The top-three matchup between Texas and Ohio State last Saturday resulted in the most watched Week 1 college football game on any network in history, FOX Sports reported Wednesday.
Broadcast nationally from Ohio Stadium on FOX, No. 3 Ohio State’s 14-7 win in its bout against No. 1 Texas peaked at 18,569,000 viewers “between 3:00 pm ET-3:15 pm ET,” according to FOX Sports, and reached “over 16.6 million viewers.”
It was the third-most watched college football game on FOX, according to the network.
The Buckeyes benefited in the latest Associated Press Top 25 college football poll this week. They claimed the top spot Tuesday with 55 first-place votes among the group of 63 voters.
Running back CJ Donaldson scored Ohio State’s first points on a 1-yard touchdown run almost midway through the second quarter Saturday.
Ohio State carried its 7-0 lead across the third quarter and into the fourth when quarterback Julian Sayin connected with Carnell Tate on a 40-yard touchdown heave.
Texas quarterback Arch Manning found Parker Livingstone from 32 yards out on the Longhorns’ only score with 3:28 left in the fourth quarter.
The Longhorns had the football at the 50-yard line with less than two minutes to go in the game but they turned it over on downs, allowing the Buckeyes to seal the game.
Texas dropped from the top spot to No. 7 in this week’s AP Top 25.
Ohio State will continue its three-game home stand to start this season with a contest against Football Championship Subdivision school Grambling State on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Big Ten Network.
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