Ohio State/Michigan was way off in the ratings, when compared to last year. Still, the game drew impressive numbers for ABC on Saturday afternoon.
The battle for the Big Ten title drew a 6.4 overnight on ABC, especially impressive when one considers the game began at Noon ET. The 6.4 makes Ohio State/Michigan the highest rated college football game so far this season. Versus last year, the 6.4 is a 52% drop from the 13.4 overnight the same match-up drew in a later timeslot. Keep in mind that last year’s Michigan/Ohio State game was a battle between the #1 and #2 teams in the nation.
The game was the highest rated non-NFL sporting event of the weekend, trouncing its competition. The 6.4 rating allowed the game to soar pass the final race of the Chase for the Nextel Cup by 68%. Additionally, the game easily surpassed its college football competition, as the four other college football games on broadcast television Saturday averaged a 3.1 rating.
