No college football game draws more buzz than the annual Big Ten matchup between Ohio State and Michigan. That won’t change when the bitter rivals meet again this season.
While the Wolverines rode their third straight victory over the Buckeyes to a national championship, Ohio State ranks No. 2 behind Georgia in the AP preseason poll following an eventful offseason. College football fans have already spent months looking ahead to the Nov. 30 clash at Columbus.
As a result, FOX will likely enjoy another ratings bonanza when Michigan and Ohio State meet. On3’s Pete Nakos predicted that The Game will be college football’s most-watched game this season.
Nakos isn’t exactly going out on a limb. As he noted, The Game has been the highest-rated regular season contest in each of the last three seasons.
“Last year’s game on FOX brought in 19.07 million. With so much pressure and expectations on the Buckeyes in 2024, this game should live up to its billing,” Nakos wrote.
No regular season game came close to that number last season. Per Sports Media Watch , an Oregon blowout victory over Colorado placed second with 10.03 million average viewers.
Yet the 2024 schedule features some marquee matchups that should also attract considerable viewers. Nakos has Oregon’s first Big Ten bout against Ohio State fourth, but the Oct. 12 showdown on NBC boasts Game of the Year potential.
Nakos thinks an SEC Championship Game rematch between Georgia and Alabama will attract the second-best ratings. At third is a monumental non-conference bout between Michigan and Texas on Sept. 7.
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