The 10 most-watched college football games of the 2021 regular season
10. PENN STATE AT OHIO STATE
Network: ABC
Audience: 7.1 million
The annual divisional showdown between the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions, at least of late, has routinely checked in as one of the most-watched games of the year given the fanbase sizes and the Big Ten East implications that the game often brings. Ohio State extended its winning streak against Penn State to five straight in this year's game, posting a 33-24 win in a game that saw the Buckeyes record a fourth-quarter shutout. This was one of five games involving a Big Ten team this year to crack the top 10 (more on that to come) in the most-watched games of the regular season.
9. AUBURN AT PENN STATE
Network: ABC
Audience: 7.6 million
This was one of the marquee non-conference games of the 2021 regular season — a Big Ten vs. SEC showdown that was also selected as the whiteout game for the Nittany Lions as it was played under the lights at Beaver Stadium. The game lived up to its billing, too, as Penn State escaped with a 28-20 win in a matchup that was tightly-contested throughout. Auburn, sitting well into Nittany Lion territory, had a chance in the final seconds of the game to potentially tie the game and send it into overtime, but the Penn State defense held the Tigers offense out of the end zone to prevail by a touchdown.
8. OREGON AT OHIO STATE
Audience: 7.7 million
Fans had to wait an extra year to see the Buckeyes and Ducks go at it after the 2020 game that was scheduled between the two in Eugene was unable to be played due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When the teams finally met this September in Week 2, Oregon stunned Ohio State by becoming the first visiting team to win at Ohio Stadium since Oklahoma in 2017. The Ducks, bolstered by a trio of CJ Verdell touchdowns, jumped out to a 21-7 lead early in the second quarter, and Oregon was able to fend off a comeback attempt by the Buckeyes in the fourth quarter to secure the early-season upset.
7. NOTRE DAME AT FLORIDA STATE
Network: ABC
Audience: 7.8 million
With the stage to themselves on Sunday night of Labor Day Weekend, Notre Dame and Florida State opened their seasons with a thriller in Tallahassee, with the Irish ultimately prevailing in overtime by a score of 41-38. It was a rather unexpected thriller at that, too — the Irish entered the season ranked No. 9 in the AP Top 25 poll while the Seminoles were nowhere to be seen, but that did not stop the game from becoming a classic. Notre Dame created some separation in the third quarter after a tightly-contested first half to take 38-20 lead, but Florida State proceeded to outscore the Irish 18-0 in the fourth quarter and force overtime. The Seminoles' comeback bid fell short at that point, but it was an entertaining way to open the fall for both teams.
6. ALABAMA AT FLORIDA
Network: CBS
Audience: 7.9 million
The regular season could not have ended much differently for the Crimson Tide and Gators, but at the time, this was a thrilling rematch of the 2020 SEC Championship Game, and once again, it went down to the wire. It did not look like that was going to be the case when Alabama jumped out to a 21-3 first quarter lead, but Florida worked its way back into the game and the Gators ultimately found themselves within two points of the Tide with just 3:10 to play, 31-29. That would prove to be the final score after Alabama was able to milk down the clock thanks to a pair of third-down conversions on the ensuing drive. Florida did have a chance to a return a punt on the final play of the game, but the Gators were unable to pull off a miracle.
5. ALABAMA AT TEXAS A&M
Network: CBS
Audience: 8.3 million
This was a game that folks had circled on their calendars all offseason, though the primetime matchup between the Crimson Tide and Aggies lost most of its luster when Texas A&M found itself on a two-game skid entering its showdown with No. 1 Alabama. All that did was set the stage for what proved to be an even more improbable upset than anyone could have managed. Fueled by a three-touchdown performance from Zach Calzada, who began the year as A&M's backup and capped off by a clutch game-winning field goal by Seth Small as time expired, the Aggies pulled off the upset to hand Alabama its first loss since 2019 and its first to an unranked opponent since 2007, snapping a streak of 100 wins for Saban and Co. against unranked teams. With Jimbo Fisher at the helm in College Station, it also marked the first time that Nick Saban lost to a former assistant in a head coaching matchup.
4. GEORGIA VS. CLEMSON
Network: ABC
Audience: 8.9 million
Given the teams and the fact that this was a top-5 showdown on the opening week of the season, it should come to nobody's surprise that Georgia and Clemson made for one of the most viewed games of the year. If you like offense, this was not the game for you, as Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs ultimately prevailed over Dabo Swinney and the Tigers by a final score of 10-3. The only touchdown of the game was a defensive score: A D.J. Uiagalelei interception that was returned 74 yards by Christopher Smith for a pick-six. And that trip to the end zone made the difference in the end.
3. MICHIGAN AT MICHIGAN STATE
Network: FOX
Audience: 9.3 million
The stakes were as high as they were in any recent meeting between Michigan and Michigan State when the schools met on Halloween weekend, as both entered undefeated with hopes of a Big Ten title and more on the table. Michigan would ultimately get the last laugh in that department, but Michigan State had its triumph that Saturday as running back Kenneth Walker went off for all five of the Spartans' touchdowns in the 37-33 win. The last of those came with just 5:08 to spare, putting Michigan State up by four in a game where the Spartans once trailed 30-14. Simply put, this was an instant classic in Big Ten Country.
2. ALABAMA AT AUBURN
Audience: 10.4 million
If recent history is any indicator, expect a thriller when the Iron Bowl is played at Jordan-Hare Stadium. That proved to be true once again this Thanksgiving Weekend, though it was Alabama that came on top after previously falling short in three of their past trips to the Plains. Granted, it looked for some time that the Tigers were about to pull off another stunner on a day where the Crimson Tide looked out of sync until it mattered in the end. Bryce Young found Ja'Corey Brooks for the game-tying touchdown with just 24 seconds remaining in regulation, and the Nick Saban and Co. would ultimately pull out a four-overtime victory before upsetting Georgia to win the SEC one week later.
1. OHIO STATE AT MICHIGAN
Network: FOX
Audience: 15.9 million
No other game came close to matching the viewership for this year's iteration of The Game, which saw Jim Harbaugh finally get his long-awaited win against Ohio State as the Wolverines defeated the Buckeyes for the first time since in the rivalry series since 2011.
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1 - independent ND, not on NBC
1 - PAC12 - Oregon
2- ACC
8 - BIG TEN
8 - SEC SEC SEC
