The Iron Bowl took top honors over the holiday weekend, but Michigan/Ohio State was also a strong draw.
The Michigan/Ohio State college football game drew a 5.5 overnight rating on ABC Saturday afternoon, down 14% from last year (6.4) and down 13% from their 2012 meeting, which took place in week thirteen (6.3). The 5.5 is the lowest for the rivalry since the 2011 game (5.3).
Despite the lower numbers, the Buckeyes’ win earned the second-best college football overnight of the holiday weekend. Only the Auburn/Alabama Iron Bowl did better (7.2). Overall, it earned the fifth-highest overnight of the season — trailing only Notre Dame/FSU in October (8.5), the Iron Bowl, and Mississippi State/Alabama a week earlier (6.6).
Regional action later in the afternoon drew a 2.3 overnight, even with Georgia/Georgia Tech last year (2.3). In primetime, Oregon/Oregon State drew a 2.2 opposite the Iron Bowl — down 15% from USC/UCLA last year (2.6) and tied as the fifth-lowest overnight ever for Saturday Night Football.
Shifting to Friday’s action, Stanford/UCLA drew a 2.3 overnight — up 64% from Miami/Pittsburgh last year (1.4). The early game between Nebraska and Iowa drew a 2.2, down a tick from the same game last year (2.3).
(Wknd. overnights from Sports Business Daily)
