SEC Championship Game Put Up Monster TV Ratings

The SEC snuck into the College Football Playoff, but it didn't have any trouble putting up huge ratings for the conference's title game.

Alabama edged out Georgia to win the conference championship in a game for the ages. It was a great battle that saw the Crimson Tide catapult into the CFP. Kirby Smart's team will now watch from home.

There was a massive amount of hype going into the Saturday game, and the CBS viewership reflects that fact.

The SEC posted late Tuesday afternoon that Alabama beating the Bulldogs averaged 17.519 million viewers and peaked with 22.35 million viewers. The game was also the most streamed college football matchup in history, according to the same release.

Alabama beating Georgia puts up big ratings.

What makes the ratings so impressive is the fact a lot of people couldn't even get access to the game because of a service dispute.

The game was blacked out on DirectTV in many markets because of a carriage dispute between DirectTV and Tegna Inc., according to The Athletic. I witnessed that chaos unfold in real time as I watched a bar quickly switch from DirectTV to a different provider hours before kickoff.

The SEC title game between Georgia and Alabama put up monster TV ratings. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

An untold amount of people couldn't even get the game, and it still averaged more than 17 million viewers. It's a big number. Not as impressive as Ohio State/Michigan a couple weeks ago (averaged more than 19 million viewers), but still very impressive.

One of the reasons the game put up such huge numbers is because the stakes couldn't have been higher. Georgia entered as back-to-back national champs and Alabama was fighting for a playoff berth. The drama and storylines wrote themselves before kickoff.

People cracked beers, ordered wings, tuned in and watched Nick Saban put in work. If that doesn't give you a warm and fuzzy feeling as a fan, then I don't know what will.

Alabama beat Georgia 27-24 in the SEC Championship. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

Huge college football ratings are a sign America still has a little gravel in its gut. You simply love to see it. Let me know what you think at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.