There are few things better than watching college football on a Saturday. College football games are incredibly popular, which is why the draw strong ratings and the conferences command hefty TV contracts. The Big Ten had several games appear in the top eight. The Ohio State Buckeyes and Michigan State Spartans each had three games, including the matchup against each other. The Buckeyes dominated the top of the list. With that in mind, we've complied the 8 most watched college football games this season.
8. Notre Dame @ Clemson
Clemson won a thriller on October 3rd, beating Notre Dame 24-22 in rainy night game. The contest drew a 4.8 rating on ABC. It was a win that kept Clemson undefeated and at the top of the College Football Playoff Rankings.
7. Oregon @ Michigan State
Michigan State snuck by Oregon 31-28 on September 12th. Another evening game, this contest drew a 5.0 rating for ABC. The win looked great at the time, dropped in value with Oregon's mid-season struggles and is now a quality win with the Ducks' solid finish to the season.
6. Michigan State @ Michigan
This was the game that featured the crazy muffed punt that went for a touchdown as time expired. The October 17th evening game generated a 5.1 rating for ABC. It also ended up having a huge impact on the College Football Playoff, as the Spartans are a win away from getting a berth.
5. Florida State @ Clemson
Clemson's last real challenge of the regular season ended in a 23-13 win. A mid-afternoon contest on November 7th produced a 5.5 rating for ABC.
4. LSU @ Alabama
The only CBS game to make the top 8 featured a November matchup between Alabama and LSU. It was the game of the year up to that point, but it looks less important in hindsight given LSU's recent struggles. The Crimson Tide won 30-16 as they shut down Leonard Fournette. The game produced a 6.3 rating for CBS. Fans were able to watch FSU-Clemson and then immediately watch this game.
3. Ohio State @ Virginia Tech
This September 7th game was the beneficiary of the schedule. With the NFL season not started, OSU and Virginia Tech played on Monday Night. It featured the defending champions against the only team that beat them, but the Buckeyes got their revenge, winning 42-24. It generated a 6.6 rating for ESPN, the only top eight game ESPN had this season.
2. Ohio State @ Michigan
"The Game" was the only noon contest to make the top eight. Ohio State crushed Michigan 42-13 on November 28th. It produced a 6.8 rating, which is the highest-rated noon game since 2004.
1. Michigan State @ Ohio State
The most watched game this season was MSU upsetting Ohio State 17-14 on the road. It was a mid-afternoon game, but still produced a 7.0 rating for ABC on November 21st. Ohio State was involved in the top three games this season and that's not a coincidence.
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