College Football Week 12 Overnights

Two of the highest profile college football programs in the country lifted ABC to strong numbers on Saturday.

The Florida State/Miami game drew a 6.1 overnight rating on ABC Saturday night, up 74% from Stanford/USC last year (3.5), up 11% from Oregon/Stanford in 2012 (5.5), and the third-highest college football overnight of the season. Only Notre Dame/FSU in October (8.5) and Mississippi State/Alabama earlier in the day (6.6) drew better numbers.

In a year when the SEC has dominated the ratings, the defending champions out of the ACC have been a reliable draw. FSU games have accounted for two of the top three college football overnights this season and three of the top six.

Earlier in the day, the Noon ET Ohio State/Minnesota game drew a surprisingly strong 4.3 overnight. There was no comparable telecast on the network last year. The 4.3 is easily the highest overnight of the season for college football in the Noon window, topping the previous high of 3.1 for Tennessee/Georgia on ESPN in September.

Sandwiched between the marquee games was Nebraska/Wisconsin, which drew a 2.3 overnight — down a tick from last year (2.4) and down 28% from 2012 (3.2). The Badgers’ win, which featured a record performance by RB Melvin Gordon, was nearly tripled by Mississippi State/Alabama head-to-head, reports Sports Media Watch.

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