College Football TV Ratings: Top 10 most-watched games from Rivalry Week
Close finishes, heated rivalries and conference championship appearances were on the line in the final week of the regular season. It was the biggest week on the college football calendar — and the TV ratings reflected it.
The biggest game of the week was, appropriately, “The Game” between Michigan and Ohio State. Not only was it a top-three matchup with major College Football Playoff implications, but the winner also punched its ticket to the Big Ten Championship. That highlighted the noon ET window, but the Iron Bowl between Alabama and Auburn was quite the follow-up with more Jordan-Hare Stadium magic in the final minute.
All told, it was quite the way to wrap up the regular season with high-profile matchups on both Friday and Saturday. College football viewership was up all year, and the TV ratings for Rivalry Week were a big exclamation point, according to Sports Media Watch.
Michigan vs. Ohio State
Channel: FOX
Date/Time: Nov. 25, noon ET
Viewers: 19.07 million
A top-five matchup with a Big Ten Championship appearance and CFP lives on the line had the makings for a big day for FOX’s “Big Noon Saturday” slot. The Game between Michigan and Ohio State turned in the second-highest numbers in the history of the rivalry, only behind the “Game of the Century” in 2006.
Alabama vs. Auburn
Channel: CBS
Date/Time: Nov. 25, 3:30 p.m. ET
Viewers: 9.09 million
Last year’s Iron Bowl didn’t deliver the ratings CBS is used to seeing, but this year’s game provided a nice bounce back with a 45% increase. Fans got to see an all-time finish as Jalen Milroe found Isaiah Bond for the game-winning touchdown on 4th and 31 with 34 seconds left — one of the all-time great finishes in the history of the Iron Bowl.
Washington vs. Washington State
Channel: FOX
Date/Time: Nov. 25, 4 p.m. ET
Viewers: 5.85 million
The Apple Cup was another thrilling matchup as Washington and Washington State squared off for the final time as conference foes. The Huskies already secured a spot in the Pac-12 Championship, but needed to beat the Cougars to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive — and they did so on a last-second field goal to finish off the 24-21 victory.
Georgia Tech vs. Georgia
Channel: ABC
Date/Time: Nov. 25, 7:30 p.m. ET
Viewers: 5.33 million
The No. 1 team in the country looked like it struggled early on against its biggest rival. Ultimately, though, Carson Beck and Georgia came out with the 31-23 victory over Georgia Tech as the Bulldogs prepare for the SEC Championship against Alabama.
Florida vs. Florida State
Channel: ESPN
Date/Time: Nov. 25, 7 p.m. ET
Viewers: 5.07 million
It’s rarely easy to get a victory in The Swamp, and Florida State learned it’s even tougher without its starting quarterback. But Tate Rodemaker and the Seminoles stayed resilient, coming back to defeat Florida and stay undefeated entering the ACC Championship against Louisville.
Nebraska vs. Iowa
Channel: CBS
Date/Time: Nov. 24, noon ET
Viewers: 4.39 million
Black Friday became a massive day for college football, and it started with a low-scoring matchup between Iowa and Nebraska. It came down to the wire, but the Hawkeyes got revenge for last year’s Heroes Game loss as they defeated the Cornhuskers 13-10 with the Big Ten Championship coming up.
Oregon vs. Oregon State
Channel: FOX
Date/Time: Nov. 24, 8:30 p.m. ET
Viewers: 4.12 million
The artist formerly known as the “Civil War” was, at least at this point, the last time Oregon and Oregon State will square off as the Ducks head to the Big Ten. Bo Nix was looking to add to his Heisman Trophy case, and his 367 passing yards and three total touchdowns certainly helped as he led Oregon past Oregon State 31-7.
Arkansas vs. Missouri
Channel: CBS
Date/Time: Nov. 24, 4 p.m. ET
Viewers: 4.09 million
For a game that wasn’t particularly close, the Battle Line Rivalry between Missouri and Arkansas still drew plenty of eyes as part of the Black Friday slate. The Tigers had no trouble handling the Razorbacks en route to the 48-14 victory behind 217 yards and a touchdown from Cody Schrader.
Texas vs. Texas Tech
Channel: ABC
Date/Time: Nov. 24, 7:30 p.m. ET
Viewers: 3.77 million
Texas sure looked like a team that wanted to make a statement against Texas Tech as the Longhorns looked to officially seal their spot in the Big 12 Championship. The biggest story wasn’t the 57-7 blowout, though. It was Arch Manning making his college football debut — which likely helped with the TV ratings for the game.
Michigan State vs. Penn State
Channel: NBC
Date/Time: Nov. 24, 7:30 p.m. ET
Viewers: 3.38 million
Michigan State and Penn State closed out the Big Ten Black Friday doubleheader, and it was all Nittany Lions in the 42-0 victory at Detroit’s Ford Field. That closed out NBC’s first season as a media rights partner with the Big Ten, and the network was consistently in the top 10 most-watched games each week.
Rivalry Week is most always a spectacle as some of the biggest matchups in college football take place ahead of conference championship week. Now, the postseason picture is becoming clearer, and the final CFP rankings will come out Sunday once each conference champion is crowned.