Texas and Ohio State deliver record viewership in college football clash

The college football season began strongly with Texas facing Ohio State on September 16, 2026, in a highly anticipated matchup. ABC averaged nearly 14 million viewers for the game, which peaked at 16.4 million. Texas staged a comeback from a 20-point deficit to secure a 24-23 victory over Ohio State, marking the most-watched Week 2 college football game on record. In another notable game, Michigan defeated Oklahoma 17-10, attracting 8.2 million viewers. This week, Lane Kiffin will make his return to Oxford for his first game as head coach of LSU against Ole Miss, also televised by ABC.

• 2:32 PMYahoo Sports — College Football Viewership Off to Hot Start After Texas-Ohio State Thriller