Nebraska-Indiana Blowout Ends as One of the Most Watched Games of Week Eight

Television ratings compiled from network releases and streaming data show that Nebraska football's devastating loss at Indiana rated as the fourth-most watched college football game of the weekend.

Indiana's Jamier Johnson (9) celebrates his interception during the Indiana versus Nebraska football game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Nebraska football was not only embarrassed by Indiana on Saturday in Bloomington, but the Huskers' defeat was also showcased to a vast national audience.

The Huskers' 56-7 loss at Indiana ended as the fourth-most watched broadcast of college football's week eight slate, according to On3 and several network press releases and streaming viewership data. Nebraska's 11 a.m. CDT kickoff had 3.2 million viewers on FOX, as the network's "Big Noon Kickoff" show preceded the contest.

Nebraska's loss was not the highest-viewed contest of the 11 a.m. CDT kickoff window, as No. 6 Miami's narrow victory over Louisville concluded with 4.1 million viewers. The Cardinals continued to battle with the Hurricanes in a 52-45 final that featured Heisman hopeful quarterback Cam Ward.

Oct 19, 2024; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward (1) looks to pass against the Louisville Cardinals during the first half at Federal Credit Union Stadium. Miami defeated Louisville 52-45. / Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

The weekend was led by the top-five SEC battle in Austin, as the then-No. 1 rated Texas Longhorns fell to Georgia 30-15. The contest peaked at 13.2 million viewers, with several dramatic moments in the contest including a quarterback change from Quinn Ewers to Arch Manning, and the infamous bottle-throwing from Longhorn fans that led to the overturning of a controversial pass interference call. The game was part of ESPN and ABC's marquee "Saturday Night College Football" package, with ESPN's College GameDay previewing the contest from the Texas campus.

The second-most watched broadcast of Saturday's slate was another SEC matchup and rivalry between Alabama and Tennessee as the Volunteers lifted themselves back into the national championship conversation with a 24-17 win in Tuscaloosa. The ABC broadcast began at 2:30 p.m. CDT and peaked at 10.2 million viewers.

Next on the list after the Nebraska-Indiana game were Michigan at Illinois on CBS (3 million viewers), Auburn at Missouri on ESPN (2.4 million), Colorado and Arizona on FOX (2 million), Notre Dame at Georgia Tech on ESPN (1.59 million), and Iowa at Michigan State on NBC and Peacock (1.57 million). Friday's FOX broadcast of No. 1 Oregon at Purdue garnered 2.1 million viewers, good for seventh on the weekend.

Sep 7, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers wide receiver Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda (13) returns a punt against Colorado Buffaloes cornerback Colton Hood (3) during the third quarter at Memorial Stadium. / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

The Huskers are familiar with being one of the most-watched games of the weekend this season, breaking records on NBC for their contest with Colorado, and being a top-ten most watched contest nearly every week including their Friday tilt with Illinois, a 31-24 overtime loss on Sept. 20. The Huskers have three national broadcasts slated on their remaining five games of the season, including Saturday's contest at Ohio State on FOX, their home tilt against UCLA on the Big Ten Network and the regular-season finale at Iowa on NBC.

The Huskers will battle the Buckeyes Saturday in Columbus, with kickoff at 11 a.m. CDT. The game will be preceded by FOX's two-hour "Big Noon Kickoff" show, which will also take place in Columbus.

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