With ESPN set to air the Bowl Championship Series starting in 2011, any college football ratings records set this season will likely be short lived. That being said, Saturday’s USC/Ohio State game could finish as the highest rated, most viewed college football game in ESPN history.
USC’s victory over Ohio State drew a 7.2 overnight rating on ESPN Saturday night. If the rating holds, says an ESPN spokesman, the game will mark “ESPN’s most-viewed college football game ever.”
On the strength of USC/Ohio State, ESPN won Saturday night — topping all other cable and broadcast networks.
Last year’s Ohio State/USC game drew an 8.4 overnight rating on broadcast network ABC.
