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Texas at Ohio State was a ratings bonanza for Fox

Eric Nahlinby: Eric Nahlin09/04/25
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Texas defense (Will Gallagher/Inside Texas)

A major point of consternation for college football fans, especially those in Columbus, is FOX’s decision to put marquee matchups in its Big Noon Kickoff time slot. In a shocking turn of events, the people who incentivized by profit have done the homework and figured out the most profitable time slot is noon.

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It was the 3rd most watched college football game in FOX history and the most watched Week 1 game in college football history, peaking at nearly 19 million viewers near the end of the game.

Now, imagine if the game had been entertaining. Ohio State beat Texas 14-7 in a game that totaled just over 500 yards of offense, over half of it coming from Texas in the second half.

Miami’s win over Notre Dame also drew big numbers, but 6.6 million less than the Longhorns and Buckeyes. LSU-Clemson and Bama-FSU shared a similar gap.

Texas & Ohio State comprise massive fanbases, appeal to the casual unaffiliated fan, and both schools have their share of Hate Watchers.

A lot of people prefer these big time games in the evening (and I’m one of them) but the analytics seem to consistently bear out that Big Noon is the best time to drive ratings, ratings mean money, and money will always trump the fan experience.

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