Why Texas vs. Ohio State Broke All Records and Changed College Football Forever

Wow, talk about a jaw-dropping kickoff to the college football season! The Texas versus Ohio State matchup didn’t just live up to the hype — it shattered records and commanded the biggest opening weekend audience we’ve ever seen for Week 1 games. I mean, pulling in an average of 16.6 million viewers, with a spike north of 18.5 million as Texas fought desperately against the Buckeyes — that’s no small feat. To put it in perspective, last year’s top Week 1 showdown barely cracked 9.2 million viewers, and that was on a quiet Sunday with no competing games. Honestly, these numbers outshine nearly every regular-season clash from last season, only slightly trailing behind the SEC title game by a sliver of 100,000 viewers. And looking ahead? Texas is set for a TV bonanza with marquee roadies to Florida and Georgia, plus the iconic Red River Shootout and a fiery season-ending battle against Texas A&M. If you’re a college football fan, this season’s got all the makings of an edge-of-your-seat spectacle. LEARN MORE

It was built up as the biggest opening weekend game ever and the audience suggests that was true. According to Fox, the Texas vs. Ohio State game was the most watched Week 1 game in college football history.

The game averaged 16.6 million viewers and peaked at over 18.5 million viewers in the second half when Texas was trying in vain to come back on the Buckeyes. Last year’s biggest game of Week 1 averaged 9.2 million viewers. And that game (USC vs. LSU) was a Sunday game, with no competition for viewers from other college football games.

The numbers are also better than any regular season college football game last year, including Georgia at Texas. Not counting the college football playoff, only the SEC championship game beat Saturday’s Texas-OSU numbers with a 16.6, which was about 100,000 more viewers.

Texas should have a lot of big television audiences this year with trips to Florida and Georgia, the Red River Shootout in Dallas and a season finale against the hated Texas A&M Aggies.