College Football TV Ratings: Most-watched games of Week 2
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Upsets were the story of Week 2 of the 2026 college football season, and the TV ratings reflected it. The networks had strong showings on Saturday, with ABC and FOX emerging as the two biggest winners.
Two big upsets bookended the three major windows. The day started with Michigan taking down Oklahoma in Ann Arbor and ended with Texas mounting a furious charge to take down top-ranked Ohio State at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium.
Those were the two most-watched college football games of the Week 2 slate, but other games also drew strong TV ratings. Here are the Top 10 games of Week 2, according to Nielsen Big Data + Panel data. A tracker with viewership for every Nielsen-rated game is below the Top 10.
Note: SEC Network, ACC Network and CBS Sports Network do not pay for Nielsen to measure viewership.
1. Ohio State vs. Texas
Date/Time: Sept. 12, 7:30 p.m. ET
Channel: ABC
Viewers: 13.99 million
The biggest game of Week 2 delivered for ABC. Texas’ thrilling comeback win over Ohio State became the most-watched game on the schedule with 14.0 million viewers, which is down from last year’s game, which brought 16.6 million on FOX.
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The Longhorns rallied from a 23-3 deficit entering the fourth quarter to get the 24-23 win over the then-top ranked Buckeyes. Arch Manning threw for a touchdown in that final frame while Hollywood Smothers ran in two scores, including the eventual game-winner.
2. Oklahoma vs. Michigan
Date/Time: Sept. 12, 12 p.m. ET
Channel: FOX
Viewers: 8.22 million
FOX’s Big Noon Saturday game saw one of the upsets in Week 2. Oklahoma’s offense struggled mightily against Michigan, and the Wolverines were able capitalize and get the victory in the early window in front of more than 8 million viewers.
Michigan forced two Oklahoma turnovers, including a fourth-quarter interception of John Mateer that helped set up the go-ahead touchdown. The Sooners had one last chance in the final minute, but the drive stalled out as the Wolverines held on for the 17-10 upset win.
3. Alabama vs. Kentucky
Date/Time: Sept. 12, 3:30 p.m. ET
Channel: ABC
Viewers: 7.28 million
Early on, Kentucky looked like it had an upset on its mind against Alabama after the two teams traded pick-sixes. The Crimson Tide was able to right the ship after halftime, though, and come away with the 45-17 victory in Lexington.
Keelon Russell went 16-of-23 passing for 188 yards and a touchdown, along with three turnovers. Daniel Hill led the rushing attack in the effort with a game-high 104 yards and a touchdown.
4. Missouri vs. Kansas
Date/Time: Sept. 11, 8 p.m. ET
Channel: FOX
Viewers: 3.09 million
FOX scored a Friday night primetime victory in Week 2. Missouri and Kansas renewed their “Border War” rivalry in the weekday slot and it drew top-five viewership of the week with more than 3 million viewers watching.
Mizzou and Kansas sat tied 14-14 at halftime, but the Tigers eventually came away with the 38-21 victory in Lawrence. Austin Simmons went 19-of-29 for 292 yards and three touchdowns while Jamal Roberts anchored the rushing attack with 125 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
5. Arizona vs. BYU
Date/Time: Sept. 12, 3:30 p.m. ET
Channel: FOX
Viewers: 3.01 million
Bear Bachmeier put on a show for BYU as the Cougars squared off against Arizona on FOX. He was responsible for all four touchdowns as they took down the Wildcats 28-17 after the Oklahoma vs. Michigan lead-in.
Bachmeier went 16-of-26 for 217 yards and three touchdowns to go with 37 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground. BYU now takes a 2-0 record into one last non-conference matchup against Colorado State this week.
6. Arizona State vs. Texas A&M
Date/Time: Sept. 12, 12 p.m. ET
Channel: ABC
Viewers: 2.53 million
Although it was a seven-point game at halftime, Texas A&M turned on the jets in the second half to eventually defeat Arizona State 48-20. The matchup kicked off ABC’s college football tripleheader in Week 2, and the network drew solid TV ratings despite going against Oklahoma vs. Michigan.
The Aggies defense was flying around the field and forced four ASU turnovers, including two pick-sixes in the fourth quarter. Texas A&M will now get ready for its SEC opener against Kentucky in Week 3 while Arizona State starts Big 12 play against Kansas.
7. Oregon vs. Oklahoma State
Date/Time: Sept. 12, 1:30 p.m. ET (delayed due to weather)
Channel: ESPN
Viewers: 2.14 million
Oregon vs. Oklahoma State was delayed due to weather, which meant the game wound up moving networks as a result. The Cowboys pulled off a stunner, taking down the Ducks in Stillwater after a late charge.
Drew Mestemaker threw for 317 yards and two touchdowns, along with two interceptions, and scored the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter. In the process, Oklahoma State ended a 12-game losing streak against FBS opponents with a win over the No. 6-ranked Ducks.
8. Iowa State vs. Iowa
Date/Time: Sept. 11, 8 p.m. ET
Channel: NBC
Viewers: 1.99 million
The annual CyHawk game came down to the final minutes after Iowa mounted a late charge against Iowa State. Two field goals from Caden Buhr, including the game-winner with 15 seconds left, led the Hawkeyes to the rivalry victory in primetime.
Hank Brown got the nod at quarterback for Iowa and went 21-of-30 for 191 yards while also adding a rushing touchdown. The Hawkeyes will now get ready to close out non-conference play this week against FCS Northern Iowa before Big Ten action begins.
9. Tennessee vs. Georgia Tech
Date/Time: Sept. 12, 7 p.m. ET
Channel: ESPN
Viewers: 1.80 million
Tennessee didn’t leave any room for doubt in its Week 2 win against Georgia Tech. The Vols got 299 rushing yards on the ground while Faizon Brandon also threw for two scores to lead the charge in the victory.
DeSean Bishop led that rushing attack as he totaled 147 yards and two touchdowns. Tennessee will play its last non-conference game on Saturday against Kennesaw State before a huge matchup against top-ranked Texas next week.
10. Notre Dame vs. Rice
Date/Time: Sept. 12, 3:30 p.m. ET
Channel: NBC
Viewers: 1.63 million
Despite the blowout nature of the game, Notre Dame’s 52-0 victory over Rice was one of the Top 10 most-watched games of Week 2 on NBC. The Fighting Irish set the tone early with a scoop-and-score from Adon Shuler as part of the rout.
CJ Carr shined in the effort, going 16-of-20 for 253 yards and four touchdowns before the Irish’s backups took over. Notre Dame now has a primetime game awaiting in Week 3 as rival Michigan State comes to South Bend for the first time under new head coach Pat Fitzgerald.
College Football TV Ratings: Full Week 2 viewership
As a whole, it was a strong week of TV ratings for college football, fueled by the marquee matchup in primetime. Now, it’s on to Week 3, where the biggest game in the country is set to take place in Oxford on Saturday night.
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