College Football TV Ratings: Top 10 most-watched games of Week 11
During Week 11, most of the college football world turned its attention to Happy Valley as Michigan took on Penn State in a top-10 showdown. The high stakes of the game were just one of the storylines, though, as the Wolverines deal with plenty of issues away from the field, as well.
Combine the two, and you get one of the big TV ratings wins of the college football season, according to Sports Media Watch.
FOX already planned to send Big Noon Kickoff to State College before news broke of Jim Harbaugh’s suspension and pending legal battle, and the game became the sixth-most watched game of the season. It also averaged over 4 million more viewers than the second-most viewed matchup of Week 11, which says plenty considering seven games averaged more than 3 million viewers.
Penn State vs. Michigan
Channel: FOX
Date: Nov. 11, noon ET
Viewers: 9.16 million
Michigan, with Sherrone Moore as acting head coach, was the story of college football entering its game against Penn State both on and off the field. The Wolverines were able to capitalize on the opportunity at hand — thanks to 32 straight running plays — to come away with an emotional 24-15 win to stay undefeated and bolster their College Football Playoff resume.
Washington vs. Utah
Channel: FOX
Date: Nov. 11, 3:30 p.m. ET
Viewers: 5.17 million
Washington’s quest for a Pac-12 title ran through Salt Lake City, and Utah didn’t make things easy on the Huskies. The Utes had a 28-27 lead before UW took the 33-27 lead and, eventually, won 35-27 thanks to a late safety — a pick-six dropped before the end zone helped with that — as FOX turned in a strong week of TV ratings.
Georgia vs. Ole Miss
Channel: ESPN
Date: Nov. 11, 7 p.m. ET
Viewers: 4.83 million
Another top-10 showdown highlighted the Week 11 slate as Georgia and Ole Miss squared off in Athens. The Rebels are fighting for their College Football Playoff lives, but the Bulldogs once again cruised to a 52-17 win to continue their dominant run as ESPN got a solid TV ratings victory as the third-highest viewership on a cable station this year.
Florida State vs. Miami
Channel: ABC
Date: Nov. 11, 3:30 p.m. ET
Viewers: 4.14 million
Florida State closed out ACC play with its rivalry matchup against Miami, and it came down to the final possession. Hurricanes quarterback Tyler Van Dyke — in for the injured Emory Williams — threw a late interception, though, to seal the Seminoles’ 27-20 win and 10-0 record as part of their quest for the CFP.
Missouri vs. Tennessee
Channel: CBS
Date: Nov. 11, 3:30 p.m. ET
Viewers: 3.62 million
Missouri’s impressive season again drew CBS’ lead slot at 3:30 p.m. ET as the Tigers took on Tennessee in Columbia fresh off a close loss to Georgia a week ago. This time, Mizzou put together a complete performance, handing the Volunteers a 36-7 loss to reach 8-2 overall this year.
Ohio State vs. Michigan State
Channel: NBC
Date: Nov. 11, 7:30 p.m. ET
Viewers: 3.57 million
Again ranked No. 1 in the College Football Playoff rankings, Ohio State put together another dominant performance against Michigan State, flying to a 38-3 win at The Horseshoe in primetime. The Marvin Harrison Jr. hype train continues to roll, as well, as he hauled in seven receptions for 149 yards and two touchdowns to lead the charge once again.
Oregon vs. USC
Channel: FOX
Date: Nov. 11, 10:30 p.m. ET
Viewers: 3.01 million
USC vs. Oregon was one of the most intriguing games of the week considering the Trojans moved on from defensive coordinator Alex Grinch and Ducks quarterback Bo Nix continued to build his Heisman Trophy case. Oregon looked the part of a contender, led by 412 yards and 4 touchdowns from Nix to get the 36-27 victory over Caleb Williams and USC as the Ducks try to reach the Pac-12 title game.
TCU vs. Texas
Channel: ABC
Date: Nov. 11, 7:30 p.m. ET
Viewers: 2.82 million
Quinn Ewers’ return was huge for Texas, but the Longhorns found themselves in a closer game than they thought they would as TCU mounted a comeback. The Horned Frogs scored 20 points in the fourth quarter to get within three points, but Ewers helped orchestrate a final drive to seal the game and avoid a second loss of the season.
Kentucky vs. Alabama
Channel: ESPN
Date: Nov. 11, noon ET
Viewers: 2.76 million
Alabama secured its return to the SEC Championship with a Week 11 victory over Kentucky as Jalen Milroe led another impressive showing from the offense. He had three passing touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns to propel the Crimson Tide to the 49-21 victory and lock up their spot in the title game against Georgia — and keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive.
Oklahoma vs. West Virginia
Channel: FOX
Date: Nov. 11, 7 p.m. ET
Viewers: 2.39 million
Coming off two straight losses, Oklahoma certainly got back on track last week with a 59-20 victory over West Virginia as the offense found its groove once again. Led by 423 yards, five passing touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns from Dillon Gabriel, the victory proved to be a big one because Oklahoma State lost — creating a four-way tie for second place in the standings.
College football continues to deliver strong TV ratings, especially since the biggest game of the week had a legal battle and a suspension hanging over it. With two weeks left in the regular season — and only one conference championship set — it’s going to be a huge final sprint to wrap up November.