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College Football TV Ratings: ESPN announces record viewership for Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate between Georgia, Georgia Tech

Barkley-Truaxby: Barkley Truax12/05/24BarkleyTruax
Georgia Football
Georgia defensive lineman Nazir Stackhouse (78), Georgia inside linebacker Smael Mondon Jr. (2) during Georgia’s game against Georgia Tech on Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga., on Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (Tony Walsh/UGAAA)

2024’s edition of ‘Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate’ between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets topped at 8.5 million viewers during Week 14, ESPN announced.

The game also featured the largest audience for a UGA-GT matchup in history. The game also has the best ratings for a college football game on Black Friday since 2011 with a peak of 11.5 million viewers during the broadcast.

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Alongside Texas vs. Texas A&M and Auburn vs. Alabama, ABC and ESPN were able to deliver three of the top five most-watched games of rivalry week. Nine games across both networks surpassed over 2 million viewers.

Of course, the matchup between Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate was the most exciting of them all, reaching eight overtimes to be decided. Many considered the matchup to be the game of the week across college football in Week 14.

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During the contest, Georgia mounted a massive comeback to defeat Georgia Tech 44-42 in an eight-overtime thriller. After the game, ESPN’s Katie George asked Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart, who was likely not expecting an all-time classic game before the game began, if he’d ever experienced anything like that before.

“No, I have not,” Smart said, via On3’s Grant Grubbs. “They got a really good football team, really physical football team, and they really out-physicaled us tonight. Their quarterback is a warrior, and I have so much respect for the way Brent and them play. But, our kids, they are resilient. They never quit. Never say die. It was sloppy. These fans stayed with us. It’s a great game… We’re all out of two-point plays.”

The victory helped secure the Bulldogs’ spot in the SEC Championship game against Texas on Saturday and appears to have pushed Georgia into the College Football Playoff regardless of championship week’s fallout.

Kickoff between the Bulldogs and Longhorns is set for Saturday, Dec. 7 at 4 p.m. ET and will air live on ABC. Texas is a 2.5-point favorite heading into the matchup.