ESPN says Texas' win over Ohio State was its most-watched regular-season game in a decade

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

No. 1 Texas' comeback win over No. 6 Ohio State unsurprisingly drew a big audience on Saturday night. But that audience wasn't as big as it was in 2025.

ESPN said Tuesday that an average audience of 14 million people watched the Longhorns score 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter of their 24-23 win. Ohio State was up 23-3 before Texas went on three touchdown drives that totaled 40 plays.

The network also said that it was ABC's biggest viewership number for a regular-season game in 10 years. In 2016, when ESPN still had the rights to the Big Ten, Ohio State's rivalry game with Michigan drew over 16.8 million viewers.

Last season, Texas and Ohio State played each other in Week 1. That game, at noon ET on Fox, drew an average audience of 16.6 million. The game was Arch Manning's first as Texas' undisputed starter, and he entered the season as the Heisman favorite despite playing part-time in 2024.

Ohio State's 14-7 win in 2025 ended up being the second-most watched game of the regular season behind, you guessed it, Ohio State's win over Michigan. That game drew 18.4 million viewers.

ABC's most-watched regular season game in 2025 was Texas' win over Texas A&M on Black Friday. The Longhorns' win to end the Aggies' hopes of making the SEC championship game drew an average audience of just over 13 million.

ESPN and ABC also immediately have a chance to rival the Texas-Ohio State viewership number in Week 3. ABC's primetime game on Saturday is No. 7 LSU at No. 8 Ole Miss as former Rebels coach Lane Kiffin returns to Oxford following his tumultuous exit ahead of last season's College Football Playoff.

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos