Big 12. The Buffs host No. 20 Kansas State on Oct. 12. Notably, Colorado at UCF finished No. 3 in TV ratings despite not being on the Big Noon Saturday slot on FOX.

4. Kentucky at Ole Miss
Channel: ABC
Date/Time: Saturday, Sept. 28 at Noon ET
Viewers: 3.98 million

Kentucky nearly upset Georgia two weeks ago. Last Saturday in Oxford, the Wildcats stunned No. 6 Ole Miss. Ole Miss’ kicker missed a 48-year field goal in the final minute to seal Mark Stoops’ highest-ranked win. Kentucky hadn’t beaten such a highly-ranked team on the road since 1977. The Wildcats also dominated time of possession, holding the ball for 40 minutes. Ole Miss visits South Carolina this weekend.

5. Minnesota at Michigan
Channel: FOX
Date/Time: Saturday, Sept. 28 at Noon ET
Viewers: 3.59 million

Minnesota trailed Michigan 27-24 with roughly 90 seconds remaining in the game and appeared to field an onside kick. Officials ruled that Minnesota was offside, forcing a re-kick which was recovered by Michigan. The Wolverines ran out the clock and escaped with the win. The Big Ten announced Tuesday it is modifying how it officiates onside kicks. Officiating crews will now position the line judge and head line judge on the restraining line of the kicking team.

6. Virginia Tech at Miami
Channel: ESPN
Date/Time: Friday, Sept. 27 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Viewers: 3.259 million

ESPN took the No. 6 spot for the week with 3.3 million for Miami–Virginia Tech, the second-best Friday night game since 2018 for the cable network. Miami quarterback Cam Ward was 24 of 38 for 343 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions. The game ended in controversy as a game-winning Virginia Tech touchdown was ruled incomplete after a review of the game’s final play.

7. Illinois at Penn State
Channel: NBC
Date/Time: Saturday, Sept. 28 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Viewers: 3.09 million

Nick Singleton ran for 102 yards and a touchdown while Kaytron Allen added 94 yards and a score as No. 9 Penn State knocked off No. 19 Illinois 21-7. The win moved the Nittany Lions to 4-0 on the season and 1-0 in the Big Ten. Penn State hosts UCLA this week before a road challenge at USC on Oct. 12. James Franklin has Penn State in line for a berth in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff.

8. Wisconsin at USC
Channel: CBS
Date/Time: Saturday, Sept. 28 at 3:30 p.m. ET
Viewers: 2.89 million

USC overcame an 11-point halftime deficit, storming back to beat Wisconsin 38-21 after committing three turnovers in the first half. Lincoln Riley and the Trojans improved to 3-1 on the season and 1-1 in the Big Ten. Meanwhile, Wisconsin is now 2-2 and has a must-win matchup Saturday against Purdue for bowl eligibility. Wisconsin at USC was another ratings win for CBS.

9. Washington at Rutgers
Channel: FOX
Date/Time: Friday, Sept. 27 at 8 p.m. ET
Viewers: 1.92 million

FOX continues to find success with its Friday Night Football games. Washington missed a 55-yard field goal as time expired. Rutgers held on for a 21-18 win to improve to 4-0 on the year and 1-0 in the Big Ten. The Scarlet Knights do not play Michigan, Penn State, Ohio State or Oregon this season. Running back Kyle Monangai ran for 132 yards and a touchdown. He’s rushed for 589 this season, averaging 6.1 yards per carry.

10. Oklahoma State at Kansas State
Channel: ESPN
Date/Time: Saturday, Sept. 28 at Noon ET
Viewers: 1.87 million

Kansas State bounced back from a blowout loss at BYU. Quarterback Avery Johnson passed for three touchdowns and ran for two more as the Wildcats blew past Oklahoma State 42-20, which has now lost two straight. Kansas State is on its bye before a visit to Colorado on Oct. 12.