Here Are The Ten Most Watched College Football Games This Year

The popularity of college football has never been higher, and this year's television ratings prove it.

Despite a continued increase in cord-cutting seemingly affecting other programs and sports, ratings soared throughout the season.

READ: COLLEGE FOOTBALL RATINGS ARE UP AS CORD CUTTING CONTINUES

And the most-watched games of the season shows the power of big matchups and personalities. Three of the top 12 involved the Colorado Buffaloes. Especially early in the season, college football fans couldn't get enough of the Deion Sanders story, though interest waned as the team faltered to a 4-8 record.

The biggest game of the season, by a wide margin, was Ohio State-Michigan. Battles between top-3 teams are always a huge draw, but with the importance of the OSU-UM rivalry and this year's Michigan scandal, ratings soared.

In fact, Ohio State was involved in three of the top four ratings games of the season. Their games against Notre Dame and Penn State each drew nearly 10 million viewers. Just wait until the Big Ten adds four new teams next year.

Alabama made the most appearances though, with games against Auburn, Tennessee, LSU and Texas pulling in big numbers. The Florida State-LSU early-season matchup and Penn State-Michigan were the only two to not have Alabama, Ohio State, or Colorado involved. Pretty crazy.

ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN - Head coach Ryan Day of the Ohio State Buckeyes looks on prior to the game against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium on November 25. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

College Football Ratings Set To Increase In 2024

What college football fans keep telling broadcasters and programs is that they want to see matchups between big-name teams.

Historic powerhouses and top-ranked teams continue to draw big numbers, something that should only continue as realignment takes effect in 2024.

USC, Washington, Oregon and UCLA join the Big Ten, providing big-name games like USC-Michigan and Ohio State-Oregon in the first season. Texas plays Georgia and Michigan, while Oklahoma plays Alabama, LSU, Ole Miss and Tennessee.

Michigan's schedule in particular should be must-see TV, with aforementioned games against Texas and USC to go along with Washington, Oregon, Ohio State and a new-look Michigan State team.

The new conferences and expanded playoff will ensure that major programs keep scheduling exciting out-of-conference matchups, knowing that two losses no longer eliminates them from national championship contention.

And as 2023's success shows, the massive ratings numbers could just get even bigger.