The Drought is Over
Caleb Downs scores Ohio State’s first punt return touchdown since 2014.
Ohio State in a big game = Big ratings.
NBC announced Monday that Ohio State’s game against Oregon on Saturday was the highest-rated primetime game between Big Ten teams since Ohio State’s game against Penn State in 2008.
An average of 10.2 million people watched the game on NBC, Peacock and NBC Sports Digital, according to the network. The audience grew to 13.4 million viewers in the final minutes (10:45-11 p.m.) as the game came down to the final play before Oregon prevailed with a 32-31 win.
The average makes it the most-watched primetime regular-season Big Ten game in nearly 16 years. 10.4 million people tuned in to watch Ohio State play Penn State on Oct. 25, 2008, which was also a matchup between top-10 teams. The third-ranked Nittany Lions beat the ninth-ranked Buckeyes in that game, 13-6, as they scored 10 points in the game’s final six minutes and 25 seconds.
Among all conferences, Ohio State vs. Oregon is the second-most-watched college football game this season behind the only other clash of top-four teams to take place so far this year, Alabama’s 41-34 win over Georgia on Sept. 28, which drew 12 million viewers.
