While Alabama/Texas A&M was easily the top game of the week — and season — Notre Dame topped the rest of the weekend slate.
The Notre Dame/Purdue “Saturday Night Football” game earned a 3.0 final rating and 4.8 million viewers on ABC last Saturday, down 6% in ratings and 4% in viewership from Notre Dame/Michigan State last year (3.2, 5.0M), and down 48% and 49%, respectively, from Oklahoma/Florida State in 2011 (5.8, 9.3M).
Despite the lower numbers, Notre Dame/Purdue was the #2 college football telecast of the weekend on any network, trailing only Alabama/Texas A&M on CBS (8.5, 13.6M). Concurrent coverage of Ohio State/Cal on FOX earned a 2.0 and 3.3 million viewers.
Earlier in the day, the Tennessee/Oregon game drew a 2.0 and 3.2 million viewers — actually up a tick in ratings and 17% in viewership from regional action last year (1.9, 2.7M), but down 29% and 27%, respectively, from regional action in 2011 (2.8, 4.4M).
The telecast aired opposite the Alabama/Texas A&M game.
The Noon ET UCLA/Nebraska game earned a 2.7 and 4.2 million viewers, flat in ratings and up 9% in viewership from Cal/Ohio State last year (2.7, 3.8M), and down 13% and 5%, respectively, from Auburn/Clemson in 2011 (3.1, 4.4M).
