For the second time in three weeks, Ohio State attracted the largest college football audience of the season.
Last Saturday’s Ohio State-Penn State college football game scored a 5.3 rating and 9.14 million viewers on ABC, up 96% in ratings and 98% in viewership form last year (Clemson-VT: 2.7, 4.61M) but down 4% and 2% respectively from 2016 (Louisville-Clemson: 5.5, 9.29M).
The Buckeyes’ comeback win, which peaked with 12.54 million viewers, ranks as the highest rated and most-watched game of the season. Ohio State has played in the top two games, with their week three win over TCU on ABC ranking second (7.24M).
With streaming viewership included, Saturday’s game had 9.28 million.
Despite the strong numbers, ratings and viewership trailed last year’s meeting between the teams, an afternoon game on FOX in week nine (5.75, 9.87M).
Head-to-head, Ohio State-Penn State cruised past the night’s other top ten matchup, Stanford-Notre Dame on NBC (2.1, 3.44M).
Earlier in the day, Clemson’s near-upset at the hands of Syracuse scored a 3.0 and 4.48 million — up 58% in ratings and 57% in viewership from last year (Northwestern-Wisconsin: 1.9, 2.84M) and up 25% and 18% respectively from 2016 (Texas-Oklahoma State: 2.4, 3.80M).
It ranked second for the weekend among college football games.
Rounding out ABC’s action, Baylor-Oklahoma scored a 1.8 (-5%) and 2.77 million (-4%).
The full list of week four college football ratings is available here.
[Numbers from ESPN]
