Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Network
The new College Football season is upon us. Week 1 features some of the best season opening games in CFB history. But before we get to the weekend, we are looking back in time.
With Ohio State vs Texas set to smash Week 1 viewership records, more specifically, we are looking at the most-watched college football games of all time dating decades back.
The Most-Watched College Football Games Of All-Time
Unsurprisingly, the Crimson Tide of Alabama are featured prominently on the list. The Texas Longhorns appeared in 2 of the 3 most-watched CFB games of all time. Ohio State, Clemson, and Miami are also prominent fixtures on this list.
Included below with each listing are highlights from each game as we look back at the most-watched games in College Football history.
18. Clemson vs Alabama: 25.266 million
On January 9, 2017, Clemson faced Alabama for the National Championship with 25.266 million viewers tuning in from home to see who would win. Of all the most-watched college football games in history listed here, this is the only one I was actually attending in person.
I had just flown back to Florida from Iceland the day before and was able to score a ticket with Dos Equis and was right by the endzone of the final play of the game. It was incredible. Though I’m an FSU grad and had no allegiance to Clemson or Alabama, the tensions were high in the stadium. Deshaun Watson and Clemson bested Bama 35-31 after the Tigers scored 3 TDs in the 4th quarter to come roaring back.
17. Clemson vs Alabama: 25.280 million
Two years later, Clemson and Alabama would meet again in the 5th College Football Playoffs National Championship. This time the game was at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (aka ‘Jerry World’) and once again Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers got the best of Nick Saban and Alabama.
It is fair to say Clemson steamrolled Bama that game, winning 44-16. Clemson was stacked with Trevor Lawrence, Tee Higgins, Hunter Renfrow, and Travis Etienne on Offense. Bama was also stacked with Tua Tagovailoa, Henry Ruggs III, and DeVonta Smith on offense. That game was seen by 25.280 million people!
16. LSU vs Clemson: 25.588 million
On January 13, 2020, just a few weeks before the world would begin to change, LSU dominated Clemson in the National Championship with 25.588 million viewers tuning in from home, making it the 16th most-watched college football game of all time.
Joe Burrow and the LSU Tigers put up 42 points on Dabo Swinney’s Clemson Tigers, with wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase + running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire proving to be too much for Trevor Lawrence and company.
15. Clemson vs Alabama: 26.128 million
I know it’s starting to seem like this is just a list of Clemson games but this is the last time they appear on this list. During the 2016 National Championship, Clemson and Alabama met (again) on January 11, 2016 in Glendale, Arizona.
Nick Saban’s team got the best of Deshaun Watson and Dabo Swinney’s Tigers that night, winning 45-40. Shout out to everyone that remembers Jake Coker as Alabama’s quarterback that night because I certainly didn’t.
There were 26.128 million viewers that tuned in that night to watch Bama beat Clemson with running back Derrick Henry peeling off a 50-yard TD to open scoring and tight end O.J. Howard Jr. sharing MVP honors with Eddie Jackson Jr.
14. Georgia vs Oklahoma: 26.931 million
The 2018 Rose Bowl between Georgia and Oklahoma drew in 26.931 million viewers on January 1, 2018. It was a semi-final of the College Football Playoffs, the first non-national championship game to appear on this list and alos the first without Clemson!
Two 12-1 teams, Georgia vs Oklahoma, meeting at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Their fan bases travel incredibly well but the TV numbers were enormous. On January 1, 2018, 26.931 million viewers tuned in to watch Georgia beat Oklahoma 54-48. Running back Sony Michel and LB Roquan Smith shared MVP honors in the game.
13. Florida State vs Oregon: 28.146 million
Two games set records on this date (01/01/15), the first two games of the College Football Playoffs era. Fun fact: Florida State played in the first and last BCS National Championships, winning latter. They also faced Oregon in the firs game of the College Football Playoffs as reigning National Champions, a game the Seminoles would get slaughtered in.
There was so much hype with the reigning National Champions and Heisman Award winner Jameis Winston coming into that game but the Noles had came back to win what felt like half their games that season and were incredibly lucky to be there at all. Getting beaten by Oregon with 28.146 million people watching on TV was a foregone conclusion to those who had been paying attention.
12. Ohio State vs Alabama: 28.271 million
On the same date, Ohio State faced Alabama and drew in a slightly larger viewership with 28.271 million to FSU-Oregon’s 28.146 million. The 2015 Sugar Bowl saw Urban Meyer’s Ohio State Buckeyes emerge victorious over Saban’s Crimson Tide, winning 42-35. That sent the #4-ranked Buckeyes to the National Championship where they put a beatdown on Oregon.
11. Alabama vs Georgia: 28.443 million
In the National Championship game on January 8, 2018, an all-SEC affair, Nick Saban and Alabama faced his former assistant coach and one of his proteges, Kirby Smart and Georgia. This game was crazy close, with Alabama beating Georgia 26-23 while 28.443 million fans tuned in from home.
The game was held at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, home of the SEC Championship, and couldn’t have felt closer to a home game for the Dawgs anywhere outside of Athens. Tua, the backup QB, started the second half and provided the spark Alabama needed to win the National Championship.
10. Florida vs Ohio State: 28.8 million
This was one of the more exciting College Football National Championships I can recall watching and that kills me as an FSU grad because it was a man named Timothy Tebow who scored the final two TDs of the game, a player that I absolutely despised back in college.
The 2007 BCS National Championship between Florida and Ohio State was seen by 28.8 million viewers, it was also part of larger mini-rivalry between UF and OSU where they met in the National Championships in Football and Basketball over a short period of time. Urban Meyer’s Gators crushed Jim Tressel’s Buckeyes, 41-14, and the rest was history.
9. Florida State vs Nebraska: 28.8 Million
The 1994 National Championship was played at the Orange Bowl in Miami, where Florida State had struggled throughout the years (mostly against the Hurricanes). This was Bobby Bowden’s first National Championship with the Seminoles and it was seen by 28.8 million viewers at home.
Nebraska came into this game undefeated, FSU was 11-1 having only lost to Notre Dame that season, with the Noles ranked #1 in the country. O.J. Simpson was an announcer during this game on NBC!
8. Michigan vs Washington State: 29 million
The 1998 Rose Bowl featured #1 ranked Michigan against #8 Washington State was a monster in the ratings with 29 million viewers ate home.
This marked the final year the Rose Bowl was not draped with corporate sponsorship and it was the final year before the Rose Bowl entered the BCS rotation. Michigan under head coach Lloyd Carr with Heisman winner Charles Woodson beat Ryan Leaf and Washington State 21-16.
7. Ohio State vs Miami: 29.1 million
On January 3, 2003 the #2 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes under Jim Tressel faced the #1 ranked Miami Hurricanes in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, Arizona with 29.1 million people watching at home. This game was HUGE.
Miami came into this game as huge favorites (11.5pts) but lost 31-24, ending a 34-game winning streak as reigning National Champions. The Hurricanes were STACKED with Andre Johnson, Willis McGahee, Kellen Winslow Jr., Ken Dorsey, Sean Taylor, Antrel Rolle, Jonathan Vilma, and other future stars but it was Ohio State’s night.
6. Colorado vs Notre Dame: 29.6 million
For all of their popularity, the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame have only been part of one of the 18 most-watched college football games of all time and it was the 1991 Orange Bowl against Colorado with 29.6 million viewers tuning in at home.
Anyone hoping for a high-scoring affair was sorely disappointed as the Colorado Buffaloes (10-1-1) just barely beat the Irish, 10-9, as O.J. Simpson was once again a sidelines reporter for NBC. With the win, Colorado shared the National Championship title that year Georgia Tech, winning the AP title while GT won the Coaches title.
5. Nebraska vs Miami: 30 million
On January 1, 1995, the 10-1 Miami Hurricanes faced the undefeated Nebraska Cornhuskers in the 61st Orange Bowl in Miami, a literal home game for the Hurricanes. Miami came into the game #3 and Nebraska was #1, and 30 million Americans tuned in to watch the action.
Nebraska beat Miami 24-17 despite Miami jumping out to a 10-0 lead going into the 2nd quarter
4. Alabama vs Miami: 30.1 million
The fourth most-watched game in College Football history was the 1993 Sugar Bowl with Alabama facing Miami on January 1st, 1993 in the first ‘National Championship’ game by the Bowl Coalition which preceded the BCS. There were 30.1 MILLION viewers tuning in to watch that game!
Miami had Heisman-winning QB Gino Torretta and were attempting to secure back-to-back undefeated National Championship seasons while Alabama came into the game 12-0 after a close win over the Gators in the SEC Championship. The Hurricanes were 8-point favorites but it was not to be.
3. Alabama vs Texas: 30.8 million
The 2010 BCS National Championship pitted Mack Brown’s Longhorns against Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide and 30.8 million viewers tuned in to watch it all go down on January 7, 2010.
2009 Heisman Trophy winning RB Mark Ingram could not be stopped no matter what Texas did. He was backed up by freshman phenom Trent Richardson. It was Alabama’s night with a 37-21 victory over Texas at the Rose Bowl.
2. Ohio State vs Oregon: 34.148 million
The second-most watched game in College Football history was the 2015 National Championship with 34.148 million viewers all tuning in to watch Oregon get humiliated by the Ohio State Buckeyes at Jerry World in Arlington, Texas.
This all went down on January 12, 2015 with the #5 Buckeyes navigating the CFP to face the #3 Ducks for the title after OSU upset Alabama in the semifinals and Oregon beat FSU 59-20. This was the first installment of the College Football Playoffs and the whole world wanted to see what it was all about. Oregon lost to Ohio State 42-20 in a game that was never close.
1. Texas vs USC 35.6 million
The most-watched college football game of all time is often referred to as the greatest game of all time as well. The 2006 Rose Bowl between the undefeated University of Texas Longhorns and USC Trojans.
Nielsen found that 21.7% of all households in America were watching that game as a total of 35.6 million viewers tuned in to watch Vince Young, Matt Leinart, and Reggie Bush make magic happen on the field. Leinard threw for 365 yards but only managed 1 TD through the air while Vince Young threw for 267 yards, managed 0 TDs in the air, but ran 3 touchdowns in himself.
Game of the Century Honorable Mention: 1971 Nebraska vs. Oklahoma
An honorable mention here is the 1971 matchup between Nebraska and Oklahoma which, though unconfirmed, is said to have had 55 to 60 million people watching the game on ABC. For context, the entire population of the country was 207 million back then.
This game took place on Thanksgiving day, juicing the ratings, with Nebraska beating Oklahoma 35-31 as both teams came into the game undefeated. This is one of a handful of games called the ‘Game of the Century’ but if the ratings were to be believed, this truly could have been the game of the 20th century.