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Michigan versus Ohio State - AKA "The Game", is arguably the greatest rivalry in all of college football, and this year's game reflected that. The recent matchup between two of the most decorated programs in the country brought in record viewership for the Fox network. The game had 17 million viewers, making it the most-seen regular-season college football game in the history of the network.
That’s more than the 15.4 million viewers for Fox’s broadcast of the USA vs. England World Cup match the day before in Qatar. The big-time matchup between the two nations ended in a tie.
The clash between the two universities was the most-watched college football game (excluding bowls and conference championships) on any network since 2011. The figures were elevated by Nielsen’s inclusion of out-of-home ratings in bars and restaurants. The viewership of the game reached a peak of 19.6 million viewers. The telecast was up three percent from last year’s similar game window.
The massive numbers came after Fox brought in 42 million viewers for its Thanksgiving Day telecast of the Dallas Cowboys versus the New York Giants in Week 12. It was the largest audience for an NFL regular-season game since the San Francisco 49ers faced the Giants back in Week 13 of the 1990-91 season.
As for "The Game," it was a great day for fans of the Michigan Wolverines and a rough day for Ohio State Buckeyes fans.
Michigan wins with a dominant performance over Ohio State in front of 17 million viewers
Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh and his team outscored Ohio State 28-3 in the second half in a 45-23 victory. Running back Donovan Edwards had 22 carries for 216 yards and two touchdowns for the Wolverines. Quarterback JJ McCarthy threw for 263 yards and three touchdowns for Michigan.
Ohio State star quarterback CJ Stroud threw for 349 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions in the loss. For the Wolverines, it was their second straight victory over their rivals after winning last season.
Nonetheless, regardless of the score, the game was a big draw for Fox.
