The ratings are in for the high stakes season opener between then-No. 1 Texas and No. 3 Ohio State, which aired on Fox on Saturday. The battle between the Arch Manning-led Longhorns and the reigning champion Buckeyes drew record-breaking viewership numbers in what was a strong start to the college football season for the network.
Fox announced Wednesday that the Texas-OSU clash was the most-watched Week 1 college football game on any network in history, and it was Fox's third-most watched college football game ever. The broadcast peaked with a viewership of over 18.5 million at around 3:00 to 3:15 p.m. ET. It averaged 16.6 million viewers throughout the game, which had a kickoff time of noon ET.
On the field, the battle lacked a bit of luster, as Manning struggled against the Ohio State defense. He completed 17-of-30 passes for 170 yards, one touchdown and one interception in the 14–7 loss. Texas didn't score until the fourth quarter, as Ohio State's defense was unrelenting throughout the game.
As a result of that highly ranked Week 1 showdown, the Buckeyes have moved into the No. 1 spot in the AP Poll, while Texas dropped down into No. 7 heading into Week 2.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Fox Announces Historic Ratings for Week 1's Ohio State vs. Texas Game.
