Michigan/Ohio State Game Put Up Outrageous TV Ratings

The country was locked in on Michigan vs. Ohio State this past weekend, and the data is downright jarring.

The Wolverines have a clear path to the College Football Playoff after beating the Buckeyes 30-24 in a game where the stakes couldn't have been higher.

Hatred between the two sides is very real, and the situation and tensions escalated amid a massive cheating scandal that resulted in Jim Harbaugh being suspended.

Everyone wanted to know what would happen in The Game, and the action on the field didn't disappoint. The ratings reflect the absurd interest in the matchup.

Michigan beating Ohio State puts up monster TV ratings.

The game averaged more than 19 million viewers on Fox, and peaked with a staggering 22.9 million viewers as the fourth quarter wound down.

It's the most-watched regular season college football game since Alabama and LSU played in 2011. Barack Obama was still in his first term as President when that game was played.

That means UM beating OSU was the most-watched game in 12 years. Big Noon Kickoff, which was in Ann Arbor, also had 4.36 million, and beat GameDay for the first time. Absolutely incredible data.

The ratings reflect the drama college football fans love.

We all expected the ratings for Ohio State/Michigan to be big. I'm not sure anyone being honest expected these numbers. The game peaked at 22.9 million viewers. That's the kind of number fans expect to see from an NFL playoff game.

For comparison, the Iron Bowl between Alabama and Auburn averaged just north of nine million. The numbers weren't close at all.

Granted, Alabama was playing a bad Tigers team and UM/OSU was essentially a de facto playoff game. The stakes weren't similar, despite the Crimson Tide needing some late heroics to win the game.

College football also brings people together more than any other sport, and the rivalries are unbeatable. Yes, there are rivalries in other sports, but the hatred of The Game is something you don't see elsewhere. Add in the drama surrounding Jim Harbaugh being suspended for a game between two playoff contenders, and Fox cooked up a recipe for guaranteed success.

Michigan beating Ohio State put up huge TV ratings. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)

College football is booming, and while this country might have issues, it's great to see people still rally around our greatest sport. It might be a very long time before a regular season game touches these numbers. After all, it's the most-watched game in more than a decade. People love college football with a side serving of bitterness and drama!