7.26 million viewers rack up a new record for Colorado Buffaloes vs TCU week 1 matchup as watching time soars this CFB season

The Colorado Buffaloes' massive upset win over the TCU Horned Frogs in Week 1 was the second most-watched game of the 2023 season's opening weekend.

As per the tweet above from One3's Pete Nakos, the Colorado vs. TCU game ranks only second to the FSU vs. LSU game. The Buffs and the Horned Frogs were watched by 7.26 million viewers, while the 'Noles and the Tigers had 9.1 million viewers tuning in.

The game was Deion Sanders' much-awaited head coaching debut for Colorado, after transferring to Boulder with almost an entire starting lineup's worth of his old Jackson State players with him. Before the game, analysts were almost unanimously picking last year's national title runners-up. But, Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter had different plans in mind.

Despite being a three-touchdown underdog (via Yahoo Sports), the Colorado Buffaloes relied on the stellar play of QB Shedeur Sanders who threw a school-record 510 passing yards. If this performance against TCU is any indication, then FOX is expecting at least an equal viewership for the Buffs' second game in Week 2.

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The most-viewed games of the early 2023 CFB season

The stellar game between the Colorado Buffaloes and the TCU Horned Frogs are only one of many that drew record crowds this year as well.

A handful of big games have already happened during the first few weeks, and viewership numbers soared as a result. For one, the matchup between West Virginia and Penn State last Sept. 3 averaged 3.7 million viewers as the network's debut weekly primetime Big Ten game (via Sports Media Watch).

Another game featuring ECU vs. Michigan (which went live on Peacock on Sept. 3) was revealed by NBC as its most-streamed college football game of all time. However, the network did not disclose any details about the final viewership figures.

3.5 million viewers reportedly tuned in to watch the Nittany Lions dismantle the Mountaineers in Beaver. Lastly, the CBS game featuring Ohio State and Indiana drew in 4.65 million viewers, even if the Buckeyes did have struggles on offense (via Yahoo Sports).

A few other games drew large viewerships too. Rutgers beat Northwestern to the delight of 2.68 million people, and 3.23 million fans watched Oregon State and reinvigorated QB DJ Uiagalelei beat the San Jose State Spartans.

For now, perhaps the biggest game to look forward to that will surely bag millions more viewers is the 'Bama vs. Texas game on Sept. 9. One thing's for certain: Tuscaloosa will be absolutely rocking.