College Football Week 13 TV ratings: Michigan-Ohio State breaks record, Alabama-Auburn up 45% 

Week 13, also known as Rivalry Weekend, is one of the most exciting weeks of the college football regular season. This is because many schools save their matches against their biggest rivals for this week, making it a must-watch for viewers. The anticipation and excitement around these games add to the overall thrill of the season.

Clashes like "The Game" between Ohio State and Michigan, the "Iron Bowl" between Alabama and Auburn, and the "Egg Bowl" game that pits Ole Miss against Mississippi State are some of the games that have become staples of Week 13.

This 2023 Week 13 was a complete success, with records being smashed. Let us check some of those record-setting instances.

Michigan-Ohio State breaks record in Week 13

This edition of The Game was the second most viewed of all time, with 19 million people tuning in to see the victory of Michigan over Ohio State. Moreover, the clash was the most-viewed college football game since 2011.

The most-watched college football game was between the Buckeyes and the Wolverines in 2006, when 21.04 million viewers tuned in to see the top two schools in the country square off.

Saturday's game peaked at 22.9 million people between 3:30 p.m. and 3:45 p.m. Eastern Time. The game brought the biggest regular season audience since the 2011 clash between LSU and Alabama, which had 20.1 million viewers.

The game ranked fifth in the week's sporting events, only behind the NFL's three Thanksgiving games and Sunday Night Football on NBC. The most surprising fact is that this was a noon game that aired on Fox's Big Noon slot.

The Iron Bowl grows in viewership

Coming in second place in the ratings is the Iron Bowl clash between Alabama and Auburn, which brought an audience of 9.09 million people. While not nearly as high as the game between the Buckeyes and the Wolverines, that was still a 45% increase in viewership from last year's game. The Iron Bowl 2022 attracted 6.27 million viewers.