SEC up, Saturday Night down.

The SEC was very good to CBS this year. The network averaged a 3.5/8 rating for its SEC coverage this season, up 13% from last year, and the best average for college football on CBS since the network began airing SEC games exclusively in 2001. CBS was the only network to see increased ratings for its college football coverage.

SEC ratings peaked with a 5.9 for the SEC Championship Game last Saturday; the 5.9 was the highest rating for that event since 2001. The second-highest rated SEC game of the season on CBS was Florida/LSU in October. That game, which aired in prime-time, drew a 5.3.

While CBS saw double-digit increases for its SEC coverage, ABC saw double digit declines for its Saturday Night Football broadcasts. Saturday Night Football, highly successful last year, averaged a 4.1 rating this season — solid, but down 18% from a 5.0 rating last year. ABC’s last two Saturday Night Football broadcasts of the season ended as the two highest rated games of the season on any network. Missouri/Kansas two weeks ago drew a 6.1 rating, while the Big 12 Championship Game between Missouri and Oklahoma drew a 6.6 last Saturday.

The three highest rated college football games of the season aired on ABC; the aforementioned Missouri/Kansas and Missouri/Oklahoma games, and Ohio State/Michigan three weeks ago, which drew a 6.0 rating.