With multiple conference races in high gear, the Week 13 slate had plenty of stakes. TV ratings took a dip, though, and On3 is breaking down the Top 10 most-watched college football games on the schedule.
Once again, ABC emerged as the winner with three of the four most-watched games on the slate, led by Texas’ win over Arkansas. Oregon’s victory against USC, meanwhile, brought CBS’ second-highest viewership of the 2025 season and the second-most watched game of the week.
SUBSCRIBE to the On3 NIL and Sports Business Newsletter
On3 obtained Nielsen Big Data + Panel ratings data for the most-watched games of Week 13. Here is the full breakdown of the week’s college football TV ratings.
Note: SEC Network, ACC Network and CBS Sports Network do not pay for Nielsen to measure viewership.
Arkansas at Texas
Date/Time: Nov. 22, 3:30 p.m. ET
Channel: ABC
Viewers: 5.6 million
The Texas offense dominated against Arkansas in Week 13, led by a huge day from Arch Manning in the 52-37 victory. It also helped ABC clinch the most-watched game of the week with 5.6 million people tuning in for the matchup.
USC at Oregon
Date/Time: Nov. 22, 3:30 p.m. ET
Channel: CBS
Viewers: 5.43 million
Widely considered the game of the week, Oregon and USC battled it out in what looked like an old Pac-12 game. The Ducks came away with the victory in the end, though, further cementing their CFP resume while virtually knocking the Trojans out of the race. It also became CBS’ second-most watched game of the year with 5.4 million viewers on average.
Missouri at Oklahoma
Date/Time: Nov. 22, Noon ET
Channel: ABC
Viewers: 5.37 million
After Oklahoma jumped into the projected College Football Playoff bracket, the Sooners faced a huge matchup at home against old rival Missouri. The Sooners shook off a slow start and got the 17-6 win as 5.4 million people tuned in for the game.
Tennessee at Florida
Date/Time: Nov. 22, 7:30 p.m. ET
Channel: ABC
Viewers: 4.8 million
ABC’s primetime game was once again one of the most-watched of the week as Tennessee took down Florida in The Swamp. DeSean Bishop had two rushing touchdowns while Star Thomas added one of his own as the Vols’ rushing attack led the charge against the Gators.
Rutgers at Ohio State
Date/Time: Nov. 22, Noon ET
Channel: FOX
Viewers: 4.1 million
Back in the noon window, Ohio State took down Rutgers despite being down playmakers such as Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith. That set the stage for this week’s rivalry game against Michigan, which could challenge Week 1’s game against Texas for the most-watched of the season.
Nebraska at Penn State
Date/Time: Nov. 22, 7 p.m. ET
Channel: NBC
Viewers: 3.1 million
Terry Smith got his first win at Beaver Stadium as interim head coach as Penn State cruised past Nebraska, 37-10, in Week 13. NBC’s primetime matchup cracked the Top 10 most-watched games of the week.
BYU at Cincinnati
Date/Time: Nov. 22, 8 p.m. ET
Channel: FOX
Viewers: 2.6 million
A Big 12 matchup in primetime helped FOX earn another spot in the Top 10 most-watched games of Week 13. BYU’s victory over Cincinnati drew an average of 2.6 million viewers as the Cougars continue their quest for a Big 12 Championship appearance.
Florida State at NC State
Date/Time: Nov. 21, 8 p.m. ET
Channel: ESPN
Viewers: 2.1 million
ESPN continues to find TV ratings success with its Friday night primetime game as more than 2 million people tuned in for Florida State’s matchup against NC State. The Wolfpack capitalized on some FSU mistakes in the fourth quarter to become bowl-eligible with the 21-11 win.
Pitt at Georgia Tech
Date/Time: Nov. 22, 7 p.m. ET
Channel: ESPN
Viewers: 2.0 million
Pitt bounced back well from a blowout loss to Notre Dame, taking down Georgia Tech to stay alive in the ACC Championship race. It also helped ESPN score one of the Top 10 most-watched games of Week 13 in the primetime slot, averaging 2.0 million viewers.
Miami at Virginia Tech
Date/Time: Nov. 22, Noon ET
Channel: ESPN
Viewers: 1.9 million
One of a handful of high-stakes ACC games on the Week 13 slate, Miami took care of business during its trip to Blacksburg to take on Virginia Tech. The Hurricanes picked up their ninth win of the season in one of the most-watched games of the week.
Syracuse at Notre Dame (Nov. 22, 3:30 p.m. ET, NBC) – 1.94 million
Washington at UCLA (Nov. 22, 10:30 p.m. ET, NBC) – 1.89 million
Michigan at Maryland (Nov. 22, 4 p.m. ET, BTN) – 1.5 million
TCU at Houston (Nov. 22, 4 p.m. ET, FOX) – 1.3 million
Kentucky at Vanderbilt (Nov. 22, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) – 1.1 million
Despite the slight dip in Week 13, college football continues to see increased TV ratings entering the Rivalry Week. Numbers are sure to take a leap with so many notable matchups across Black Friday and Saturday of Week 14.
